REFLECTOR: Franklin, exhaust leaks and gaskets

[wurzel at alumni.caltech.edu]

>> The question is, is there supposed to be a gasket where
>> the short exhaust header meets the cylinder?
>
> Hmm, maybe someone made those headers to mate to the cylinder, like the
> intake manifold?
> I've always seen a short riser tube pressed into the cylinder, and two
> small clamps that hold it in place.

Okay, looks like I don't know a "header" from a "riser."  :-(

Each cylinder has a 3" long piece of tubing, male on one
end with a slight "bump" (is it called a "flare" when it's
in the middle of a tube?) about 1/2" from the end, and
the other end is female.  At each cylinder, this riser
is held up with two clamps as you have described.  On each side,
the rest of the exhaust slip-fits into these three risers and
is bolted together through some flanges.

On my engine, some of these risers had those rolled
copper+"asbestos" gaskets between the "bump" and the cylinder,
and others didn't.  The ones without seemed to seal just fine,
so I'm trying to figure out if there's any other reason to have
the gasket there.

Sounds like I should just put it back per the Franklin manual (no
gaskets) and see how it works.

                                   Thanks,
                                     -wurzel