Fix for leaking Tri-Y extractors

[black_friday]

Hi all,

I've got a set of tri y's fitted to my VY SS that have developed a bit of a leak at the 3 bolt flange on the drivers side (before the cats). The last couple of gaskets have burnt out in days, and more recently I bush mechanic'd one with some gasket goo that lasted about 6 months but its come back with a vengeance.

What would be the best way to sort this out for good, short of replacing them?? The local exhaust shop just want to sell me a new set, which I'd rather not.

Is it possible to remove the gasket and weld around the join, since I have no intention of removing them from the car again? Or is that too bush mechanic?

Any reasonable suggestions will be considered!

Cheers,

Jarrod

[Micks]

Have seen flanged setups with only rtv applied & no leakage. Are the flanges deformed or warped?

[black_friday]

To the eye they look like they bolt up nice and tight, but the surfaces arent entirely flat and its possible there isnt a large contact area. They sort of curve in towards the inside of the pipe from the outer edge of the flange, if that makes sense!

[Micks]

Easy enough to check them just run a straight edge across them, if there not right no gasket nor any amount of goo will work as they get hot they do expand.

[whitels1ss]

Have seen flanged setups with only rtv applied & no leakage. Are the flanges deformed or warped?

Yes, seen (& done) the same many times with great results.

[Woodchukka]

I agree with Mick. Check that the flanges on both sides are not warped. If they are straighten them up and see how it goes.

[Smitty]

Hi all,

I've got a set of tri y's fitted to my VY SS that have developed a bit of a leak at the 3 bolt flange on the drivers side (before the cats). The last couple of gaskets have burnt out in days, and more recently I bush mechanic'd one with some gasket goo that lasted about 6 months but its come back with a vengeance.

What would be the best way to sort this out for good, short of replacing them?? The local exhaust shop just want to sell me a new set, which I'd rather not.

Is it possible to remove the gasket and weld around the join, since I have no intention of removing them from the car again? Or is that too bush mechanic?

Any reasonable suggestions will be considered!

Cheers,

Jarrod

tried MANISEAL? i use the stuff on the extractors on my race car which are not exactly flat ;)
no leaks!

[black_friday]

Would you use Maniseal with or without gaskets?? Ive got some copper stuff in a tube or would maniseal be a better product?

If that fails is it a bad idea to weld around the join?

[Micks]

Wouldn't it be just as easy to chop the flanges off then & weld it up?

[Smitty]

Would you use Maniseal with or without gaskets?? Ive got some copper stuff in a tube or would maniseal be a better product?

If that fails is it a bad idea to weld around the join?

MANISEAL? ... without gaskets
and it withstands heat much better than the copper hi-temp silicon

[SASLS1]

If the flanges aren't mega warped, a 12 inch flat wide medium & smooth hand file and lots of elbow grease, you can file the flanges down flat / square working around in circles to keep it even.

Must keep the file flat across the flange at all times...

The high spots will clean up shiny straight way and the low spots will clean up shiny once all the high spots are filed down level to the low spots. Once the whole flange surface is shiny, it'll be flat / square.

Grab smooth file, quick draw file smooth, fixed...

Requires lots of elbow grease...

If you don't keep the file flat at all times, you can make it worst... Must have lots of patients to do this correctly.

Done this a few times on leaky flanges, on my cars.

Over torquing flange bolts to stop leaks, warps flanges too.

[SASLS1]

Of course the local exhaust shop just wants to sell you a new set, as they just want quick easy money with zero effort...

[IJ.]

Pull em off, linisher and a long straight edge, nothing will drive you bugshit quicker than a header leak..

[black_friday]

If im going to weld I may as well weld around the flange. If I cut them out I lose about an inch of pipe...I have had a bit of a go with a file amd they look ok, obviously not good enough tho6gh

[black_friday]

Yeah its def annoying the shit out of me now!

[Woodchukka]

Many have been there. Really gets to you quickly these sort of issues.