Exhaust Gasket Info Needed

M

MichBC3

Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2008
When I took the exhaust off of my TTA, I found that the exhaust manifolds were (poorly) sealed with orange RTV only. No gasket.

I am building a new engine for this car and am having trouble locating exhaust gaskets. It's interesting that the TTA Service Manual Supplement does not even acknowledge that there is a gasket.

Anyway, does anyone have a lead on some good quality exhaust manifold gaskets for the TTA? Fel Pro part number? GM? Other?

Thanks.
 
stock from GM they had no gasket.. make sure they are flat and clean when ya put the back together. I have used the hi temp orange sil for years. worked pretty good for me. :cool:
 
What kind of shop can verify the manifolds are flat and machine if necesary?
 
DO NOT RUN GASKETS!!! I learned the hard way...

I took mine to a machine shop and had them milled flat then used copper RTV and torqued them down as tight as could. Holding up strong for 2 years now. Before that, I had them machined flat and used Felpro gaskets..lasted 8 passes before it blew out the gasket. The gasket held in so much heat the flanges turned purple and warped.

JASON
 
Sweet6 said:
What kind of shop can verify the manifolds are flat and machine if necesary?
Click to expand...

Any machine shop. Or put them on a table and see if they are flat. The machinest said if they flanges bend up at the corners that is fine as the bolts would make them flat, but if the center was off the table and the edges were flat that is where the trouble occurs.

He was right..

Jason
 
Yes, I planned to take the manifolds to a local machine shop to have them milled flat anyway.

So I guess what you're saying is that heat transfer from the manifold flanges has to take place into the heads. Well, if that was what the engineers at GM planned, then that's what I'll do. Thanks.
 
Anyway, does anyone have a lead on some good quality exhaust manifold gaskets for the TTA? Fel Pro part number? GM? Other?

Thanks.[/QUOTE]


Hi There!

I will tell you that Grumpy is right, there was no stock header gaskets. You can do as others have suggested and have your headers flatened, easly done with out mill work, it's a large sanding disc effectionally called a 'Bear Trap' but, that doesn't solve the problem of the head worpage. If you choose to use gaskets you have at least 2 options, 1 is the GSCA, very pricey! The other is a company called VICTOR REINZ. Both are graphite gakets. I don't remember where I bought them but the part number on the package is MS15519. I have a call in to them to see if they still produce them, if you are interested I will get back to you or you can call me at 832-341-3145. Needless to say, I'm a firm believer in gaskets. But, withall honesty I must tell you that there is a draw back to header gaskets and that is the added width of the headers. You will move the headers apart by almost 1/8 of an inch. The significants of this is, you will need to pull the cross over out a bit to secure a good seal to the headers. If you want more info just give me a yell! Good Luck and have fun!
 
Hi Frank - It looks like the community is equally divided about the gasket/no gasket thing. I believe that I've come across Victor gaskets in the past and armed with the part number that you supplied, my local parts store should know how to get them.

I almost forgot that I had my new heads made up by Champion and when I checked them I verified that they had been surfaced on both the exhaust and intake sides. So I should be "good" from the head flatness perspective.

No, I'm not really interested in buying an exotic gasket, so the one from GSCA is not on the "table".

I was initially concerned about whether or not the factory used one - and the answer to that was unanimous that they didn't. So most likely I'm going to go with orange Ultra RTV.
 
Bob
No gasket and the Hi temp rtv is the way to go. Check the headers with a straight edge and feeler gages. anything les than .005 will be ok. Machining the flange may get it thin enough to allow it to warp more.

Glenn
 
Thanks Glenn. Good to hear from you. This engine project is really dragging on. The visitors that I had during the holidays stopped all progress. Could also be it's a loss of enthusiasm during this cold snap. Then there are the cold symptoms that I've been battling on and off for a few weeks. Feeling better now. Perhaps I will gain some ground on it today.
 
I sell the graphite gaskets by Remflex and have had good luck with them. Assuming the TTA heads would use the same header gaskets as the TR???? I run 24 - 25 lbs of boost with alky, no blowouts as of yet. Have to be careful on tightening them down.

Gaskets
 
TR Custom Parts said:
I sell the graphite gaskets by Remflex and have had good luck with them. Assuming the TTA heads would use the same header gaskets as the TR???? I run 24 - 25 lbs of boost with alky, no blowouts as of yet. Have to be careful on tightening them down.

Gaskets
Click to expand...

Different gaskets or I would have gone the copper route.

Jason
 
That's right. The TTA heads are totally different castings (expecially exhaust ports) than used on the turbo Buicks. My 3.8L engine gasket kit was for a turbo Buick and the inability to use the exhaust gaskets was my first tipoff that I needed to start hunting around...
 
MichBC3 said:
That's right. The TTA heads are totally different castings (expecially exhaust ports) than used on the turbo Buicks. My 3.8L engine gasket kit was for a turbo Buick and the inability to use the exhaust gaskets was my first tipoff that I needed to start hunting around...
Click to expand...

Learn something every day I guess. I could always get these made if someone could send me something to go on.
 
Get exhaust gaskets for a 3.0 LeSabre ('86 model etc.) That's what I have and have not had any problems.
 
The Felpro gaskets are #MS93046 I use them all the time. As for the flange it should be flat. Make sure it is clean and tighten from the inside out to the ends.

Steve K.
 
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