After 3+ years of use, I had to drop the Warpspeed Y-Pipe to remove the upper oil pan. In looking at the area where the header ring seals were originally installed, it appears the seals have now become married to the Y-Pipe. So I'm beginning to doubt that I can remove the old seals to install replacements.

Has anyone used Permatex Ultra Copper RTV to reseal a Warpspeed Y-Pipe to the exhaust header?

Here's a picture where you can see the groves in the new pipe header fittings below where the ring seals should be mounted.




Video about using Ultra Copper on an exhaust seal.

Craig ... I personally have never been a proponent of using a chemical gaskets in exhaust applications.

Although "physical" exhaust gaskets can and do fail, I've always felt that chemical seals have a much shorter life expectancy and tend to deteriorate much faster than a proper material gasket.

I've only used chemical gasket material in an exhaust application when sealing (sandwiching) two material gaskets together.

If I'm understanding your situation correctly, what I might do is either purchase or cut replacement gasket material for your Y-Pipe surfaces ... just buy or make 4 of them.

Use your preferred chemical gasket material to "glue" two of the material gaskets together.

Use the double gaskets to seal the Y-Pipe flanges to the header/manifold flanges.

This method provides a bit of "cushion" so that imperfections (marred or toothed surfaces) in either/both mating surfaces can be sealed.

I used this technique in the truck with success.

Thanks TB.

O'Reilly sells different types of exhaust collector gaskets for 2.5 inch three bolt applications. Here's a list below.

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/se...ima&vi=1316803

If I can find one that will fit, I might be able to sandwich in a gasket like the one in this picture. Right now the header and the y-pipe contact areas are smooth. I think I have a header stashed away that I could take to the parts store to find a match.

I've dropped my WS y-pipe a handful of times over the last several years and the flanges looked fine. I replaced the y-pipe to manifold gaskets just once with OEM brand.

The y-pipe to manifold is only 2.25". The y-pipe to CAT is 2.5".

I have some new OEM type gaskets from Walker that look like the ones from WS. I might be worrying about nothing. I think I'll just put it back together and see how it goes.

Here's the final solution. I must have had a small exhaust leak around the collector. I could hear a slight exhaust hum that I attributed to the lack of cats. That noise want away today.

I wanted to get a triangular shaped gasket like the one in the picture above. So this morning I took an extra header that I have in the workshop to O'Reilly Auto to find a match.

Luckily the guy working at O today is someone I've been buying parts from for years at Advance Auto. He said I will not have a ready made gasket to fit the Nissan collector. The stock Nissan collector gasket uses a metal ring type seal. No argument from me on that point. My problem was the ring type gasket has become part of the y-pipe flange.

I purchased a sheet of "Mr Gasket" exhaust gasket material and fabricated my own gaskets. Once I had my homemade gaskets ready to install, I applied a thin coat of Permatex Ultra Copper Exhaust RTV to smooth out the mating surface.

I replaced the 14 mm exhaust y-pipe nuts with some Brass 17 mm -- M10 x 1.25 Dorman exhaust bolts. The nuts came with studs in a package of two. So it took three packages to get the new bolts.

After I installed the new gaskets, there is no noise from the exhaust manifold area. How long will this last? I have no idea. All I can say is it is quiet now.

Thank you TB. I basically took this approach with my homemade gasket and some Permatex Ultra Copper RTV on each end.