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!

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[lsintampa]

Hey George,

When the HE's get here (I hope some time this week), I'll give you a call.

My old HE's were not attached to the header pipes. So I was just mucking about trying to fit the headers onto the studs. No gasket, just for alignment.

Getting the old headers onto the studs was quite difficult. The flanges (ears?) that are supposed to slip over the studs were hitting the valve tubes to the point that there was no way to get them to the studs without some force. In fact, I never got them onto the studs - the tubes seemed to be in the way.

Hard to describe, but that's how I remember it.

Given I'm going with a totally new setup, best I wait until the new HE's get here and we'll see how it goes from there.

As far as the seals go, I'll flip a coin when the day comes - as it seems it really doesn't make much diff.

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