i'm about to reattach my headers with studs instead of bolts and i don't want these things to ever leak again...

is straight rtv a good idea? or should i just use a gasket? both?

thanks in advance!

 

Get some copper gaskets. They seem to work the best.

 

copper fel pro gaskets, locking header bolts and a touch of medium strength loctite on the bolts... you'll be all good!

 

^^^^ +1 and the loctite is overkill even, the locking header bolts will do it, after you go through a heat cycle or two, re tighten them all.

 

Fel-Pro 1250 exhaust gaskets. Header studs are a good idea. Make certain to use anit-sieze on the threads going into the heads.
Get locking nuts. Not the oval ones. The ones that are serrated on the mating surface.
I tried copper gaskets and they didn't work, you've got to tighten the ba-jesus out them to seal. These were on aluminum heads and I didn't want to strip the threads. I've had the 1250's and stage 8 locking bolts on the car since '98 with out any leaks or loose bolts, so far.

 

i think rtv can mess with the oxygen sensors. had same problem and went with mr gasket phenolic no leaks now.

 

i get the felpro gastkets and give them a thourough coating of the red silicone and give a teflon tape wrapping around the bolts.

never had any problems in that area doing that.

 

ok. i got some percys alumium gaskets (resuable) and am using studs.

so far it looks far more reliable than any paper gasket/bolt combo has ever looked on my car.

i'm gonna fire it in a few days to see what it does.

thanks everyone!