foxbody poppin when cold

So the temperature has dropped into the 40s and I am still driving the fox on dry days. I will until the first salt hits the road. Although the first 2 minutes of each ride, it didn't seem to run right since it's been colder. Hesitation, popping and banging until I got it up to 15-20 mph and the it would disappear and run normal.

I sat in the car after a run and heard the exhaust ticking and it gave me the idea that it might have an exhaust leak and the headers are running hot. Makes sense that after they heat up and take up the space, the fuel mix would improve.
Dreading to having to tighten the ball flange nuts again, I decided to first check the manifold bolts and sure enough they were all a quarter turn loose. Now it runs great, temps are down and power is up, no more hesitation or stuttering. 
If it happens again I might have to add some PTFE to the threads. I know thread locker is called for but with the high heat the PTFE stays gummy. Maybe I'll try 1 PTFE and the rest blue thread locker and see over the course of time what's the deal. 

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