Header...

[Materdaddy]

I bought Shirley with a cracked header:


I pulled it off, and it looked like this:


I replaced it with a $99 eBay special... Now, I hear what I believe to be an exhaust leak again, but I can't see any cracks.

Is there a good way to diagnose an exhaust leak other than visual inspection? I've tried downshifting to see if I hear popping, and nothing...

Any suggestions on what I should buy if this is the problem? I've read lots of hate for banks/borla saying they crack too and the cheapie w/ 'expansion joints' works the best. What's your opinion?

[Dukes69]

I'll be happy to look at it for you at calico this weekend. When you left on saturday I didnt hear anything out of the ordanary, but I'll see what I can do. As for a replacement, the header you one is the one with the flex joints in it. There is no reason to spend the dough on a gibson/borla/banks etc, they all crack the same. I HAD a gibson, which was replaced under warrenty and promplty sold, which I replaced with a stocker.

[Materdaddy]

I'll be happy to look at it for you at calico this weekend. When you left on saturday I didnt hear anything out of the ordanary, but I'll see what I can do. As for a replacement, the header you one is the one with the flex joints in it. There is no reason to spend the dough on a gibson/borla/banks etc, they all crack the same. I HAD a gibson, which was replaced under warrenty and promplty sold, which I replaced with a stocker.

Good good good! Thanks Chris! I'll definitely wait until this weekend before clicking "buy" on a header!

[irishjeeper]

30,ooo miles i replaced it with a borla and have had no prim probably too late.i run my tj pretty hard. i cracked my headers at around oblems .im at 97,000 miles right now and couldnt be happier.

[Kodiak Spirit]

can you put the front wrap around header from the newer TJ's on the YJ 4.0? I am looking to get a new header to replace my cracked stocker... 176,000 miles on the stocker though...

[PA-XJ2]

most of the time the resson that most people think they have an exhaust leak and have headers it is caused by the gasket not getting a good seal, a good way to check is is tightin down all the bold when the motor s cold, then run it to normal temp and check the bolts agien, its common to have bolts streching from the heat. hope this helps
-keep jeepin

[Materdaddy]

most of the time the resson that most people think they have an exhaust leak and have headers it is caused by the gasket not getting a good seal, a good way to check is is tightin down all the bold when the motor s cold, then run it to normal temp and check the bolts agien, its common to have bolts streching from the heat. hope this helps
-keep jeepin

I guess I should have dug this up and re-posted... Thanks for the tip, but this last Monday (4 days ago) I replaced my header again. This is what it looked like this time:



Quiet as can be now! I only hear tires & wind!

[USMC 0369]

I'm having Header problems too... I think I'm just going to go with the eBay special though...the one that's on there lasted a good 130,000mi. I'm sure I'll need a new engine before the next 130,000 are done.

[Materdaddy]

I'm having Header problems too... I think I'm just going to go with the eBay special though...the one that's on there lasted a good 130,000mi. I'm sure I'll need a new engine before the next 130,000 are done.

(a) You'd be surprised the stories of Mileage I hear out of these 4L engines.

(b) This time I bought the one from here: http://www.carpartstoyourdoor.com/ It seems to fit a little better. The first one I put on I had to really pull on the downpipe and rest of the exhaust to get it to meet the header collector, but this one fit a little better. Maybe this one won't crack in less than a year and less than 12,000 miles!

[swbooking]

(a) You'd be surprised the stories of Mileage I hear out of these 4L engines.

Thats for sure... im at 197K and still runnin hard and DD'n everyday.

[minnie]

Is there a good way to diagnose an exhaust leak other than visual inspection? I've tried downshifting to see if I hear popping, and nothing...

Another way in finding the jeep exhaust system leak is the smell inside car. These cars normally get great gas mileage and don't even make a smell from exhaust so if you smell anything something is wrong. So that's the time you need to diagnose an exhaust leak other than visual inspection without pulling it off.