Header hell

What headers will fit a blueprint 383 stroker in an 86 shorted k10. I unfortunately know nothing about headers fitment and such and would greatly appreciate any knowledge anyone can share. It's the 450 hp 460 ft/lbs torque 383. Can provide any other information if needed and just FYI, couldn't be happier with the blueprint engine. Makes all other 4x4's in my area look ...small and rather ford-ish.

If you check the blueprint site, I think they have a couple header brands they recommend. I have only blueprint heads, and I recall Sanderson and some other choices being on their list. I think it has to do with the port shape and height, so that some headers seal up better than others.

I would think with those kind of power numbers you may want to have 1-3/4" primary tubes to flow when you are really getting after it.
Smaller 1-5/8 primaries may not be able to get all the gasses out.

This is going to be good.

I checked the Blueprint site, and they do have recommended brands. For Hedman Husler they recommend calling the Georgia office, since it has the experience with Blueprint.

Got Hedman hedders on my 454 and like them.

There's one header manufacturer out there that will supposedly tack weld a set up for you, ship them and let you mock them up to check fitment and send them back for mods and they will complete a set and send the completed ones back but I never could figure out what manufacturer it was.

And there I went

It should be relatively easy. They've been making SBC C/K headers for these trucks since, well, 1973.

I have a set of $200 Dynomax's that came off my personal SBC (now LS) C10. They sealed fine. There were a set of Jeg's ceramic coated $300 headers on a K10 I did a restoration on with a built 400. They sealed fine. It's not the header for the most part (unless it's an awful, import, $100 set from Amazon or eBay) it's how you install them, and the gaskets you use. Both sets fit fine in the chassis; with only minimal clearance on one tube in the K10. I build ten-ish cars a year as a side hustle for friends, many spend time on a dyno.

Once you reach all-the-gasses-your-motor-can-flow on the exhaust side, there's no additional benefit to be had.

Next; virtually any primary size you select for a 383 (1 5/8, 1 3/4, 1 7/8, 2, 2 1/8) will flow fine. Unless you're building a Bonneville salt flats 220 mph racer, and seeking to eek out the last 2 mph, there will be no measurable difference in performance. For reference, my '69 Corvette currently runs a KaTech built LS7 from a '08 Z06. I have dyno sheets for 719 crank horsepower when I built her. The same people who build the motors for the Pratt and Miller C5/C6/C7/C8 factory prep race cars told me 1 3/4s is the perfect primary for that car. I can and will guarantee she's inhaling and exhaling harder than a Gen1 SBC.

My advice? Query what fits the chassis best. What requires the least amount of 5lb hammer and 50mm socket clearancing to make it in there. You'll never see a difference in streetable horsepower and torque, unless you're speaking of radically different designs (Tri-Y, cast iron Sandersons, shortys, full-tube, etc.)

The LS in my C10? A cam'd, intaked, 5.3? I'm running Ceramic coated Summit/Thorley Tri-Ys. It's a truck. I use it like a truck when I need to do truck things. Torque is king, I'm not aiming for 160mph blasts down the highway. I want to move the trencher I rented for yard work this weekend effortlessly. Even the different design header, it probably shifted the torque curve down a few hundred RPMs, and gave me 5-10 ft/lbs versus a full-length tube header.

Give it a balance pipe (X-preferably, H if it's all your shop can do) before the cats; it'll do more for exhaust gas resonance/standing wave balance (if you don't know what I'm speaking of, I can share engineering data with you), and make the exhaust scavenge better. Get good high-flow cats. Spend your cash there, not on the biggest tube header that'll fit.

Hutch8671 said:

What headers will fit a blueprint 383 stroker in an 86 shorted k10. I unfortunately know nothing about headers fitment and such and would greatly appreciate any knowledge anyone can share. It's the 450 hp 460 ft/lbs torque 383. Can provide any other information if needed and just FYI, couldn't be happier with the blueprint engine. Makes all other 4x4's in my area look ...small and rather ford-ish.

Click to expand...

Sanderson. You won’t be disappointed.

It's so hard to say what fits a specific engine and cylinder heads, clears frame rails, doesn't drop down way below the frame, etc., etc.

My best advice would be to buy local if you have that option. That way, returns don't cost you time and money. I returned two set of headers to Summit before finally keeping the third pair. But their TX warehouse is only 45 minutes away from my house. If you have to order from Summit, Jegs, etc., find out in advance who pays for return shipping if they don't fit or you simply don't like them.

And while you are in touch with them, ask for advice about your application. You will find that some guys really know their products, others not so much. I've never had any Sanderson headers, but the guy I dealt with there was super knowledgeable about all their different SBC headers.