I have an 86 302 efi. I want to know if headers are really worth it for my truck as far as performance. If so what are the best ones. Also,whats the best exhaust to run after these.
P.S. My truck is a 4 speed automatic 4wd.

 

If you do get any sort of headers, mnake sure they are long tube style NOT shorties. Shorties will do nothing for you except cause headaches. Long tube headers are the ones that actually develope HP and torque. The tri-y style actually develope more torque in the lower rpm band, which I assume you are looking for since you have a truck. Since header design is very important stick to companies that have been doing it for a while, like hooker, heddman, gibson. Make sure the headers have a good thick flange so that they will seal well and not warp, like 3/8" or thicker. I am not too sure about ceramic coatings and all that, but I did get some of that wrap to reduce under hood temps, mistake. Header designers design em to run without that, some even specifically say wrapping them will void warranties. I have a Gibson set and absolutely LOVE em. They were unbelievably easy to put in and made a phenominal difference in power for my truck. I got a set of James Duff ones for my Ranger, JUNK!!! I blew out the tubes, replaced em, then the flange warped, replaced em, then the other side blew apart, SOLD em. Then I got Heddman ones and have had no probs. Good Luck, and happy hunting...

 

I used the Doug Thorley headers on my 2WD and they fit like a glove. The have the thick flange and a nice gasket (Bison) that is awesome. My son blows gaskets on his headers every other month, but I've had mine on for three years without a hint of a leak. If possible, go true duals all the way back with about a 2 1/4" pipe. If you can eliminate the cats, that's great, otherwise, get some good hi-flow cats. If you run cats, you may want to consider not running mufflers, but if you decide to run mufflers, go with Flowmasters.

Some good insurance is to get an insulation blanket to wrap your starter to protect it from the heat of the headers. The Thorley headers fit so well that you can remove the starter and get to all the plugs without loosening the header. Oh, and I would spend (if I did it today) the extra money to get the headers coated. They will look nicer for a longer period of time and should last longer too.

Slik