header gaskets and fast idle GTV6

["Don Happel" <zelatore@domain.elided>]

I'm probably asking the impossible, but does anybody have a good trick for
keeping the intermediate flange sealed on a set of Ansa V6 headers?  Seems
AR Ricambi and International have stopped carring the gaskets for them since
they aren't carring the headers any more.  I had a leak and made my own
gaskets from steel reinforced bulk material, but after about 500 miles I'm
already hearing the tell-tail tick, tick, tick of a leak again.  Any secrets
out there?

On another note, my GTV6 has developed a rather odd idle problem.  When
first started and until warming up the idle is fine, but as the motor
reaches temperature the idle rises with it to 1800-2000 RPM.  I can be
sitting at a long light idling at 1000 rpm after leaving home and watch the
tach climb.  I don't think it's cool enough here in the bay area to even
activate the idle air bypass valve, so I'm not suspecting that.  I'm going
to replace the O-ring that controls the idle speed since these things are
notoriously finicky anyway, but I'm not any too sure that's going to cure
the problem.  Anybody else ever experience this?

Well, it's calm, sunny, and about 80 degrees today here on the peninsula.
Think I'll have to go for a little ride on the bay...


Don Happel       zelatore@domain.elided
(wishing my boat got 1/10th the fuel milage of my Alfa)

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