[PhillyGT]

So i pick up my car from the shop after getting my new clutch installed.I was in a rush so when i started my car i didnt notice the loud leak.My car is loud to begin with,but sounds very healthy.So i get to work and call the shop that i got the clutch done at,they say bring it back in monday.So i drop it off,and they call me 2 hours later and say theres nothing they can do.They said because the header was so rusty where it meets the collector the"donut" was rotted they said i have to replace the whole exhaust manifold.After me flipping out about my car sounding like shit i dont know what to do.Does this sound true?When they dropped the exhaust,shouldnt it just go right back together?

[PhillyGT]

I think the part was the flange? on the exhaust,and is it repairable?

[91sleeper]

[PhillyGT]

How so?

[91sleeper]

take a pic and post it.

[PhillyGT]

Dude i cant.I'm talking about where the header meets the h-pipe collector.Its put back together now.The shop said it was because the the header was so rusty it wouldnt seal no matter how tight they tightened it to the h-pipe collector.

[91sleeper]

can you not work on your own car? thats a easy check to do yourself. unbolt the mid oioe and look.

[PhillyGT]

Yes i can but,dont have a place to do it,or the tools.

[PhillyGT]

I just wanted to know if it sounded like bullshit or not about the manifold rusting so much that theres no seal.

[fogged306]

Dont they use sand or something and not salt in the winter in philly? I bought my car in philly and there wasn't a spot of rust on it. Unless the car was somewhere else where there's a lot of salt, it's probably not likely that the header was that rusty. If it was somewhere either near the ocean or where they salt in the winter then it's entirely possible. Living in Buffalo and working at a shop, I can't tell you how many times I've been working on something and something else broke because it was rotted through from the winters here.

[crazyredneck]

long tubes or short?

[ddarkslayer]

I've gotten my flange grinded before

[stangage]

you dont have a socket set or wrenches.. hard to say without seeing it, i highly doubt salt from the roads caused that. excuse to get new headers...

[PhillyGT]

There shorties.So i did check thm and there pretty rusty,but it gves me a reason to buy some new ones.So ill make a positive out of a negative.My whole exhaust system is new except for the headers.So i guess its time to get new ones.I'm just pissed that last week it was a new clutch,now i gotta get headers.It really never ends.I guess i wouldnt be so pissed if i had a lot of money.

[nolife]

Could be a little of their fault but In my opinion... They are working on a ~20 year old header and H pipe. I could see the ball and socket being a little mucked up or if the flanges around the ball and socket are just too corroded and weak now to hold any torque. I'm sure the studs busted off when they were taking it apart. Maybe their method of stud extraction bent the ball on the header? I did that myself in the past.

BBK makes decent headers at a decent price, spend a little extra and get ceramic coated ones.

[PhillyGT]

Yeah the studs did snap.When you bent the ball,how was it fixed? Just get new headers?I'm about to order new ones.

[nolife]

LOL, bent it back the best I could with a pair of vice grips and pliers. I didnt bend it too badly. I'm sure its not 100% leakproof but good enough when I cranked down on the bolts.