Header Repair Options

[72MachOne99GT]

Background: My brother has a ‘98 Cobra with a brutal exhaust leak where his current long tubes (don’t know brand) meet the heads. Gaskets are shot according to him and my dad who saw the car on a lift at the exhaust shop he’s going to use.


His car is lowered and I guess the current long tubes have quite a bit of denting, and they also mentioned that they’re significantly rusted from end to end.

My brother isn’t sure if he wants to just have the leak fixed with new gaskets, or if he should purchase a new pair of headers to have them installed when everything is disassembled.

Curious what you guys think. He isn’t looking to spend tons of money (this will already set back his 4.10 install a little while), but he knows it won't be super cheap since header work on these cars is such a joy.

Finally, the car is on the stock clutch and I know certain long tubes require the passenger header to be moved to do clutch work.

Open to thoughts and suggestions, or even if it might be worth it to look at mid length headers and run a different uncatted midpipe...

Thanks

 

[biminiLX]

As money is tighter, I’d say reseal with new gaskets for now and start a fund for a proper refresh with new clutch, headers, mounts, etc
Gotta love a header, gear 4.6 Cobra banging gears.
-J

 

[72MachOne99GT]

As money is tighter, I’d say reseal with new gaskets for now and start a fund for a proper refresh with new clutch, headers, mounts, etc
Gotta love a header, gear 4.6 Cobra banging gears.
-J

Sort of what I want to lean him towards. The car is really really low. New LTs seem like they’ll take the same abuse.

Brother has talked about raising the car, which I think is ludacris... but it isn’t my car.

Paying labor for a new set of gaskets and an o/r midpipe sounds like my vote, and hope the clutch holds ho for awhile.

 

[biminiLX]

And of course, we need pics!
-J

 

[hotcobra03]

Did they give him a quote to do just gaskets?

it can be a long job

What gasket was used on this year on stock manifold?


I did mine myself.

on 03 cobra the oem steel gasket will last forever.
Paper gasket that comes with headers will not last

 

[72MachOne99GT]

Did they give him a quote to do just gaskets?

it can be a long job

What gasket was used on this year on stock manifold?


I did mine myself.

on 03 cobra the oem steel gasket will last forever.
Paper gasket that comes with headers will not last

I wasn’t there when they had it up and looked at it/quoted work. However, this guy has done LTs on the 4.6 motors in these cars before so I’m sure he quoted around 5-6 hours at whatever his rate is (60-80 an hour).

Brother told me they must have been the shitty paper gaskets because the shop guy pointed out how deteriorated they were just from looking underneath . Shop guy (and I when my brother spoke to me) both said the metal/layered gaskets are what he’ll use for replacements.

Hoping I can convince him not to raise the car. Still very open to opinions or suggestions.