Loose exhaust headers and hanger

[MattS22]

I had a full system aftermarket exhaust installed by a shop a few months ago and just recently I noticed a huge exhaust leak due to the headers wiggling about the manifold, and the exhaust hangar at the rear has also loosened up. Is this a matter of simply re-tightening the header bolts and hanger? Would I need a new set of gaskets? I'm worried about driving the bolts too far into the manifold or stripping the threads.

Any advice or past experiences would help a ton

[ShowBizWolf]

Do you know for sure if the shop pried out the old gaskets and replaced with new ones?

I remember the first time I was changing those gaskets and they were so baked on and crusty I didn't even think there were any there at all.

If there definitely are new gaskets in there, I'd try to very carefully re-tighten the bolts. The bolt holes have bottoms so I can't imagine ya winding them too far and causing a problem. I'm not a fan of those bolts... I replaced mine with studs and nuts. Something you could consider too.

I can't see a problem with re-tightening the hanger.

[The Buddha]

Tighten it yes, but take off the bolts, put anti seize on them and tighten them. In some cases you may need to double up on the gaskets in the head. Also make sure the header isn't too big to fit tightly into the exhaust port and see if it has any weld splatter and clean it off if needed.
Cool.
Buddha.

[chris900f]

Do you know for sure if the shop pried out the old gaskets and replaced with new ones?

I remember the first time I was changing those gaskets and they were so baked on and crusty I didn't even think there were any there at all.

If there definitely are new gaskets in there, I'd try to very carefully re-tighten the bolts. The bolt holes have bottoms so I can't imagine ya winding them too far and causing a problem. I'm not a fan of those bolts... I replaced mine with studs and nuts. Something you could consider too.

I can't see a problem with re-tightening the hanger.

This sounds like a good idea; do you remember the size/length of the studs you used? -thx

[ShowBizWolf]

I remember I needed a different size for my aftermarket exhaust... but another member of the forum helped me figure out what size to use with the stock pipes. I added the info to the wiki. Here's the quote:
"They are M8-1.25mm. 60mm for the length has been confirmed to work with the stock header pipes."

[chris900f]

Thanks very much for the info. An ounce of prevention and all that...

[ShowBizWolf]

You're welcome! I agree