To anneal or not to anneal? Options

[lsintampa]

75 914/4 2.0

Will soon be backdating my exhaust with SS HE's

I have new sealing rings (for the exhaust headers) and gaskets for the muffler, and new copper (plated) nuts or copper not sure but those from the big bird.

I've read several threads about annealing the sealing rings, using copper RTV, and all sorts of ways you all have mounted up your HE's.

The captain said something to the effect of mounting them, after you run them for a while, tighten them up again. I think in effect this is part of the annealing process.

I think I'm going with annealing up front and then tighten them up again once they motor has been running a bit.

Not sure this is the best method, or if one is better than the other, but it sounds right to me.

Question I have, that I've not seen addressed anywhere is that when I take the stock headers and try to test fit them to the motor, it is really tight getting the headers onto the studs. So tight in fact, I never really got them onto the studs for fear of mucking something up in the process.

By tight, I mead that the ears on the headers want to rub on the valve tubes.

Is this "normal"?

Thanks,

Len

And if you want to put your .02 in on the annealing / not annealing debate feel free!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

[ThePaintedMan]

No fire storm here. Just differing approaches I think (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) Besides, most of these guys, including Rand, know far more than I do. I wouldn't have made it this far without their help.

I'm not quite clear on what's actually giving you issues Len. The ears of each HE tube are hitting the pushrod tubes? That shouldn't be so. Sometimes they can be a bear to get over the studs, and you have to try a couple of angles to get them on all the way (especially if the studs have ever been drilled out or a Time-sert/Heli-coil was installed at a different angle than the factory). Otherwise they should go on fairly easy. The harder part is getting a socket on the exhaust stud nuts. The nuts from the factory were something like 12mm, which gives just enough room to fit a socket on. A 13 mm won't quite fit on some of them, so it's pretty important to have the correct hardware.

Do you already have the engine in the car? If not, you probably want to wait to install the exhaust when everything is in. As much of a pain it is to work on your back, it's a lot easier than trying to work on your side with the engine on a dolly. I can help you with that.