header/downpipe gasket issue...

ok so i have the obx header/downpipe in my 3. Absolutely love it, but its also a major pain in my ass! Since theres no flex to the downpipe, anytime i get on my car the stupid bolts come loose and causes a leak, which throws my cel. Along with that, u can feel the loss of power caused by the leak. Ive tried EVERYTHING! doubleing up the gaskets, thread locking the bolts. Nothing seems to work except to keep goin under the car and tightening up the bolts. Anybody have any ideas?? thanks in advance.

can you double nut it? that should keep them tight.

could try that...do u think a locking nut would work??

Are you sure the flange is perfectly flat? Sounds like the problem to me, I have run headers with no flex coupler without a problem.

Check out nord locks, they are a special washer that would really help your situation.

Evan

EDIT; Sorry I misread the post and thought the head nuts were coming loose!

i think your standard locking nut wouldnt work. The heat just melts the plastic. I would think thats why the thread locker didnt work as well.

What about using those bolts with the springs over them that I have between my race pipe and cat back? It seems to me that is exactly what they are for. I think I might even have the ones laying around from my stock exhaust. I WOULD NOT use double bolts or locking anything because then that flex that is causing them to come loose is just going to manifest itself somewhere else. You need to absorb that instead of transferring to some other breaking point. The gasket in this type of joint is generally a donut gasket which helps keep it sealed when it moves.

Do you have this header?

with a doughnut gasket?


If so then you'll wanna do what peter said and get the springs.

Go with the spring bolts, or there are always roll stopper mounts for the engine, but those might be a bit extreme.

Get the springs and RTV the crap out of that joint with the gasket.

Roll stoppers help. The engines in our cars are notorious for EXCESSIVE movement and snapping mounts. The mounts issue applies more to the speed 3's but the fact that its a problem means there are many options out there to stiffen the whole thing up and they are reasonably priced. As long as you can deal with a little more cabin vibration.

yea thats the exact one i have, with the obx downpipe. its coming loose where the header and downpipe meet. where would i be able to get those bolts from? do u think advance, auto zone or napa would carry them?

I would think they would have them. I have no fucking clue what the actual name for them is though.

I don't know if they make em for the Mazda 3's but for RSX's they make torque dampeners. Helps keep the motor from rocking under hard accels and helps with wheel hop. Also should prevent the header from cracking.


This is what I'm talking about: (metal shock looking thing, with ingalls on it.)

theyre just called spring bolts.

roguestatus wrote:

I don't know if they make em for the Mazda 3's but for RSX's they make torque dampeners. Helps keep the motor from rocking under hard accels and helps with wheel hop. Also should prevent the header from cracking.


This is what I'm talking about: (metal shock looking thing, with ingalls on it.)

they make the same for the balts. pretty reasonable priced too. nice find dan, didnt even think about that

^^^ Ingalls "stiffy"

They make them for 3's and they are not that expensive, but the exhaust coupling still needs to be addressed. Plus bolts are a lot cheaper. All those things do in my car is put more mount snapping pressure through the system so nobody uses them. We just swap out motor and trans mounts.

I think a torque damper is over kill, poly inserts maybe but try the spring bolts first and see if that fixes it.

Safety wires?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_wire

thanks guys. yea im going to buy the corksport poly motor mounts soon. Had that planned for a while just to be safe. thanks for all the help, ill have to make a run to the parts store today or tomorrow, hope it works. i was just driving around and my cel actually just kicked off on its own...car probly just got used to the leak or somethin. can still feel the loss of power tho, not to mention it sounds like ass lol

mzdagrl3 wrote:

thanks guys. yea im going to buy the corksport poly motor mounts soon. Had that planned for a while just to be safe. thanks for all the help, ill have to make a run to the parts store today or tomorrow, hope it works. i was just driving around and my cel actually just kicked off on its own...car probly just got used to the leak or somethin. can still feel the loss of power tho, not to mention it sounds like ass lol

You better show up to a meet sometime and thank these guys in person. Everytime you post, they trip over eachother on the way to the computer!!!

lolzzz!!!!--- i noticed that also!!!..


suckas!

lol well i do appreciate the quick responses haha. ill deff. come to some meets, im sure it would be a blast.

moparkid wrote:

You better show up to a meet sometime and thank these guys in person. Everytime you post, they trip over eachother on the way to the computer!!!

Buy a supra or a MS3 and I will help you even faster you sexy bitch

Cory got on so fast he almost got keyboard burn.