Review on Dorman 674 268 Exhaust Manifold Kit by Stephen Burgstaller

There were air bubbles on the back of the cast, I got the 2nd?; Continue reading. The bolt holes in the flange area have been split, I assume this is done to avoid warping. (That's good). The manifold is supplied without a gasket. I installed this aftermarket header with the included gasket as I wasn't sure if missing a gasket would cause a leak. I had to put my manifold in place, but I tightened all the screws properly. (Tip: Install the correct screw first, torque to 40lbs, then install the screw holding the heat shield). Work from the center to the edge. The spark plug heat shields will not fit until I have machined some of the exposed castings. The sheet metal heat exchanger hole for the chimney pipe was not round, I had to bend it to fit the pipe, it was wide (oval and tapered). I used sheet metal screws for attachment. If you look at the photo, maybe that's how they're made at the factory. Not even close to the GM manifold, which is a round and straight tube rather than tapered or tapered. How should the pipe be attached? I feel like this collector should never have been tested on a few points. If I hadn't painted it right away before noticing the imperfections, I would have sent it back. To update; the collector is mounted and does not flow, the self-tapping screw on the heat exchanger tube seems to be holding. So far, so good.