Doug Thorley Headers Fitment. Show me your ball Flanges.

For exhaust leaks, I had considered taping a shop-vac to the tail pipe, then using an incense stick around the exhaust pipes -- the vacuum would pull in the incense fairly visibly through any leaks.

 

Use a shop vac, put the hose on discharge side, tape to tailpipe. Use soapy water at joints.. bubble party….

 

Well here it is. This was predictable. Ball flange leaking on driver side blowing exhaust gas all over the #6 primary.








Fuel trims have definitely been higher since the exhaust swap. This would explain my gas mileage being shit compared to before. Hopefully haven’t washed my cylinders from the false readings.

I cannot seem to get these things any tighter than they are on the passenger side. I could bring out the breaker bar and really torque don on those ball flange bolts but I don’t want to break them either.

I don’t know what to do. I had thorley on the phone trying to explain and they just act like it’s me and not the improper fitment.

If I bring this is to thorley I’m sure they’d offer to replace or have me pay to send them back again for another look (again) But I don’t want to tear it all apart again just to have to go through this again.

I knew this would happen.

 

Man I feel your pain, I fought the same issues with my Doug Thorley's, after many busted knuckles I decided to go back to stock and never looked back.

 

Man I know this just all around sucks! I wish I knew what to tell you to do, but I don’t know. You simply want what you paid for, and of course proper fitment without any leaks. I can’t believe that you’re still dealing with this! Maybe it would be easier to find a custom exhaust shop near you that can determine where they need to be tweaked and have them repair them.
Maybe ask Thorley to send you another set? What’s the worst answer they can give you?

You could play dirty and order another set, paying with PayPal, and sending the damn leaking ones back to them, after getting a good set.

Maybe call them and ask them what they want you to do, other than shut up and leave them alone. Idk, without cooperation from them, you’re dead in the water. They should honor and take pride in what they build and sell. Mistakes happen, they should be the ones to eat it, not you. Just removing and replacing is hard enough as it is!

It should be clear that their “building fixture” and your long block have some differences. Which one is wrong though? Tell them to send you a technician to install them the proper way, haha!!

 

I’m not going to anything dirty. That’s Just asking for trouble.

It’s not the block. It’s the wonky mating of the ball and socket flanges. Neither side mates up straight no matter how I angle it. I must have tried to fit the crossover a dozen different times taking it out and the in again.

Anyone that says it’s the block or anything like that is just making excuses.

I REALLY don’t want to pull this apart for any reason again. It’s lawful.

So I’m thinking about what I could do to seal it up. Exhaust sealants tend to be shit. one video showed JB weld 2000+ degree sealant crumbling after one use. And the dry times are unacceptable.

I’m thinking of taking graphite impregnated fiberglass rope cutting it thin and stuffing if in the crack as best as I can. Then taking some white fireplace and grill sealant and packing it in there. That way there’s something pliable in there with something to seal it in and if I get a leak I’ll be able to see it.

 

It’s good for you not to do anything dirty, even though they aren’t exactly “playing pretty”.
You might be heading in the right direction as trying to build a gasket for the flange. Some exhaust band clamps come with aluminum foil to pack into the cracks to seal it. You might could try to build a donut gasket out of aluminum foil, or find a donut gasket around the same size as the flange and let it crush into place.
Just something to also take into consideration, I installed a pyrometer on my truck, it’s beside the upstream oxygen sensor. I have no idea what a safe exhaust gas temperature would be on a gasoline engine, as it’s not uncommon for the headers to glow on some gasoline applications. My truck is also supercharged, and just cruising around at 55mph my pyrometer hangs around 950-1000 deg F. The highest I’ve ever seen it running the truck at full boost over and over on a 100 degree day was around 1300 degrees. And take in mind, that’s on the down tube right beside the upstream oxygen sensor, and my catalytic converters are gutted….
good luck!

 

They need to switch to flex pipe over this ball flange, obviously. I dicked around for so long trying to get my custom crosspipe to mesh behind the engine perfectly, then decided I needed to consider alternatives. The flex pipe is a lifesaver.

 

I ended up torquing the bottom bolt to 50ft lb. that’s the max you can go on a that size bolt 10.9 grade. So we’ll see how it goes.

They get quite hot. Products I’m looking at are rated for 2000 degrees. So I should be good.

Yeah. I guess if I have to take it out I’ll have to just add in flex pipes so I don’t have to send anything across the country again.

 

Any updates?
I recently ordered a set of DT headers. As it turn out the Doug the man was born (and recently buried) in my little town and worked with a local shop on many projects. The shop has done work for me in the past and more recently installed a custom cat back. Unfortunately the headers are estimated to take 6 months to arrive

 

I haven’t had any glaring issues recently. I might still have a leak but I have not checked for carbon streaking at all either. Ive been kind of burnt out on the whole thing. But no ticking or leaking noise so I must be okay. Your shop should do fine with more experience and the right tools. The downside of DIY is that you’re limited if something needs to be tweaked. I’m just too cheap and I don’t trust people with my stuff.

 

Not trusting people with your stuff in no way makes you cheap! If anything it makes you smart. Plus look at everything that you learned throughout this whole process. The only way to learn it, is to get your hands dirty and do it yourself. Plus you have an interesting story to tell about your truck all at the same time. I know it might not be there on this job, because of all the difficulties that you had, but doing something yourself brings a about a pride, and satisfaction that cannot be purchased.

 

I definitely don't like other people working on my vehicles. Stripping bolts and cross threading things for no good reason. It's like watching someone slam the doors with a shopping cart

 

Early 2021 I had a local specialty shop by the balls because their “tech” incorrectly reinstalled both my airbag sensors driver and passenger, left a refrigerant line totally disconnected, missing trim hardware all over, wiring looms not hooked back where they should be, he decided I “didn’t need” the extended rear brake line in the kit I bought so he kept it without asking me. Seriously, glaring fuck ups that I found at night with my flashlight going over their work. I decided to check everything they touched after I found the brake line not installed when I gave it a once over before driving away. The airbag sensors being halfway put back on, and onto the wrong studs at that sent me over the edge. I had the regional VP ready to shampoo my crotch but I was content with the entire labor charge being refunded since I finished the work.

Situations like that are to be avoided at all costs. Good shops are great, bad or questionable shops suck taint, and they can swim in their deserved shitty reputations.

In my career, I endeavor never to be embarrassed in the future by any wrench I’ve turned in the past. If someone goes over my work, they have the right to be pleased with it.

 

Good point. One of the biggest factors in doing this myself is that a shop isn’t going to waste time. That is what leads to broken studs. I took my sweet ass time, let the penetrating fluids work and cleaned all surfaces, chased threads with a chaser (and not a cutting tap) etc.

 

My Christmas presents finally arrived

Install should be next Monday

 

Buying them was the easy part of this mod ,
Good luck and no cursing,
Make sure you retighten all the bolts in a month or two also,

I had one that worked it’s way completely loose

 

The purchase is definitely the easiest part but hopefully that won't set the tone because it took 9 months just to get the correct set

 

This. It's an ongoing battle.

 

Gas mileage went out the window right after the header install. There's definitely an exhaust leak at the drivers side ball flange and it threw a P0442 code