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Header collector bolts loosening up...

dyeager535

dyeager535

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Amazingly enough, I didn't find anything in a search. Perhaps my keywords were wrong.

Anyways, for at least the second time, my collector bolts loosened up. Notice my exhaust was quite a bit louder, then heard one of the bolts hit the underside of the truck as I drove over it lol.

Stopped, sure enough, two had completely come out on one collector, the last one was hanging by a thread, literally. All six (3 on each side of course) had been double nutted before this happened.

Part of the reason this is happening is my fault of course, the exhaust pipe is just slip fit until I can get my hands on my welder again.

What's out there for locking nuts that aren't going to screw the threads up, and will hold up to the heat? This last time SEEMED to be caused by running through some deep water. As soon as I exited the water, the exhaust was noticeably louder, like the rapid cooling had loosened the nuts almost immediately. (yeah, I shoulda stopped at that point)

I'd love to be able to head down to the hardware store and pick something up, but I can't think of anything they'd have that would fit the bill. Anyone know of anything off the top of their head?

(more searching shows the stage 8 stuff from Summit, anyone have any feedback on those? Would still like to fix this right today if possible!)
 
Strangely enough, I had the exact same thing happen on my last wheeling trip. I had two bolts disappear completely and the third had the nut off and the whole connection was held on by the one bolt. All of a sudden I'm heading down through Sonora and my rig starts sounding rather loud. I stopped at a Kragen and picked up some "header bolts' off the shelf. They looked to be Grade 8 with locking nuts. I had Grade 5's on there before and I'm wondering if the heat and stress broke them. I'm running Doug Thorley's.
 
I always had the collectors welded to the exhaust, it got really old changing gaskets everytime they got wet.
 
Luckily I've got the ball/socket setup, so no problem with the gaskets, but the hot/cold issue seems to be affect the bolts as well.
 
i bolted it all down with the supplied bolts or a grade 8 equivalent and spot welded one weld in between the bolts on the ball and socket. Havent even looked twice after the spot welds been a couple months so far.
 
KidJethro said:
Got a mig welder? A small tack will hold better than any locking nut.
Click to expand...

I agree, I work for Union Pacific railroad and we weld every bolt and not a one of them comes off...ever.
 
How do you get them off when you need to?

Not that I plan to need to take these off, but I might!
 
I may, not looking like it's going to get resolved today. :)

Anyone have long term results on the stage 8 collector bolts?

As often as I take my stuff apart, I'm thinking something along the lines of a good locking setup is the way I should go.
 
I don't know long term results but I'd like to have them on my engine soon. I'm getting tired of checking and tightening them every weekend.

Do you have any extra bolts laying around that you can use for a quick bolt in? Keep checking on them until you upgrade.
 
To get them off use a cutting torch, grinder, whatever you have lying around that cuts metal.
 
All steel top lock nut. Top thread on the nut is pinched in to create the lock.

You can do the same thing with a grade 8 nut and a chisel in a "pinch."

Can still be unbolted.

Tighten the bolts when they are hot. They will stay tight longer.
 
Dorian, I've got the same issue on my ball & socket collector. They seem awfully eager to loosen up. I've tightened mine twice already, good to see your feedback because it must be more common on this style collector.
 
Is your exhaust solid? My stock mounts are very beefy in the rear, but from the engine to that portion is just slip fit for now, and I *suspect* that with all the movement, the slip fit is allowing leverage against the bolts that shouldn't exist. If the pipes were "solid" (welded together) the movement would be in the rubber exhaust mount portions.

If your exhaust is solid, I expect this problem won't be solved without something "extreme" like welding or stage 8 stuff.

My setup was already double-nutted, (grade 8 nuts/bolts) odd that only one side loosened up. The other side is still perfectly tight.

The real answer here is to weld my exhaust up, and see if the bolts hold then, but if the problem comes back, info here is going to help me.
 
From the ball & socket back is solid/welded with the standard rubber hangers. I also have a cross "H" pipe. I used red lock tight on the bolt/nut before I left for Moab and last I looked it hadn't moved. I consider that a temporary fix though.

I think cybrfire had a good suggestion, all steel top lock nut. I'll give that one a try.
 
That's good to hear. So there is hope, and it may be that easy. No idea if the bolts get hot enough to eventually cause the loc-tite to fail or if it's a good use there.

Only reason I don't like the locking nut idea is due to the fact that by design they screw up the bolt, so best to replace every time you disassemble. Not a bit concern I guess, but in my case would probably end up costing me lots of money over time lol.
 
That factory header coating seems to do a reasonable job of keeping the heat down. I'll keep checking it and let you know if it changes. So far no problems, it had been getting loose every few weeks.

On a side note the collector side that kept coming loose connects to a pipe with a semi horseshoe droop in it. The other side that stays tight has a straight shot back. You never know.
 
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