sorry for the 38973874862 header thread this week, but im going to have one of the mechanics check to see if my header bolts are tight. i have the C/T ones. Im hearing a slight hissing noise and i dont know if thats normal or not, but im not paying anything for it, so i might as well get it checked out. anything else i should have him check for that would cause a slight hiss under light or heavy throttle?

 

where did you get your headers installed at?

 

uh-oh, he's gonna say DIY

 

i got them done at garage kwai, but they double checked the bolts and said they were tight. i just want to make sure again after driving about 2k miles with them.

 

Is it hissing when u accelerate or when u are idle. If you think the header bolts are loose, put you hand close to the bolt/header area and if its loose you can feel hot air being leaked through that area

 

its hissing when i accelerate. on my way to work, their is this wall i drive next to and when i accelerate, i can hear it a little bit.

 

hmm, i know this sound stupid, but have u checked the headers for a crack in the welds, I know comptechs quality is great compared to OBXs but....

 

same here. I had Benson put them on for me and never had a problem.

 

i could be just overreacting cause im very picky with things.

 

hahaha same with me

 

possible. You will hear more of the exhaust escaping compared to the stock manifolds since the walls of the pipes are much more thin than the stock ones.

 

The wall thickness of the headers have nothing to do with exhaust leakage. It's all about proper torque at installation, and checking the torque after driving a few hundred miles.

 

what's the torque specs they should tighten the bolts to? Or can you just tighten them as tight as you want? Sorry, im illiterate when it comes to things like this.

 

actually it sounds pretty normal. Especially that comment you heard when you can hear it along the wall... @least that's from my understanding from something I read on here earlier.

 

not sure. the time I had my headers put in I was there next to benson he was using a torque socket wrench and he was bolting the header in a cross pattern

 

dont know why i didnt think of this in the first place, but i just called garage kwai and they said to torque them to factory specs. Im assuming the mechanic that i know thats going to check them knows what the specs are.

 

what are the specs? anyone

 

I also have C/T hedders and I do hear a bit of a hiss when I decelarate, so I had acura check it and they said it was normal. They was a 01 TL (Stock) next to mine at the install bay, so to prove a point the mechanic went over and reved it's engine and the TL had a lounder hiss then mine.
I had them installed few weeks ago before I left for Japan and I did not really drive the car enough. I only head the hiss when I was in slow moving traffic, maybe it will go away once I break it in.

 

Comptech recommends following the OEM torque spec for the header to exhaust manifold connection, which is 23 lb-ft (OEM manual specifies that the threads are to be lubricated with engine oil). The installation instructions (available on the Comptech website) give no torque values for the gasketed collector to A pipe connection, although - since it is a contained compression gasket - pulling the flanges together with a good 'metal to metal' fit is likely sufficient. The instructions recommend checking the fastener tightness after "a few days of driving". I retorqued the exhaust manifold connections according to the instructions and have not had any leaks or problems after an additional 20K miles on the headers.

 

did you comptech header guys reuse your header gaskets on the block or did you buy new OEM pieces for the new header install

 

Headers will always have more of a "hiss" than OEM manifolds. The sound seems more along the lines of flowing water so to speak. It is very pronounced. Every car I have had, once headers were installed had this sound. The material and the wall thickness has everything to do with the sound!!

 

I used new gaskets - they are not that expensive at the dealer. I have not heard the hiss that some describe.

 

the gaskets that came with mine are bent and look like shit. I am going to buy new OEM. thanks for the input