HELP! Exhaust is leaking at header/x connection.

[bunny_power]

We went to install the o/r flowtech X this afternoon and once we got the stock off and the O2 sensors out (somebody please find and beat the idiots at ford who refuse to put anti-sieze on the sensors :bash we welded in new bungs on the X and fitted it up. The back fits fine, but we had some problems with aligning the driver side header pipe. The friggin driver's side connection will not fit flush. It is open about 3/8" and obviously leaks bad.

Tomorrow we're going to go at it again but I'd like a bit of advice about how to attack this thing. Can you get brass spacer rings that can be put over the end of the header to seal up the gap or are we going to have to go back and cut behind the X and weld it back up so it fits? Any help is appreciated.


PS - Driving with a major head leak makes your car sound like a friggin dump truck. :cuss:

 

[fubu795]

If the xpipe comes in multiple peices which I'm guessing it does, fit the collector bolts first and then put the back bolts on. Thats what I did with my UPR X-pipe and I now have 5k on it and she is beautful, no leak, tick, nothing.

Hope This Helps!

 

[wjfawb0]

I had a nut come off my header to mid pipe connection while drag racing. I just had the Dr. Gas X-pipe installed before it happened. My car started to sound like an old chevy. It was sickening. Good luck getting it fixed man.

-Jason

 

[bunny_power]

Originally posted by fubu795
If the xpipe comes in multiple peices which I'm guessing it does, fit the collector bolts first and then put the back bolts on. Thats what I did with my UPR X-pipe and I now have 5k on it and she is beautful, no leak, tick, nothing.

Hope This Helps!

Yeah, its the upper portion on the driver's side that won't go snug. We did loosen the back connections and wiggle the whole system around trying to get it to fit, and once it was in position we wedged the upper tube into place and tightened it down... but still leaky. :cuss:

 

[bunny_power]

Bump, just drove it a bit more this morning and the SES light came on. :cuss:

Hopefully its just the MILs acting up a bit, but we'll see. Anybody got anything else to add about how to fix this leak?

 

[fubu795]

Check engine light will always trigger, dont sweat it. I honestly dont know what to say about the drivers side not fitting. Only thing I can think of is un-do the whole thing and connect the drivers side completely by itself and use the help of someone else. Have a friend hold it perfectly in place and then wrench the shit out of it. If not send the pipe back and grab a UPR Xpipe, theres been hundreds of people on this forum with nothing but great results with that UPR Pipe.

Dan....
(I can get you %10 off UPR products)

 

[bunny_power]

Originally posted by fubu795
Check engine light will always trigger, dont sweat it. I honestly dont know what to say about the drivers side not fitting. Only thing I can think of is un-do the whole thing and connect the drivers side completely by itself and use the help of someone else. Have a friend hold it perfectly in place and then wrench the shit out of it. If not send the pipe back and grab a UPR Xpipe, theres been hundreds of people on this forum with nothing but great results with that UPR Pipe.

Dan....
(I can get you %10 off UPR products)

Yeah, when we initially fitted the upper pipe to the driver's side header it seemed like the stops on the stock bolts in the header flange were going to prevent it from totally tightening down. Kinda like the flare on the end just wasn't quite done properly. Anyway we're going to get at it again, hopefully be done soon.

Driving with a major leak at the header sucks.

 

[bunny_power]

ok, got it done, the x had to be cut and readjusted because of flowtech's shitty alignment during production, but its on there, it's sealed.... and its insane.

The way the M55 muffler's are built once the exhaust flow reaches a certain velocity (about 2.8-3K) the amount of gas that is able to escape into the little chambers goes to zero (i guess that old fluid dynamics course was useful after all) and its almost like having straight pipes.

Sounds amazing, but this is my daily driver and it might be a little much.