I just recently got headers installed, sounds great and all.... then took to big o to get new tires on and they said they think I got a header leak or what ever. So what are the signs that i have leak ?

 

you should be able to hear a ticking/whistling/leaky noise when you hit the throttle....go under the hood and rev it up first to see if the headers are leaking there or under the car at the collector.

 

what about a rattle noise (means something lose)???? maybe

 

a rattle noise is probley you headers hitting the k-member or somewhere on the floor boards. Start your car and open the hood, then feel around the header flange for hot air coming out, and listen too see if you can here a tick.

 

I know this may sound a little far off ,but it's true. I thought I had a header leak several months ago with alot of ticking while idling and driving down the road. I checked all my bolts and check to see if I had any cracks on my headers. Well , I decide to check my plug wires. I still had the stock plug wires with the metal end. Well, I found that one of my plug wire ends was sparking against the plug. ( burning up ). I replaced them with a set of MSD Plug wires . No more ticking

 

ya, ive got the same thing, under the car on the y pipe, you can hear the metalic clicking noise all the way out the rear tips. just get a big piece of pipe and tq everything down the best you can

 

yeah its sounds like really loud valve ticking, found mine when my band clamp snapped in half b/c the Y pipe came off the header and the clamp was just covering the gap.

 

i just had this problem too and i wont say which headers they were but i took it off and found that the header flange was crooked from the factory. we just used a press to straighten it out the best we could.

 

so i didnt do plug wires, just plugs when i did my headers last weekend, should i invest in some, and which exact msd wires are they?

 

i've been on the "header leak" valley for quite sometime, although this time its controlles and i need it otherwise more boost would prob kill the stock bottom end.

its always been on the passenger side front that made the noise. make sure everything is tight and you used good gaskets/bolts...... that was my problem

 

Yes, you should buy a new set of wires. MSD 8.5mm Super Conductor Wires will work just fine or you can go with a set of Taylors 8.8 wires too. You see ,our stock wires has a metal shield on the covering the plugs ( at least mine did ). That can sometimes cause a spark against the plug itself causing a ticking noise will drive you crazy . Once I changed my wires ,problem gone and it's been several months now and no tick !!!

 

I think aftermarket headers allow some engine noise out anyway. There not as thick as stock manis.

 

The bigger the header, the more valvetrain noise your going to hear. But like mentioned before run your hand over top of the header(while its cold so you dont burn your hand), check under the car where the header goes into the y-pipe, and make sure that none of the header bolts backed out on you.

 

I wish I could hear my valvetrain better. Cam/exhaust kinda gets in the way. I know it is a sewing machine on crank for sure though.