Has anyone here used copper collector gaskets? I've tried 2 different kinds of gaskets that both ended up either burning out or breaking so I'm looking for a better solution.

 

I used the Mr. Gasket one's from Auto Zone and they have been fine for 10,000 miles.
They suck to install! Top bolt is a bitch!
Jerry

 

Yah my hands got busted up from that damn top bolt.
Mr.Gasket coppers in for 5,000 holding up perfect no leaks =)

 

I blew out a few sets of paper gaskets before putting in the copper gaskets..

have worked perfect for a very long time with no leaks..

Go for the Copper Gaskets!!

-Dale

 

I know jgambino put the generic copper ones from Summit Racing on his truck. They looked like any other copper gasket.

Hopefully he will pipe in here on how he likes them.

For what it's worth, I'm planning on putting them on over the winter as well as going back to the stock header gaskets and getting rid of those paper ones.

 

Are ya'll talking about the gaskets between the manifold and cat pipe? If so, A local exhuast shop told me that there was not a gasket in there at all. He said that they did away with them a few years back on the F-150's. Didnt make sense to me but I figured he knew what he was talking about. Mine was leaking from the drivers side. I took it in to have them replace the gaskets and thats when he tightened the bolts up and said no need for gaskets. The leak went a way for a little while but is now slowly returning.

Did this guy fill me full of ****? Maybe some new copper gaskets and a differ shop and I will be good to go?!?!?!

 

I tried Percy's "dead soft aluminum" collector gaskets on the recommendation of another member here after I blew out a paper gasket on the passenger side.

they are thick aluminum similar to the copper ones only obviously different material.

I blew one of these out.

after posting about this, someone mentioned an EXCELLENT point. there is a chance that either the collector flange or the flange on the cat pipe is either warped, or just not perfectly flat. if either of these flanges has much variation, there will be a "weak point" in the gasket. I'm planning on trying the mr gasket ultimate or whatever gaskets when I pull my motor out (hopefully next month). but for the time being (today) I'm going to stick another aluminum gasket in there. when I pull the flange apart I'll try to see if there is any flange issues on my header or cat pipe.

this could be a distinct possibility for anybody who is having repeated gasket blowing problems.

later,
chris.

 

So I guess after reading Superfords post, there are gaskets there and the exhaust guy is full of ****?

 

Collector gaskets are only for those who have headers. The stock exhaust system doesn't use collector gaskets. They use a flange.

 

HI!... I used to swear by PERCY's dead soft aluminum collector gaskets untill I tried using them on my F-150. They only lasted about 6 months and totally warped and blew out. Check out the pic below. I found that that both collector rings on the MAGNAFLOW high flow cats and the one's on the JDM/KOOKS long tube headers were warped right from the factory. The best way to cure this is to remove them from the truck and place a 4" disc grinder square over the flange with a new flat grinding disc. In a few moments of use you can easily see where the low and high spots are. Just keep grinding till all is flat and square. Since then I havn't blown one single collector gasket. and I'm now using the more expensive MR GASKET fiber style collector gasket.

BEFORE :
https://www.f150online.com/galleries...-793-29783.jpg

AFTER 6 MONTHS :
https://www.f150online.com/galleries...-793-75468.jpg