Eating Manifold to exhaust pipe gaskets

[srpez]

I'm baffled. In the past week I have burned up 2 donut gaskets that go between the exhaust manifold and the exhaust pipe on my '76 J10 (258). I didn't know it was possible to disintegrate a gasket like this, but can't deny the evidence. The first gasket lasted about 4 months, the second lasted two days. When it's installed it sounds and runs great, not overheating, no apparent movement between the two pieces.
Am I tightening this down too much? Am I putting it in upside down (metal collar into the pipe, gasket to the manifold)? One gasket was from Advance Auto, so I thought maybe it was a lesser quality (no offense to anyone out there, that one lasted 4 months compared to 2 days), but the second was from a shop I trust. Is it the gasket or me that's screwing up? :confused:

[Chevelleguy]

Is your exhaust pipe secured well?

[srpez]

There's a bracket hanger that connects the pipe to the transmission case that was not in place and I didn't replace... I did replace the nuts connecting to the manifold part with slightly longer nuts so I could get a wrench on them, so I know that that connection was tight, but that one bolt to the hanger on the tranny case wasn't there. Can I overtighten the mainfold-to-pipe bolts?

The gasket material isn't broken, by the way. It looks flat out burned up, ashy colored and seperated from the metal collar part of the donut.

[tgreese]

Jeep supplied a steel donut as a warranty replacement re a service bulletin around 1975. You should be able to get one from a dealer. The newer manifold doesn't even have a gasket - just a machined surface contoured like the donut.

I believe the metal ring goes into the manifold.

hth :cool: Tim

[tgreese]

Exhaust pipe to manifold is 20 ft-lb.

[srpez]

My local Jeep dealer couldn't get me Quadra-track fluid for my transfer case, so I don't hold out too much hope that they'll be able to pull off getting me the steel donut from a bulletin posted 28 years ago. I have another gasket, so I'll try turning the gasket around so the collar seats in the manifold, torquing to 20 ft-lb, and securing the tail pipe at the missing support. See what happens...

[gsmikie]

napa sells the steel donut gasket

[srpez]

Thanks. I'll give NAPA a shot tomorrow. Now that I'm thinking of it, any recommended sites or dealers for Quadra-track fluid for a 76 J-10? My truck is older than the guy behind the counter, and his books only went back to 86.

[mwww2000]

go to a chrysler dealership go to the parts counter and tell them you need 2 quarts of quadra-trac fluid, I paid 6 bucks canadian per liter