I was told 24 ft/lbs and i have had no leaks so far, i also reused my gaskets

 

Well, I backed off all the bolts a little at a time. When they were all loose, I removed one. It had a 1 inch shank length. So I decided to check the cast header flange to see the difference b/w the two. The cast stockers also have a 3/8" flange.

So I tighten all the bolts back, starting in the middle and working my way outward, alternating from the front to back. I torque them down to 20 ft/lbs. Go for a quick drive to heat them up. Come back and wait for them to cool. Reset the wrench for 24 ft/lbs and hit them all in same process.

On the way into work this morning it sounds the same. When I was loosing the bolts, I noticed the one bolt in the middle, on both sides, was harder to turn. Not sure why, maybe antisieze. I wondering if I am getting a false torque reading from these.

I did notice oil on the valve cover above the first cylinder.

 

sorry for the resurection, but with stage 8s, do i need to torque them down twice?

 

Hope this will work for your application. The Chilton Manual says:

Exhaust Manifold Bolts
Step One - 132 in-lbs
Step Two - 18 ft-lbs