Thread: Headers

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I'm wondering if there is a way for a rookie who has never gotten her hands dirty to find out if I have a problem with the exhaust system. Remember when you used to stick a playing card in your spokes to make it go click click click when you pedaled real fast? That was cool! It's not cool when you notice that your car sounds like that! I noticed the sound a few days ago and it has steadily gotten louder, only heard when using the accelerator and keeps time with the speed ha ha! It sounds like an exhaust issue to me (even being a serious rookie) and someone mentioned that it sounded like the headers.

If it's the headders, they got a leak or are not sealing maby cause they warped which does happen with headders. Maby it's a valve tap that only appears under acceleration. Start the engine, get under the hood and rev the motor with the carb linkage and listen for it then see if it comes from the headders or the valve covers.

Sounds to me like either a lifter is headed out, or you have overtorqued headers. As the heat expands the metal, its supposed to swell. If you overtighten the metal, it gets strained and it starts to warp. theres a chance thats the ticking your hearing. the Old I6 exhaust manifolds did the same thing

If you have the OEM exhaust manifolds it's possible one of them is cracked. Many cracked from the heat over time and sometimes enough to cause a hole.

One trick I've learned to see if it is indeed your headers that are leaking or not is... to take a rubber hose (that you can bend) and place one end near your ear and the other you will move around the seal of the headers. While the engine is running if you hear a loud howling in the hose/tube, that will mean you have a leak in that particular spot.

You will know when you hear it, the sound is quite distinctive trust me!

Elementary Question: I need to find a website that provides a basic "map" of an engine...any ideas? I'd love to stick my head in there and listen to a hose for awhile, but not knowing which parts are gonna take my hand off seems like a hazard LOL! Seriously, It sounds like it could be a number of things... I appreciate all of your input!!!