Have a leak at the connection that sounds like hell till the truck gets warm.

Trying to decide wether to try another new gasket or permatex exhaust sealer? Clearly they don't match up well so if permatex keep or toss the gasket?

 

 

I need to do mine too, but I have to do a muffler as well so waiting on decent weather. I might give a couple of wraps of muffler tape a go but I do not hope much hope for it.

 

When I put the Magnaflow downpipes and cats on it took more than a few rounds of tightening the bolts to get rid of the leaks. A really cold morning helps. Finally got the those tight and a leak showed up at the Y joint as the included clamp was insufficient. Also had to re-tighten the flange to the muffler pipe as well.

 

Mine are only a year old but leaking when I got the truck. I don't think the pipes fit nicely thus the question about the permatex

 

Just an assumption but I don't think most shops have the time to wait until a vehicle is totally cold to work on these sort of things, so knowing thermal expansion and contraction are in play they might have tightened down those bolts with the manifold still warmish. That would mean it would leak when it is actually cold. This is what I think happened with mine when I had my shop do the swap. I had a shop do it because I didn't want to deal with broken studs. It was worth the couple hours they charged me to bring in my own Magnaflow and they did indeed break a couple of studs... They have since started using Magnaflow rather than the higher priced OEMs.

I'd give tightening the bolts a try on a cold morning before you run the engine. Get the exact right socket and be cautious not to round any of the bolts. It worked best for me from underneath with a 12" extension and a deep socket.

 

I did the exhaust leak test last week and it turned out that all four pipe connections and the manifold at cylinder #8 were not tight. After soaking the bolts and nuts with liquid wrench for several days I found a lot of lose bolts. 6 out of 8 manifold bolts were lose, one was hand tight only, LOL. That fixed my cylinder #8 leak, but the manifold to Y pipe connections still leak, so I am going to install new gaskets including studs and nuts.

The question: Is it really worth to buy the kit from AB for $50, or is the kit from BPUtah for $26 essentially the same?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/400924140352
https://www.ebay.com/itm/293419697340

 

I'd like to know which kit is best also. I've been putting this off for a year now and I need to get it sorted.

 

I got rid of them Damn Studs and used Stainless Bolts instead and no worry's about them breaking and now no more leaks.
Just order the gaskets from Ebay and get the stainless bolts at Home Depot of Hardware Stores etc.

 

What size? I'm guessing M8 stainless bolts?