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Leaking Doug Thorley Headers. What to do?

29739 Views 194 Replies 41 Participants Last post by  JauntyBishop
I bought a set of stainless ceramic coated DT headers in April. I installed them and I thought everythig was ok. In May I bought the uprev and did the logs so i could get my first map tuned. It turned out It looked looked like I had a leak on the left bank, So I took it back apart figuring I had messed something up when I installed it. Once I had it apart I could see the leaks and it was pretty clear why.

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So I called Nick at DT and told him what was going on and he said he wanted to get the header back so they could "fix" it. The problem with this is I live in Florida and its going to take 5 days for it to get to him, then they are going to have to fix it, then its 5 days back and I cant be without my truck for two to three weeks. So we agreed that they would get me a new one but they didnt have anymore so it would be about 5 weeks but he wanted me to call back after 2 weeks and see how things were going. I called again after 2 and a half weeks to check on things and Nick tiold me they were in welding and I should call again in a week and a half. So today I called and he tells me that he was wrong the that the headers being made now are the mild steel not the stainless and he still thinks I should send the one I have to him to have it fixed. I got really pissed because I paid alot for the headers and I just want them not to leak. I cant even get my e-tunes done because of the leak. Another problem is that it sounds like ****.
In his defense its only been 4 weeks so its not like its gone on longer then we agreed but today he didn't even give me a time frame for when I would get them.

I am asking you guys what you think I should do and am I wrong for being upset?
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I would probably ship it back to be "fixed" but I might ask them if "fixed" means 5 minutes with a belt sander and if so, could I do it myself or have it done locally. There was some weld flash in one of the sensor bungs on mine, I emailed a pic and asked them if I could clean it up myself and if so what size tap. They quickly mailed me a really nice tap which worked out fine.
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Looking at your pic, it seems that you just had a gasket leak. Do you have more pics? Does the header plate look warped? Did you buy new gaskets? Did you made sure that the gasket shiny side went towards the engine?

I know after I bolted on the headers, about 500 miles later I had a few loose nuts and one or two more at 1500 miles. Tighten 'em all up. So far with over 3000 miles, no leaks.

L
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This the only other pic. of the DT flanges i have found, looks like your need to be ground down flush: http://www.titantalk.com/forums/titan-performance-modifications/101361-doug-thorleys-arrived.html
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Here are the only other two pictures I have.





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I replaced the the gasket twice with the OEM gasket and the last time I tried the felpro. On the OEM gaskets I made sure the silver side was facing the head. I followed the repair manual. I did tighten the nuts down again after 300 miles or so and both side has some that needed to be snugged up. The flange does not look like its bad. To me it looks like even if they surface the flange it will still leak because the hole itself isn't an oval making it too large. If you look at the rings around each hole you can see on cylander 5 (third hole) the hole is wider then the ring. If you look at the stillens they make ovals like the oem manifold.



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I tried moving the manifold all the way down on the studs and I actually got the leak to move to the top of the gasket/header.

maybe this hole thing has just made me crazy and I am completly wrong. I just dont think that after spending 750 bucks you should have to send them back to be "fixed" and not have a truck for 2 weeks have to pay for the shipping again. I looked into having a local shop grind the flang and its going to be about 70 bucks but why pay to have your new header fixed.
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Look at how nice these look. I didnt even get ovals I got saturn shaped holes.


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this is what mine looked like new


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see the difference. thanks titanss for finding that post its exactly what i thought.
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damn .. those ports look like sheet. They don't look right. Here are a couple of pics form one of the original DT threads when they first came out. Not my specific headers but mine did look like these in the pics.

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you got that right. what would you do import.
I would wait for the new set. Looks like they let a newbie do your current set. I don't think a FIX is going to do anything . It seems like you would need a new set of flanges welded on but even then something is just off about your current set.
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Weird. Looks like the holes for the studs are elongated, not round.





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I want a new one.
Yeah there is alot of room to adjust them once they are on the studs because of the elongated holes.
I don't see how they could fix it without alot of work being done to it.
^I see what you saying 'bout those ports and the stud holes, looks like crap... Yeah, that would have to be replace with some new headers.

L
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I am going to call them again.
I got this back from DT today.

""Anthony,
That’s fine. The new header you get WILL NOT be the original OVAL design but a combo round/oval as these headers also fit the Infiniti QX. The port you got does not look the best I will admit. One way we remedy situations like this is that we will TIG the affected portion of the flange which is actually harder than the flange itself. Then clean it up and surface it true""
The new header you get WILL NOT be the original OVAL design but a combo round/oval as these headers also fit the Infiniti QX.
So you have to slop the studs around in the elongated holes to try to get it lined up so it won't leak? Does this mean Stillen will be selling more Titan headers?
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I guess thats what hes saying. I dont see how the QX makes any difference I thought it had the same exact motor in it. Again hes not saying when he is going to get me my new one. maybe with the veriable valve timing the port changed? still you would think that the titan would be the same as the QX.
Man, that set of DT's looks horrible!

The new header you get WILL NOT be the original OVAL design but a combo round/oval as these headers also fit the Infiniti QX
Did they change the design or something? Yours are the only set of DT's i've ever seen like that.
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YEa with those oval holes no wonder they leaked. Those look bad!! Keep us posted.
he told me that the next one i get will be just like these because they are made to fit the QX.
You have a Titan, why is he trying to give you QX headers? Is that how their all made now? I'm just trying to understand why yours seem to be the only ones that look like that...at least on the Titan Forums...
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