What is an exhaust flange?
An exhaust flange is a piece of metal that bolts directly to the engine of your vehicle and allows for custom headers to be fabricated. They still require an exhaust gasket between the header flange and the engine/head. An exhaust flange is generally built to match the port shape and size for each application along with the bolt hole spacing and the pattern to allow for a good fit and seal against the engine.
At Hells Gate Hot Rods, all of the flanges are built for each specific application as listed in the product description and they are made to be as universal as possible. And they still fit properly. This is a great solution for you to build a set of custom headers to fit the required space in the engine bay to avoid items such as steering, frame rails, engine mounts, etc. It is the most extensive line of exhaust flanges available from a single company.
How To Replace An Exhaust Flange?
Do you need new exhaust flanges for your engine? Do you want to save some money by replacing the exhaust flange yourself? Good idea. Replacing an exhaust flange can be a pretty simple process.
Here are a few steps to replacing your exhaust flange. Do It Yourself has created a simple five step instruction on how to replace an exhaust flange. Once you have purchased your plan, you can follow this simple process to replace your old or warped exhaust flange:
- Locate the bolts: These bolts can easily be found once the car is jacked up. The bolts will be located on the exhaust port.
- Remove the bolts: You should remove all the bolts, except for the two bolts that are on both sides of the header.
- Loosen the exhaust flange and gasket: Your flange may be stuck. In order to remove it, you may have to use a knife or another flat piece of metal to pry the exhaust flange off. If a rubber gasket has been used, you may have to scrape off all of the rubber to make sure there is a proper seal. Some cars will have only a flange, while other vehicles will have a flange gasket and an exhaust flange.
- Remove the flange: Make sure that every piece of the gasket has been removed if there is a gasket. This will allow for a proper fit.
- Replace the flange: Once the flange and flange gasket have been removed, then replace them assuring that the seal is proper. After this you can insert the bolts and tighten them back to their original state.
By following these simple steps, you can replace most flanges – an essential part of your engine. It is very important to find the correct flange for your vehicle. That is where you’ll want to get in touch with Hells Gate Hot Rods. You will be able to find the correct size of exhaust flange while getting one that is CAD designed out of excellent material.
How To Tell If Your Exhaust Manifold Is Failing
If you are going to have a great running hot rod, you need to have a great exhaust system. How can you tell if something is off with your exhaust? Watch for these symptoms:
- Very noisy engine: This is one of the first symptoms that will come up. You may hear a sound that similar to a hissing or tapping sound coming from your engine. This noise will likely be more noticeable during a cold start or when you are accelerating.
- Decrease in power and acceleration: Another thing to look for is any issues with engine performance. An exhaust manifold gasket failure may result in these engine issues. Although the drop in engine performance may be small initially, it will continue to get worse if it is not taken care of.
- Loss of fuel efficiency: A loss of power and acceleration will lead to a loss of fuel efficiency. In order for your engine to function in the same way, it has to work harder which takes more fuel. The cost of fixing your exhaust will be nothing compared to the increase in spending on gas if you don’t get it fixed.
- Burning smell in the engine bay: A gasket failure causing a leak near any plastic parts or wiring may lead to the heat from the exhaust gases causing those components to burn up. This might be the cause of the burning smell coming from the engine bay. If this is your issue, you might also see a small amount of smoke in addition to the smell. Burning is never good, so get it checked as soon as you can.
- Hanging exhaust pipe: If any part of the pipe breaks, it may start to hang under your vehicle. If you have an exhaust pipe that is hanging, get it fixed as soon as you can. This is a danger for you and the other drivers on the road.
- Gas smell: The smell of gas when you are driving is a sign that there may be exhaust problems. This probably means that one of the exhaust pipes or tubes has been damaged and is leaking. When that happens, gasoline fumes escape into the cabin of your vehicle.
If you notice one or more of these symptoms and think that there is an issue with your exhaust, don’t wait to have it checked and/or replaced.
Getting It Fixed
A leak in the exhaust manifold can do serious damage to your engine if it is not taken care of. It can even lead to a burned exhaust valve, which can cause exhaust from the combustion chamber to flow the wrong way into the intake manifold. The good news is that is is fairly easy to get it replaced in most vehicles.
- What it takes: To do it yourself, you will need a couple of wrenches or deep sockets to remove the manifold. In addition, you need to remove traces of the old gasket. You can use emery cloth or light grit sandpaper, but a small scraper works the best because of the tight confines.
- Cost of labor: This type of repair at a shop will likely take 2-3 hours and cost you somewhere between $160-$270 at most shops. If you go to a dealership, expect the range to be more like $220-$330.
- Cost of parts: This will vary, depending on the make, model and year of the vehicle – as well as how many cylinders the engine has. You may be able to get a new gasket for as little as $20. So if you do the repair yourself, the total cost could be as low as $20, or it could end up costing you close to $400 if you go to a dealership.
Whether you need a new exhaust flange or some other parts for your exhaust, check out Hells Gate Hot Rods for all your exhaust needs.