Deener Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 Hi everyone. As I was driving down the highway yesterday, I noticed my 88 GL was sounding loud. I got under and found that the gasket between the engine and the passenger exhaust side pipe is deteriorated, allowing my car to sound like a Harley. I am thinking about going and getting a gasket and attempting it myself but I have never done exhaust work. I expect that those bolts would be tough so penetrate them first, but does anyone have any tips for re-sealing that piece nicely - like should I use some sort of sealant along with the gasket or...? The pipe seems ok, it's just 'leaking' right at the gasket. Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 No sealant. The subaru gaskets are much sturdier and stout than aftermarkets. Sometimes it doesn't really matter but I like to use Subaru on these. The only hard part is if the stud threads are stripped. In our area of the country it is literally unheard of for the exhauts nuts to come off without pulling the studs out too. not a big deal, just use them like bolt, so long as the threads aren't stripped. don't overtighten as these threads strip very easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 a lot of times the nuts will take the studs out with them. if that is the case, get new studs. the are m10x1.25 threads. go to the parts store and look for the "HELP" brand and you should be able to find a set of 2 studs with nuts labelled 'import stud kit' if they dont have that, you can use the 'gm and toyota exhaust manifold' kit which wll come with 3 studs and 2 bolts. just be careful about how much torque you apply when going back together, because you dont want to ruin the threads in the aluminum head i suggest doing one side at a time. if both studs come out, you can slip in the new asket without unbolting the other side Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSubaruJunkie Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 I also agree with getting Subaru OEM exhaust gaskets. You can find aftermarket gaskets at Napa, but i have had problems with them failing prematurely. 8 out of 10 times, the stud will come out with the nut. It sucks, and if you are lucky you can just thread the nut & stud back into the head and it will hold its own. However, you may find aluminum on the threads of the studs indicating the holes in the heads themselfs have stripped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrettenmayer Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 If you do get new studs/nuts, get them from the dealer. Apparently they are heat treated so that the nuts don't weld themselves to the bolts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank B Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 Or use brass nuts, if you can find them. If not, then use stainless steel nuts. I used Walker gaskets on my Loyale, and they're still holding up. No listing in the parts books, so I just took in my old one and they matched it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deener Posted January 4, 2010 Author Share Posted January 4, 2010 Well...I got lucky. ALL of the nuts came off without any issue. There was one stud that had been replaced and re-tapped. The issue came from that hole...the stud that was put in didn't tighten enough to seal the deal. So, I put on a washer, with new gaskets on both sides and it's super quiet now. Thanks for all the input! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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