Quote:
Quote:
How does lack of sealant on a header bolt allow water into the tailpipe?
part of the bolt thread will grab the threads of the hole but there's still room for ~15psi of coolant to pressure thru. I use the OE shouldered studs w permatex #1 w headers and trim the outer fine threaded section so there's only enough threads left for a thin high grade nut to fit flush as any extra is a waste & contributes to the fitment prob
Yeah, I realize that, but some of the responses are suggesting that a leak around the threads is making its way inside the header tube, which is where I'm befuddled. I'm not trying to be argumentative (not in this case, anyway 
), just trying to learn something new?
A water leak around the threads should want to go to atmospheric pressure (an external leak), not to atmospheric +2-3 psi that is in the exhaust (out the tailpipe). I am presuming the headers in question have gasket between the bolt/stud and the port exit, like a typical bigblock. This means that when the guy re-tightened the headers to seal an exhaust leak, he broke the seal on the stud, sealed the header to the outside world, but the stud now passes coolant to the header tube 'inside the perimeter'?
Last edited by Fury Fan; 07/19/10 03:25 PM.
