I installed the banks cat back system last night on the JK with the help of a friend...In the manual it says tighten down to 35 ft. lbs with a torque wrench..we got it 20 ft lbs and it seemed excessively tight...have a couple of tiny leaks that i want to fix. anybody have any experience with this system? My friend has been very into cars his entire life and he mentioned using something called RTV to seal it better...any tricks to getting the clamps tigher before we try anything else????? do we just get them to 35 ft lbs like the manual states?

 

RTV on exhaust? How good a friend is this? He mad at you about something?

 

lol thats what im asking you guys..i figured clamps and tack welds like usual..but 20 ft lbs had these bolts almost to a complete stop..and im a big dude

 

theres two spots where i can tell theres a leak..right where the banks meets up with the stock piping..and right before the muffler itself. i did read about people using RTV to finish up the seals but i'd rather go the route of clamps and tack welds ( don't want to fully weld it). The clamps seem pretty heavy duty but the bolts wont go any further, and they're at 20 ft lbs. Didn't want to force it any further..first time doing an exhaust system so I'm frustrated.

 

maybe try band clamps instead of the u shaped ones it came with? i dont know ill check back later and see if anyone has an idea..thanks JKerz

 

all set..tomorrow im going to torque to 35ft lbs. talked to someone who has done numerous banks installations and said it needs to be up there to fix the small leaks i have

 

let us know how you like it when it all finished up

 

I installed this kit a couple months ago and had the same issue. I just tightened it as tight as I could and walked away. It sealed up nicely for me. And by the way....... I love it. Oh and i also installed the intake at the same time.

 

I'd just weld it. Once you crush the pipes with u style muffler clamps you aint gonna get'em apart. When working on exhaust that I might take apart someday, I use bandclamps.

 

I just put mine on two nights ago, took me longer to get that first clamp off at the Y as you can't get up to where they hide the nut on 2010's, ended up just cutting the band apart.

As for those clamps, I used an 3/8 air gun with 80 foot lbs behind it and wound them tight as they'd go. I've put many of their kits on and never had a problem "over tightening" a little. No leaks thus far and seems to be a solid. I went with a K&N upfront instead of the CA mods. I'm getting over 18mpg since, before was around 15-16. Good luck!