Exhaust Manifold

[boatingbill]

I noticed that where the exhaust pipe meets the manifold that someone  had at one time put
some heat putty around the gasket. The putty was crumbling and and there was exhaust
leaking. I dropped the pipe and wire brushed the joint and put in a Napa 60146 gasket that
the Kaiser part interchange lists. The gasket fit perfectly but looks a little thin. When everything
was back together the joint  still leaks around the gasket. Is this the correct gasket? An old trick
used to be to put two gaskets together to compensate for corrosion or warp age. Has anyone
tried this? Maybe this was why the putty was there to begin with.

[joefrazer]

Yes, that's the right gasket. Remember, things are to fit as if all of the parts are new. I've double gasketed the exhaust pipe with success.

[boatingbill]

Joefrazer, I'm going to try that next.

[mbflemingkf]

I was told (and did) to use one of those round copper donut thingees that has the asbestos in the center which squish down when the exhaust pipe is tightened against the manifold.  It's in the parts list.  Had a similar leak before and this gasket fixed it...no more leaks.

[boatingbill]

Mbflemingkf, I have the Richard Hansen parts interchange list and don't see a "doughnut" gasket listed. Do you have a Napa part number?

[mbflemingkf]

boatingbill...no, I'm sorry, I picked up 3 from a club vendor and they didn't come with a number.  If you run out of options, I'll let 1 go for $10 postage paid.  It worked on my car when I had an exhaust leak the traditional gaskets wouldn't stop...can't speak for all cars & situations (I have a 54 Kaiser).  Maybe there's others on the chat who have used them?

Mike

[boatingbill]

OK I'm stumped. I doubled the exhaust gaskets between the exhaust pipe and the exhaust
manifold and that fixed that leak. I still had a exhaust manifold leak where a previous owner
had the manifold welded in two places and the welds cracked. I cleaned everything up and
replaced the exhaust manifold. Now the only leak is at exhaust ports 3 and 4. This is the large
casting where the heat tube connects. It appears that the intake and exhaust ports are not
perfectly even though ports 1 & 2 and 5 & 6 are even. Ports 3 and 4 have a wide space
between the mounting bolts and looks like a common space to leak. Has anyone used two
exhaust gaskets between the block and manifolds? Would this even work to compensate
for the unevenness between the intake and exhaust faces that are against the block? I
have tightened the bolts but don't want to crack a casting or break a stud. Yes, I did read
Kaiserbills comments on manifolds. Any ideas?

[kfnut]

Just a shot in the dark . You have probable already done this but i will suggest it anyway .
Take the manifolds apart and have them plained like you would the head to make sure they have no warps in them . When reassembling them , leave the bolts holding them together loose until you have installeed them on the block and then finish tighting them . This keeps them from cracking the casting . I hope this works to stop your leaks .

[lessthan8]

Try spraying aluminum paint on block and then installing manifold, worked for me on another car

[boatingbill]

My leak appears not to be between the block and the gasket, but between the exhaust manifold
and the gasket  because I see black soot forming on the gasket. I am wondering if the used
exhaust manifold that I got was warped which would explain why 1 & 2 and 5 & 6 are even with
the intake ports, but 3 & 4 are not.