Header issues

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Delmonico ram

Junior Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2025
Posts
2
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Location
Arkansas
Ram Year
2020
Engine
Hemi 5.7
2020 ram 1500 Laramie. My factory exhaust manifolds cracked (not a terrible exhaust mostly smell and could’ve easily be mistaken as injector noise) so I decided to replace them with BBK shorty headers SKU 40150 had a shop install them bc when I attempted I almost stripped the heads (im inexperienced). When I mad the attempt to put them on I ended up folding the gasket it came with and seemed like it wouldn’t seal properly so I got factory replacements since it was the soonest I can get. I see the gasket had a different EGR port hole than the headers and I’ll add photos for reference. Also sounds like it’s mostly the passenger side (hardly hear it on driver if none at all) closer to the rear but the EGR hole is at the front. I hear ticking worst than it’s ever been and can smell exhaust fumes here and there. I’m wondering since the gasket is not what it came with that could be my issue? I also think I’ve got lifter tick which was not a thing until after the headers. I was told they just need to be broken in/heat cycles/torque after it’s at operating temp etc. Still can’t get rid of the ticking and exhaust smell. I have 107k miles on the truck as of rn. Is it the headers itself or gasket? Should I just go long tubes instead? Pictures show egr port in the header and gasket it come with as well as what the factory gasket egr port hole looks like on it.
 

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Wild one

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2016
Posts
23,632
Reaction score
54,258
Ram Year
14 Sport
Engine
5.7
2020 ram 1500 Laramie. My factory exhaust manifolds cracked (not a terrible exhaust mostly smell and could’ve easily be mistaken as injector noise) so I decided to replace them with BBK shorty headers SKU 40150 had a shop install them bc when I attempted I almost stripped the heads (im inexperienced). When I mad the attempt to put them on I ended up folding the gasket it came with and seemed like it wouldn’t seal properly so I got factory replacements since it was the soonest I can get. I see the gasket had a different EGR port hole than the headers and I’ll add photos for reference. Also sounds like it’s mostly the passenger side (hardly hear it on driver if none at all) closer to the rear but the EGR hole is at the front. I hear ticking worst than it’s ever been and can smell exhaust fumes here and there. I’m wondering since the gasket is not what it came with that could be my issue? I also think I’ve got lifter tick which was not a thing until after the headers. I was told they just need to be broken in/heat cycles/torque after it’s at operating temp etc. Still can’t get rid of the ticking and exhaust smell. I have 107k miles on the truck as of rn. Is it the headers itself or gasket? Should I just go long tubes instead? Pictures show egr port in the header and gasket it come with as well as what the factory gasket egr port hole looks like on it.
If the headers aren't cracked,you could try a set of Remflex 6022 gaskets.

 

joesstripclub

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2019
Posts
762
Reaction score
1,119
Location
Kansas City, MO
Ram Year
2021 2500 PW
Engine
Hemi 6.4
2020 ram 1500 Laramie. My factory exhaust manifolds cracked (not a terrible exhaust mostly smell and could’ve easily be mistaken as injector noise) so I decided to replace them with BBK shorty headers SKU 40150 had a shop install them bc when I attempted I almost stripped the heads (im inexperienced). When I mad the attempt to put them on I ended up folding the gasket it came with and seemed like it wouldn’t seal properly so I got factory replacements since it was the soonest I can get. I see the gasket had a different EGR port hole than the headers and I’ll add photos for reference. Also sounds like it’s mostly the passenger side (hardly hear it on driver if none at all) closer to the rear but the EGR hole is at the front. I hear ticking worst than it’s ever been and can smell exhaust fumes here and there. I’m wondering since the gasket is not what it came with that could be my issue? I also think I’ve got lifter tick which was not a thing until after the headers. I was told they just need to be broken in/heat cycles/torque after it’s at operating temp etc. Still can’t get rid of the ticking and exhaust smell. I have 107k miles on the truck as of rn. Is it the headers itself or gasket? Should I just go long tubes instead? Pictures show egr port in the header and gasket it come with as well as what the factory gasket egr port hole looks like on it.
You might have an issue where the collector bolts to the stock exhaust. My shorties never sealed quite right until I found a donut gasket from oreilly to stuff in there. I don't recall much exhaust fumes, but it cut down on the ticking noises a lot.
 
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