Is there really a need for the 3 bolt collector flange?
 

I have been using copper collector flange gaskets which do a decent job of sealing the connection but have always wondered, do the flanges serve any purpose other than a point of disconnect to run open headers (and keep gasket companies in business)?

I always run the 3 bolt flanges on my stuff that has headers. Also use a copper gasket in there as mentioned. For sure it will leak with no gasket at all. That deal doesn't work, lol.

Band clamp deal works but on a slip joint with the pipes slid together it's almost impossible to open the headers or remove the headers if needed without loosening and removing most of the rest of the exhaust system. It looks cleaner from a cosmetic standpoint but when it comes to maintenance or removal it complicates things.

I've run the ball and socket deal before and absolutely hated that. I avoid any header in that configuration these days. They constantly had issues of loosening up, pipes twisting and I got sick and tired of tightening the ball flange every 2 months.

I also prefer to make 3 bolt flange setups on some cars at the muffler connections so the entire center of the exhaust can be removed in a couple minutes. Makes things a snap for clutch changes.

I have used the ball and socket setup. Never no leaks. And there is some adjustability. FYI........Tom

Its the easiest and quickest way to remove headers or pipes. My father in law welds a inside sleeve in the header collector that the front pipe slips over..no leaks that way. I don't do it because I'm worried about the pipes "sticking together" over time. Plus I don't want to take away inside diameter.

Exactly. I've slid them together with anti seize and a band clamp but after a couple years they still seize to the point that I have to apply heat. Then the system is discolored.

Rather than use the actual 3 bolt collector pieces to make a flange, and then have differing or odd looking sizes between pipes and collector....I simply just use a 3 bolt flange itself, and weld that directly to the pipes for a cleaner appearance that appears like one joint rather than 3.

Yep, I've never had leaks with it. My complaint is they would never stay tight. One day I'd walk out to the car and one tail pipe would be crooked. Well, time to get under there and tighten up that daggum ball socket again.

They would just loosen over time and the system would move. I even tried things like putting springs in the bolts along with a couple different kind of lock nuts. I just got tired of fooling with it, cut them off, welded on 3 bolt flanges and didn't touch it for years, lol.

Ball and socket stuff works great on exhaust manifolds, because they hang more straight down where the force of the system moving around doesn't really affect it. But when I have ball and sockets on headers that run horizontal the exhaust system would twist and move around. Putting an "H" or "X" in the systems head pipes would likely help that scenario.

I always liked the ball flanges. Tighten the hell out of them with grade 8 bolts and lock washers and forget about it

I expand about two inches of the exhaust pipe and slide it over the header. Then I weld a tab on the expanded part that bolts to a tab welded on the header. No leaks, no worries.

It is lame. I bought a 31/2 x 3 x8 inch taper made by flowmaster. I then had a friend laser out a 3/8 thick collector. Basically a 3/8 thick 3 1/2 collector gasket. I then welded the taper to the 3/8 steel and use a band clamp to connect the two 3" pipe ends. Use a good copper gasket in between the two collectors and it will never go bad.

I only use 4 bolt flanges 1/4" thick welded to their respective pipes with no lips on gasket side and thick fiber type gaskets (Not the white paper type) and never have issues. This is one of the reasons I hate headers.

That is how my Tribal Tubes Tri-Y's are made, and also a set of Headmans on an LS swap of mine.

They create a new problem - how to remove the header, it ever needed repair or to have a gasket changed out. There is not enough fore/aft movement in either the headers or the exhaust system. The engine would have to be removed in order to get the header out.

For the Tri-Y's, my exhaust guy installed 3-bolt flanges at the muffler (I think you can see this all in the picture, and the oil leak HAS been fixed and the stains removed!). With that, I can drop the exhaust there, then slide the entire mid-section off of the slide-on collectors. With an H-pipe or X-pipe, this would make it easier for transmission maintenance and such.

My old Falcon wagon's headers were ball/socket type. One side came loose once, but after tightening a bit more they never gave me another problem, and sealed very well. My only concern was if the design caused turbulence, and may cause a loss of flow.

Yeah I touched on that and why I won't use a slip joint for anything that has a need to come apart later. You're either removing the engine or you're removing the rest of the exhaust system to slide things apart. Turns something that should be a 10 minute deal into an all day job.
Looks nice, yes, but as far as maintenance goes, the slip joints suck.

Basically an entire exhaust system is made of slip joints. So what I do is strategically place a 3 bolt flange (usually fore or aft of the muffler) so the entire system can be removed in 5 minutes. Great for rearend work, transmission work, clutch changes, etc...