exhuast, headers and pipes?
Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 101
Likes: 1
From: Dayton
exhuast, headers and pipes?
ok, right now i have stock exhuast manifold on my '70 sport custom, 390, and my grandfather had dual 2" pipes put on with glass packs. one of the exhuast manifolds is cracked and needs to be replaced, so i thought that i would just replace the them with headers and bigger tail pipes. so what i am looking for is advise on what headers and size tail pipe to use. and maybe what kind of mufflers. i'm looking for better gas mileage if possable, and maybe better peformance.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 24,552
Likes: 74
From: Creedmoor, North Carolina
87, I have headers on my FE, and I don't recommend them for daily driving. If you are racing the truck and running above 5000 rpms it's another story.
Headers, are loud in the cab, put heat in the cab, and are starter killers. A 15 min starter change turns into hours because you have to take the right header off.
After reading this, and you still gotta have them, look at the shorties to get away from the starter issue.
Having duals has already given you the bennifit for better mpgs. Besides spending a lot of time and money, I doubt you would realise anything more added. IMHO
John
Headers, are loud in the cab, put heat in the cab, and are starter killers. A 15 min starter change turns into hours because you have to take the right header off.
After reading this, and you still gotta have them, look at the shorties to get away from the starter issue.
Having duals has already given you the bennifit for better mpgs. Besides spending a lot of time and money, I doubt you would realise anything more added. IMHO
John
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,008
Likes: 1
From: Tucson
Ouch, jowilker is raining on your header parade (have to admit though that everything he says is true and you can add "prone to leaking too!). Matter of fact, the starter on my 67 is getting ready to give it up (again) and I am preparing for the torturous starter change myself. Some guys buy the high torque mini-starters but they are pricey. If you go with headers, I suggest you install some kind of heat shield or wrap on your starter (like I am always going to do but don't). Still want headers?
jor
jor
Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 101
Likes: 1
From: Dayton
i don't know yet. i was just throwing out the idea to see what people thought. so i should just stay with what i got? where would i find these shorties jo was talking about and what are the binifits to those?
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 212
Likes: 0
From: Wimberley, TX
I went with the hooker headers on my '71 Sport Custom w/360. It's been 2 years and the starter hasn't gone out yet. Haven't noticed any more heat in the cab but then I live in central Texas where it's always hot. I just turn on the A/C.
They might be a little louder but I put a new firewall pad, insulation, and carpet in my truck. I have flow masters and they are louder than stock. One suggestion is to spend more for copper gaskets, paper ones that come with the headers will NOT last. Over my lifetime of many cars and trucks, the paper gaskets eventually fail. I have found the copper gaskets seal good and stay that way.
They might be a little louder but I put a new firewall pad, insulation, and carpet in my truck. I have flow masters and they are louder than stock. One suggestion is to spend more for copper gaskets, paper ones that come with the headers will NOT last. Over my lifetime of many cars and trucks, the paper gaskets eventually fail. I have found the copper gaskets seal good and stay that way.
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 24,552
Likes: 74
From: Creedmoor, North Carolina
Originally Posted by 8NRay
I went with the hooker headers on my '71 Sport Custom w/360. It's been 2 years and the starter hasn't gone out yet. Haven't noticed any more heat in the cab but then I live in central Texas where it's always hot. I just turn on the A/C.
They might be a little louder but I put a new firewall pad, insulation, and carpet in my truck. I have flow masters and they are louder than stock. One suggestion is to spend more for copper gaskets, paper ones that come with the headers will NOT last. Over my lifetime of many cars and trucks, the paper gaskets eventually fail. I have found the copper gaskets seal good and stay that way.
They might be a little louder but I put a new firewall pad, insulation, and carpet in my truck. I have flow masters and they are louder than stock. One suggestion is to spend more for copper gaskets, paper ones that come with the headers will NOT last. Over my lifetime of many cars and trucks, the paper gaskets eventually fail. I have found the copper gaskets seal good and stay that way.
John
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Elder User
Joined: Feb 2003
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I went with the Hooker Elite and got them with the ceramic coating. I don't notice any heat issue in the cab and don't think it will kill my starter either as they are fairly cool running with the heat dissipative ceramic coating. The muffler is what makes it loud or not, not the headers in my opinion. I like my headers and think I notice more power too. The stock manifolds are terrible for flow and a set of decent headers can really wake up a 390. I went with both pipes going into a single free flowing Magnaflow muffler and a single 3” pipe out from there. I went with the longest muffler that would fit under there to reduce the noise, its reasonably quiet but still has a nice low rumble to it.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,658
Likes: 4
From: "Islander"
What he said is you have to loosen the right header to remove the starter.
I have Doug Thorley headers ceramic coated inside and out, no heat or starter problem. The starter comes out in 20 minutes as the collector stub and exhaust are connected with a band clamp. header gaskets are copper and can be reused.
.....=o&o>.....
I have Doug Thorley headers ceramic coated inside and out, no heat or starter problem. The starter comes out in 20 minutes as the collector stub and exhaust are connected with a band clamp. header gaskets are copper and can be reused.
.....=o&o>.....
Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 101
Likes: 1
From: Dayton
can anyone give me a part # for some good headers that will work on my truck, even if they are shorties? i can"t seem to find headers that will fit '70, f250, 390, camper speical, C6 trans with extra gas tank in the frame. the problem is that some won't fit the 'camper speical' or because of the extra gas tank. if i can't find any then i will just stay with the stock manifolds.
Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 101
Likes: 1
From: Dayton
i have found some hooker and flowtech headers that will work on my setup, but the only thing i that is says that they are only legal for off highway use and has an emissions color code amber 3, which is the same as the carb im running. does that mean that are only for off highway use period, or that is only a restriction for emission controled vehicles, which mine is not. any clarification would be helpful
Post Fiend
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,658
Likes: 4
From: "Islander"
northey87;
Your in Cali like me (68), as long as you keep the original smog equipment like heated air control to the intake air (not working but there) and PVC valve your legal for the basic 1970 smog equipment. Some states go back farther in years so manufactures to protect their A$$ state off road only, your good to go.
With a between the frame tank you'll have to route one pipe around the tank then out the back, I have 3 tanks, two saddle outside the frame.
It shouldn't matter what manufacture you use for header' because of your frame tank, only a difference in pipe routing.
.....=o&o>.....
Your in Cali like me (68), as long as you keep the original smog equipment like heated air control to the intake air (not working but there) and PVC valve your legal for the basic 1970 smog equipment. Some states go back farther in years so manufactures to protect their A$$ state off road only, your good to go.
With a between the frame tank you'll have to route one pipe around the tank then out the back, I have 3 tanks, two saddle outside the frame.
It shouldn't matter what manufacture you use for header' because of your frame tank, only a difference in pipe routing.
.....=o&o>.....
Last edited by "Beemer Nut"; Apr 30, 2006 at 11:58 PM.