Will Headers work with TBI and older engine

JT58 · Sep 20, 2024

I have an 87 Chevy Squarebody short bed 4 X 4, SM 465 manual 4 speed I have mostly restored as a good driver/cars n coffee meet truck. It is somewhat of a restomod- it has a 1974 Monte-Carlo or Chevelle 350 with factory 87 TBI and electronics. It has stock exhaust manifolds with dual exhaust. It runs excellent as it is- starts right up and runs the same every time. I was wondering if adding headers would be an improvement in performance? Will headers work with the TBI and this engine- there is really no adjustment for the TBI- at least that I am aware of. I would have to mate the headers to the existing dual exhaust so it would be a bit of work involved.

Catbox · Sep 20, 2024

I have a set of pace setter headers made for the TBI trucks.
I have not installed them yet as I have about a billion other things to do before that becomes a reality.
But I have them....

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Super thick flanges and they look to be a direct bolt on in place of the stock manifolds.
If you don't have to deal with DEQ emissions on your truck, I would find a set of long tubes for it and modify your current exhaust to work.

TotalyHucked · Sep 20, 2024

Honestly, shorty headers are a waste 9 times out of 10. There's not much in the way of gains to be had. Like @Catbox said, longtubes are the way to go if you don't have to worry about emissions. You'll gain both torque and horsepower with them.

To be perfectly honest though, it sounds like you've got a sweetheart of a mild engine there. You'll only see a mild gain, even with the longtubes. What you'll get in return will be heat, noise and possible manifold gasket issues. If the truck runs good as is and you're not building a hotrod, I'd make an argument to leave it alone

RecklessWOT · Sep 20, 2024

It will sound better for sure, you *may* pick up a tiny bit of power, and it will look cool under the hood. However headers are prone to having gasket leaks as mentioned above, once it's no longer stock you may have issues down the road you may not, but you will have opened yourself up to that possible issue. With that being said, I plan to put headers on my pretty much stock '87 because why not? I don't daily the thing anymore, if I gotta mess with the gaskets once in a while so be it. The TBI vs carb really has nothing to do with it, and it doesn't matter if it's a '74 Monte engine or from a '90 Suburban, just a 350 with an exhaust mod at this point, they will work.

There is no huge gain from doing it, and you might have to mess with it in the future, but if you have this truck as a hobby because you like it and if the headers make you happy then go for it. I would.

It is what it is. There are pros and cons, but neither are massive in either direction. A lot of work for little gain, but hey I want headers on my truck too, so I can't say no. They'll look and sound better than stock manifolds, but it's not like it's an easy quick 20 minute swap and then done forever, you may have to revisit them in the future. Personally, worth it to me just for the "cool factor, but not a real performance mod if that's what you were hoping for, not like a cam swap or anything.

Do what you like man, sounds like you got a cool rig either way :waytogo:

JT58 · Sep 23, 2024

RecklessWOT said:
It will sound better for sure, you *may* pick up a tiny bit of power, and it will look cool under the hood. However headers are prone to having gasket leaks as mentioned above, once it's no longer stock you may have issues down the road you may not, but you will have opened yourself up to that possible issue. With that being said, I plan to put headers on my pretty much stock '87 because why not? I don't daily the thing anymore, if I gotta mess with the gaskets once in a while so be it. The TBI vs carb really has nothing to do with it, and it doesn't matter if it's a '74 Monte engine or from a '90 Suburban, just a 350 with an exhaust mod at this point, they will work.

There is no huge gain from doing it, and you might have to mess with it in the future, but if you have this truck as a hobby because you like it and if the headers make you happy then go for it. I would.

It is what it is. There are pros and cons, but neither are massive in either direction. A lot of work for little gain, but hey I want headers on my truck too, so I can't say no. They'll look and sound better than stock manifolds, but it's not like it's an easy quick 20 minute swap and then done forever, you may have to revisit them in the future. Personally, worth it to me just for the "cool factor, but not a real performance mod if that's what you were hoping for, not like a cam swap or anything.

Do what you like man, sounds like you got a cool rig either way

Thanks for the replies- it sounds like a lot of time, cost for little gain. I will have to get major exhaust work or complete new exhaust to accommodate the long tube headers. It runs so good at this point I am not going to mess with it. And right now the stock exhaust does have the ports for factory emission pipes- which I have plugged. I saved all the smog stuff......just in case.

Will Headers work with TBI and older engine

JT58

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Catbox

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TotalyHucked

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RecklessWOT

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JT58

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