All experience costs time or money , or both .

Experience is what you got when you did not got what you wanted .

Good to hear you got it all put back together .

Did you buy better quality parts than the machine shop would have purchased ?

Just shows you should get a quote , in writing first . Compare that to the cost of ram roding it yourself .

We live in a mostly dry climate . Rust is not that much of a problem . As a precaution , spray everything down with a light oil and bag or wrap in plastic .

I agree , the longer the project stretches out , the more problems .

You have an exhaust leak ? I missed that part . Header to head or header to cat / pipe ? Bad gasket ?

God bless
Wyr