Engine damage from header leak?
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,954
Likes: 34
From: Rotonda West Florida
Engine damage from header leak? Really dont want the car to sit around while im waiting to repair it..Is it safe to drive? Heard something about the computer getting mixed signals and possibly damaging the engine...
If its around the flange you could risk burning a valve. If its along the primaries somewhere it may throw some funky codes plus it may pop and sputter and sound like ****.
Trending Topics
I would never do it with any of my engines, but one of my buddies did it a long time ago and burned his spark plug wires up. When you do that, it's nothing but flames coming out and can be dangerous.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
TECH Regular
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 438
Likes: 0
From: Leominster Massachusetts
you also risk warping valves.. the exhaust stores heat in it.. causing it to heat up, and cool down relatively slow. when you have no exhaust at all.. the valves are basically open to the elements, and when you shut the car off they cool a lot quicker than intended.... which could cause problems.. also your car will just run like **** cause there is no scavenging going on.. i wouldnt risk it.
I'm a firm believer in NO, and I'd bet I'm the only one.
I've been arguements before, I must have some damn good luck.
Heres when I replaced a header gasket in my dually, I started it just for the hell of it, if it was more than stock it would be a more impressive flame show. No it didn't burn the plug wires.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLYi4JDnTSQ
About the leaky gasket I was replacing at the time....Got some bad fuel halfway into a trip, it backfired and blew it out.
I drove another 10 hours straight, a 454 dually, fully loaded, AND towing my camaro on a trailer.
This isn't why I say it won't hurt anything just because of this one experience either.
And FWIW, I'm not going to explain why I feel this way or argue about it.
