Could you make your headers in two pieces? I'm envisioning using the
square block of SS like you are curently planning, but with a recess
on the tube side at all but the edges and a sheet of SS let into the
recess. In the sheet SS cover would be holes for your tubes, in the
main manifold would be holes and counterbores appropriate for your O
rings. I'm not sure what the best way would be to hold and seal the
covers. There isn't a need to seal the whole cover, just around the
edges will make it water tight. Maybe some of the silver bearing soft
solder would work, just aroung the edges (although I've never used it
with SS). Another obtion would be a thin line of the RTV-like gasket
material that is used for engine gaskets. With good fits, the seam
should be nearly invisable. You could also take a skim with the mill
across the cover plate to make it more invisable if the plate is
thick enough.

Dick Morris
Anchorage, Alaska



On 28 Feb 2005 20:05:30 GMT, (Charles A.
Sherwood) wrote:

I am wondering if I can use O rings to seal the tubes where they
enter the manifold. The manifold will be a square block of SS
drilled from the end for coolant passage and drilled from the side
for the tubes. The difficult part is cutting O-ring groves
for the 1/4 inch tubes.