exhaust manifold gaskets.

xxsuper wrote: just curious...how did u test to see ur exhaust manifold was leaking?
it made a tickyticky ticky noise that was driving me crazy! at first i couldnt find it but i just put my hand near #2 cylinder and felt the air! must have been improving itself all the while and when i had the heads done it just up and shit itself to spite me and the babes new heads! only annoyance in having the manifold planed is that my rear manifold has $30 worth of wrap covering them. no doubt that will have to come off if it has to get locked down on a lathe for planeing. wrap does a good job insulating,but once its on for awhile ,touch it, and it doesnt put up alot of resistance

it turnes out my rear ex manifold is warped to hell. i took it to a machine shop to be planed down ,i installed it and the loud ticking is still present. i removed it again this morn and the manifold has been only marginally planed compared to what was the original warpage. ill take it back mon. remove the rear manifold and place a straight edge against the header,a good carpenters square will do, and check for warpage. maybe thats it?

robotennis61 wrote:

this might not be relevant. but i am having the same noise too. but as it turnes out my rear ex manifold is warped to hell. i took it to a machine shop to be planed down ,i installed it and the loud ticking is still present. i removed it again this morn and the manifold has been only marginally planed compared to what was the original warpage. ill take it back mon. remove the rear manifold and place a straight edge against the header,a good carpenters square will do, and check for warpage. maybe thats it?

What was the actual measured warpage. How many thousands of an inch at it's worst spot.???
The reason I ask is that a good gasket and sealer can easily seal up .015" - .020" of warparge on an exhaust manifold. I wouldn't try to seal that kind of gap on anything else.

i did not take a measurment. but holding a straight edge against the manifold ,i percieved a good 1/6" that bad. and i had the exact same noise turtleman described!

is this ticking loud enough to hear in the cab while driving? i had the manifold planed dead flat tis morning ,while less,the ticking is still there! shit!

Some ticking sound is normal with headers. The thinner steel walls of headers don't absorb the exhaust sounds like a heavy cast iron manifold can.

robotennis61 wrote:

is this ticking loud enough to hear in the cab while driving? i had the manifold planed dead flat this morning ,while less,the ticking is still there! shit!

You have stock cast iron manifolds, Don't you? If so they should be quiet. Dead quiet.
Do you have an aftermarket downpipe, if so wrap that with header wrap and secure with stainless clamps.
I have headers but don't have any ticking noises at all because I wrapped the Headers and Flex pipe and crossover pipe before install.
The deekster took it for a ride and commented on how quiet mine was compared to his and he has the same exhaust as I do.
What year is your car.?
I should have thought about this before you spent time and money on machine work.
I still have my stock manifolds......although shipping cost would probably equal machine shop charges. IDK.

Never mind I just noticed yours is a 95. Totally different.

And we have high jacked the valve retainer ticking noise issue for an exhaust ticking issue.

I agree with Rickw. If you have stock manifolds, you shouldnt hear any ticking. My header wrap deteriorated and fell of the flex pipe on my SLP headers and the ticking is driving me crazy...

I hear some ticking at start up at the flex on my 3" DP, so i guess it's possible with manifolds

i have the 95 ex iron manifold. the machine shop guy sed it was a header. what do i know? but ticking still present and is going to drive me to murder....

What did you use for a gasket.? You did have the rear manifold planed down didn't you?
Have you checked further down where the rear manifold connects to the exhaust system. A small leak there will produce a ticking noise.
Basically any joint around the manifolds that may be leaking will tick.
How about the EGR valve, did you remove that recently.?
The connections at the crossover pipe, etc.
You get the picture.

all is well as far as i can see. fel pro is what i used for a gasket. ill remove it tomorow and inspect again ,maybe i missed a crack or two? and after this second planing it is now flat! really flat. so problem must lie along the line somewhere...following this thread ,i put a stethescope up to every spring under the valve cover and nothing there. might this problem be related to your headers ? small hairline crack somewhere?