i got the donut gasket off, and today i'm going to buy different longer bolts that aren't spring loaded to close the gap. locking nuts and big washers as well.

and, of course, put a hanger on there.

 

when i installed my RB catback, i just went ahead and bought a new donut gasket. the old one was stuck on there pretty good... so i took a dremel and cut a notch in it, then used a flat head screwdriver to pry it apart which made it come off real easy. then i installed the new gasket. a tip i learned was when tightening these types of gaskets.... tighten them like they were your wheel... dont crank one all the way down then go to the second... tighten the fist one a bit, then tighten the second one a bit, then go back to the first and keep doing that until they are both tight, youl see this will help keep it all aligned as well....

 

I'm not sure about getting rid of the spring bolts is a good thing as I believe they are there the keep a constant seal during rapid thermal expansion and contraction.

Just use the donut gasket and all will be good. I'm been running a RP Supercat with no hanger for a good 30k miles now. The main difference on why it will work without a hanger is the weight difference between the stock cat and your midpipe.

You may want to get some high temp neverseize and coat the mating surface of the donut gasket so you can easily take it off next time.

 

i tried it with the donut gasket and the spring loaded bolts, and it still leaked just the same. this is just a temporary fix until i get a catback in a week or two when my bonus gets here.

 

try the tip i gave, it usually helps seal everything evenly `

 

even that way, there's still a 1/4" gap.

we're not talking about something not sealing right, we're talking about something that's so off that it doesn't compress on one side at all.

do i need to draw you guys another picture on autocad? lol.

 

(when this is all said and done in a few weeks, it's going to be a true 3" single exit all the way back, no cat, just 2 big resonators in the midpipe.)

 

ok, put a floor jack under the 2 flanges and with the spring bolts loose lift up until they are both lined up.. i had to do this with the rear flange that bolts to the mufflers.. worked like a charm

 

tried it.

still too big of a gap.

 

Are you loosening the bolts on the other side of the midpipe when you try to fix the problematic side? Maybe they are holding it cocked...

 

well, i tried my method of buying different bolts, and it fixed about 80% of the leak. now it's just leaking out the top. it doesn't even leak after it gets warm now.

Lord ET, I didn't think of that. i'm going to give that a try here in a little while and see how it works.

 

any results?

 

you need that support--rmember that header doesnt have the support that the oem manifold has(the bolt on thingy). if you are using some other type of support for the header make sure all of that is loose when you begin to tighten. the cat back maybe off a little also. it should have some flexibility to mate up with the midpipe. get those soft aluminum gaskets man, if there is an 1/8 gap those type gaskets will take care of it--np.
OD

 

Other than seeing gaps or cracks with your own eyes, what other ways are there to detect exhaust leaks?

 

If you get soapy water on the area you suspect it will bubble. But you have to do this on metal that isn't extremely hot, otherwise it will just evaporate. This is how I found a crack in my header

 

you can stick your hand up in there (your GLOVED hand) and feel the exhaust pulsating out. i know exactly where it is... that's not a problem. i'm just going to have to wait until i get a catback that'll mate up better than the stock exhaust does. no biggie. i'll probably order it next week. that rx7store midpipe is just too short... bottom line.

 

sounds like my kind of luck--the headers etc does make it sound better doesnt it?
olddragger

 

I'm looking for info on the exhaust flange bolt, which I'm having trouble getting it back on. and this thread is the closest I can find.

The Spring loaded bolt and nut I'm having problem with unscrewed at the midpipe, rather than the nut itself, not really sure how to say it. The bolt came off with the nut still stuck to it. So, I'm having problem putting it back on since the spring has to be compressed so much that it will reach the midpipe hole. Am I making any sense?

Anyways I tried everything to get the nut off the bolt but its impossible. Since theres no place to clamp on the bolt, and it took a breaker bar to get the other one loose.

Is there like a mini spring compressor somewhere for this, I cant seem to find the right name for it to buy one.
Thanks

 

hmmm... have you tried emptying a whole can of liquid wrench in there? Also, if the nut came off, you should just be able to hit the spring part with a mallet. If that doesnt work, heat it up with a torch (or get a shop to do it) and replace the spring bolts. Charles from BHR can hook you up with new ones as he includes them with his midpipe.

 

Thanks for the info, I did use liquid wrench but the bolt itself is small and there isnt a good spot to grab it by to break the nut off. I'm currently trying to compress the spring with zip ties so the bolt can reach the threaded hole on the midpipe. If all goes bad I'll just get new ones.

 

Problem solved, borrowed a huge monkey wrench from a friend and with a breaker bar, snapped that nut out.