How much does a leaking header gasket change exhaust sound?
My header gasket is leaking, ive ordered a new gasket and as it coming off anyway a new 4-1 dc header. I have a raspy noise from my car at like 3000rpms and when vtec just kicks in, ive had the exhaust (mongoose full system) for like 6months and its never made this sound before, untill i noticed the gasket was leaking coz i went back to place that sold me the exhaust and they said the leaking gasket would be the cause for the rasping (they spotted the leak not me) if its the exhaust ill get a new one!! coz i hate the raspy sound!!
Any ideas on if its the gasket or not causing it anyone??????

 

Has no one got any thoughts???

 

When you say exhaust sound, do you mean while driving (from the driver's seat?)

It is possible for the head gasket to effect the sound of the engine (easily blended into the exhaust sound), but you have more problems than a head gasket if the sound is coming from the exhaust itself.

 

Well you can hear it from both inside the car and out (windows down and more noticable if your next to something to reflect the sound like a wall etc). It only does it under load (actually driving, not just revving in neutral).
Its not the engine, I am a fully qualified mech so i've checked the engine, it is black on the cylinder head around wer the header joins to the head which i am aware of coz the gaskets leaking. Its more like the sound produced when the baffles in the exhaust are fucked, its just the exhaust is relitivley new and it didnt make the sound untill the header gasket went kaput. as ive said ive ordred a new gasket and while the headers off i mite as well put a better header on, so ive also ordered a DC 4-1 header and i'm hoping that will sort it, if it doesnt the exhaust company (www.mongooseexhausts.com) said they'll replace it warranty anyway, I'm just wandering coz i dont fancy another 30 mile trip for another exhaust!!
cheers for any help!!

 

We'll if you're a fully qualified mechanic, you know more about it than me...

 

you will probebly hear a small difference in your exhuast but nothing serious. What you will hear, and its annoying as all hell, is like a "putting" under the hood from where the exhuast is leaking from. If you do here it through your exhuast then its probebly a bigger leak then it seems lol

 

Yeh thats what i thought, Oh well i guess i'm just gonna have to wait untill my new header and gasket arrives (shud be about a week now) then i'll fit it and see if the sound goes, if it doesnt i'll just have to get the new exhaust.
I'll keep the results posted here.
Thanks for any help!!