Different sound..? Headers? Leak?

[AmericanZ71]

Its been a few months since I have installed my headers. End of June I think it was when I installed them. Now I am hearing a new noise. I can definitely hear the exhaust being pushed through around the headers and the pipes coming off the headers. I am wondering if there is either a leak somewhere, or if the headers are finally broken in and will make that sound for now on?

I like the sound, but if its a leak then it needs to be fixed. I want to torque the header bolts to ensure they are all tight, but I do not know what to torque them to. I am thinking around 35lbs but I do not want to go to much

[badluck]

i cant really help you but i have copper gaskets with regular bolts, and im even missing one....., and mine arent leaking. i do know that your suppost to retighten the header bolts about 200-300 miles after you oringaly installed them.

[GreaseDog]

Fel Pro exhaust manifold gaskets at the head, and aluminum collector gaskets. i have had 2 header gasket failures at the flange in 10+ years, one of them was my fault, the other i overheated everything during cam break in and burned the gaskets out. retighten every once in a while, and call it good.

[badkelly]

i had those copper dead soft gaskets and had good luck with them. you can stick your fingers down there with it running usually and feel a leak if there is one. also installed the aluminum gaskets at the collector, but had several blowouts for some reason. i think the headman clamps warped and it wouldn't seal right. ended up with red gasket maker (or something like that) that helped it seal for good there.

something else if you don't have them are stage 8 header bolts. they have the special c-shaped washers that lock on the bolt head and don't allow it to back out.