I have a 1978 f250 camper special with a auto 460 that I'm going to put on a 1979 f250 4x4 frame and running gear. Cleaning up the 4x4 and getting ready for the body/engine swap and the question came up about headers. Some say the headers don't really improve performance that much...is this true for a 460 that will be a weekend driver/tow a camper once in a while? I'm on a budget and I'm already going to buy a new dual exhaust for it. Should I just use my stock headers and buy some?Or should I look into getting some new exhaust manifolds?

 

IMHO, during that gen, oem manifolds were better but not the best by comparison of their counterparts/previous issues. I would look at 1) price...if they are anywhere close to headers, I would go with a good quality set of headers...yes throttle response will be better & might even gain 1-2 mpg depending on your foot.

Unless you go with shorty’s or actual custom built headers, 99% of all headers will require "massaging" to install (whether it's denting a tube, moving a bracket, etc.). Unless it is for racing purposes, in all reality, there are little differences in overall performance between shorties (Tri-Y), mid-length & long tube headers.....shorties actually perform excellent up to about 5500 rpm and then will have a slight drop until 6k rpm when it begins to really decline.....more than enough for street use and much better than oem manifolds.

In general, the head plate should be at least 3/8" (1/2" is best), tubing should be at least 16 gauge (14 is best).....otherwise leaks and burn-though are going to be a problem as well as the longetivity of the headers.