header gasket preferance on a 440 with headers ???

what brand of header gaskets hold up well w/o blowing out, on a 440, with edelbrock rpm heads and hooker headers.??? I am planning on using the new mr.gasket header bolts ,that don't back out.thanks jim

1. Check if your headers' flanges are flat. If you can detect any warping, no gasket it going to seal properly. Look especially between the two center ports which have to rely on only two bolts to clamp down the siamesed exhaust ports.

2. If the headers are OK, I've had good results w/ Mr. Gasket UltraSeal and (even though they look flimsy), the Indy-brand header gaskets. What TTI sells also looks decent, but I haven't tried those yet to know for sure.

I would suggest that U use studs in place of bolts...
Much easier to replace an exhaust gasket, plus no coolant leakage as well..
Regarding gasket brand, we like to use the Fel-Pro..

Just my $0.02...

Using Indy header gaskets with a thin coat of "Ultra Copper" on both sides...no leaks yet.

I have had good luck with Percy's carbon fiber and Mr. Gasket ultra seals on my ride.

REMFLEX.

x2 on using studs, if you can install the headers w/ them. Some headers require a lot of "gymnastics" to get the nut over the end of certain studs depending on how the tubes are routed, and it's simply easier to get a bolt started.

Re: Fel-Pro header gaskets... need to check the size of their openings vs. the exhaust port & header flange openings. I've found they're simply too small for larger ports and headers.

X2 on remflex.
My headers suck and remflex seals them

One thing on the studs is sometimes with certain headers studs cant be used as they dont always fit good. I know on my TTI and CPPA headers on our cars you cant use studs on some bolts as they just wont fit. Ron

REMFLEX are the best!

Ultra-Seal's under flanges that were surfaced has kept my Hooker's happy for a lot of years...

We use nothing but Mr Gasket ultra seals.Even the valve covers are the ones.Ive had headers on and off and reused them.My kid did have to replace one on his 413 after 6 or 7 years and being off once.Not bad for like 20 bucks.Rocky

I have used nothing but the blue fel pro ones for years.Even re-use them several times off and on.Flat flanges is the key no matter what you use.

Just a short story here. In 93 I bought my Davis step headers for my Max and went to the local track for some time runs with MR Gasket gaskets, by the time I unloaded the car the gaskets were blown so I made a few passes and left. The following week I went out with the Fel-Pro 1414 and opened them to the max exhaust size with my die grinder,it was a perfect seal. 2016, 23 years later the same gaskets are on the car, 4 different sets of heads and the headers have been removed and reinstalled many times, the gaskets look like the day I first put them on.

Percy Carbons.

Been using the Fel-pro permatorque for years w/just a smear of grease and they last years and don`t leak...........

Never tried Remflex. After having hood luck with Ultraseals I stayed with them

Putting a set of these on my 86 Grand Wagoneer today. They are interesting but the Jeep/AMC guys I know swear by them.

Perceys carbon X or remflex. Both will seal on just about anything.

I wish I knew who made the ones that came with my Doug's headers because they have been on there for about 7 years with not a peep. It helps that they have perfect thick flanges and I even used the bolts and lock washers they came with I pulled them tight after the first heat cycle and haven't touched them since

Gus

Getting ready to put my headers back on. I have both the Ultra seals and the Remflex. I`m trying to decide which to use. Man those Remflex are thick.

Yeah...
I can see that about possible interference..
On my 70RR using the TTIs' I had no clearance issues. I can say the OE gaskets packed with the TTIs were real thin, replaced with Fel-Pros since I have studs changed them out in 20 minutes..

Just my $0.02...

I have studs reinstalled on my CPPAs.All are studs except I think 1 thats a bolt.Even with aluminum heads and dry holes I prefer the studs.Had bolts and didnt care for them a lot.Rocky

Percy's Seal 4 Good work well for me

I have the Percy Carbon ones with the TTI headers on the 440 stroked to 505 and had no problems with them.

The second header bolt in this pic is the one that you have to start first at one end of the oval slot with the header as far to the front as it will go because its to tight and not enough room to get a bolt or nut in there with the header in this spot and then after the bolt is started you have to slide the header down to the back of the oval slot to line up the rest of the bolts and put them in. So you cant use studs or you could not get this bolt in or a nut on it. If it was studs you would have to have very short stud and then get a nut on it and started with the header in this posistion as you could not slide the header to the front of the car the inch or so that is the lenth of the slot with studs in the other holes. I even grind the bolt head a little thinner. I just cant see getting a nut in there and starting it with the header in this posistion which is what I would have to do to use studs on this header. Ron

remflex!, no others compare

If you set up the flanges correctly you can use
just about any gaskets... cut the flange between
the ends and middle two cyls... drill one hole
larger on each pair... the flange HAS to grow with
the heat but your not letting it with the holes that
comes on the flanges.. drill it 1/16" to 1/8" larger
the best material is called grafoil.. its graphite
embedded on stainless... the graphite allows it to
slide when growing

Remflex here as well. Couldn't get anything else to seal them up. These did it perfectly!

A thin smear of copper rtv will help seal almost any type of header gasket. It can be more work to get the mating surfaces clean again doing it this way so if you take your car apart a lot you might want to try something else.

It's good to prep the header flanges with a wide fine tooth file in an x-pattern around each port before they go on and then almost any gasket will do.

You need to open up a hole in each port... 34 years
in the exhaust lab I did learn a bit... if it cant
grow that material will WARP.. and people keep wondering
WHY

i swiped that tip from mr. p many, many years ago and it flat works ! thanks mr. p !

agree use as many ex mani studs as you can. as far as gaskets IF you have an older set of headers, Remflex will seal them. Don't waste time or money on those copper or aluminum junk, they stink. Not sure what the part number is but I also like the Mr. Gasket w/ the metal in the middle, not just plane paper. Cut the flanges and don't over tighten and you should be fine.