Thanks for the tip Stephen.  I actually thought about grinding down a
little of the mating surface to hopefully get them to mate/seal
better.  I don't have a belt sander so I'd be going freehand with a
angle grinder and not sure I'd help more than harm.  (they call an
angle grinder a "side grinder" down here in the South.)  Someone
mentioned "muffler paste" and I was searching for that on the FLAPS
websites for it when I came across that copper seal.  So you used
double gaskets and copper seal and it worked?

Edward

At 09:36 AM 7/21/2013, Stephen Grisanti wrote:
>You might try a belt sander to even things up on the mating
>faces.  That suggestion came too late for me to try it when I had
>the same problem.  I'd already tried what the nearby Advance Auto
>guy recommended; PermaTex spray on Copper Seal (you may want to
>verify the name) worked for me.  I actually had shaved down the
>second gaskets so they more closely filled the gaps, then sprayed
>heavily the copper stuff.
>
>Stephen
>
>
>From: Edward Maglott <emaglott3@GMAIL.COM>
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Sent: Saturday, July 20, 2013 5:24 PM
>Subject: exhaust leak, header tubes to collector on 2.1 engine
>
>Yes, I'm putting it back together now.  Where the 2 header pipes join
>to the collector, there is not a lot of metal there around the
>circular surfaces that must make the seal.  I cleaned the surfaces
>with wire wheel and used nice new gaskets.  I've heard of using
>double gaskets there and wondering if that's the best way to proceed
>or if there are other suggestions.  I wish there was some sort of
>sealer that could withstand that environment but I don't know of
>one.  Thanks for any tips.
>
>Edward
>