Downey header cracked

[whiteman]

My Downey header cracked Friday    .  I was so pissed,  but then relived when I pulled it out and welded it back up,  man those things are built with some thick metal.  It cracked around the weld.  Not complaining just wondering if this is common?     I really like the header.

[CTENG in KS]

The weld at the flange??? Watch for leaks now...there is a nice writup on pirate about leakproof homemeade copper gaskets for the header...I am gonna make one when I install mine.

[whiteman]

No it was the weld where the four tubes collect into one.

[CTENG in KS]

That is much more better.

[WHITE_TRASH]

My thorley just cracked where #1 and #4 tubes go into 1 beings my rear shock shoved the whole exhaust system forward...  Yea I fixed it all with new exhaust and forethought before I put it in this time.

Just weld it up and see if you can fine why it cracked.  Are the exhaust mounts too tight causeing the header to bend when the engine torques over?  

[whiteman]

No,  if anything the mounts are to loose allowing it to wave around too much?

[WHITE_TRASH]

That'll do it too.  On my truck Ive got the pipe basically locked down and the driver engine mount chained down.  I still need to lock the t-cases down so Ill never have to worry about breaking the header again though. 

[Uncle Jesse]

All the thorley headers I have seen crack in the tube around the area where the pipe turns under the truck.  I believe it is from the lack of a bellhousing bracket that is standard with the stock exhaust.  It makes the turn under area the flex joint of the exhaust because the next hanger is either the head or at the cat.  My last trucks I have installed a ridged hanger from the pipe to the transfer case.  This moves the flex of the exhaust downstream to behind the cat, as now the exhaust is ridgedly mounted from the head to the cat.  Seems to work pretty well so far.

[mr4x42u]

thats a common area for header to crack,,its a mud and muck trap that makes rust fast..the tubes also crak out but its all pretty easy to fix..

[whiteman]

Yeh I got it all welded up no more leaks

[nowhitefenders]

    Anyone try a flex pipe.  I have not had a problem with my Downey header other than at the gasket.  Did some good wheeling this weekend and don't seem to have any leaks.  Maybe its due to the flex tube I had installed.  I put mine on the j-tube supplied with the headers, just before the cat. so it sits level.