Are headers worth it?

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Swims350

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amen brother bucket.

I had cracked manifolds, bad dounuts and broke studs on mine, hated all that crap!!!

EVERYTIME you remove a manifold stud it breaks, collector wise anyways. I've been lucky with block side studs. A warped set is a big pain too.
 

HotRodPC

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I hear broke stud **** alot. I'll assure you, I can save 80% of all studs and that's being conservative. It's all a matter of technique. Normally you can tell when it's so rusty and brittle it's going to break. The trick is, if you can get it to move 1/2 turn you're home free.

First and foremost, hit it with your favorite lube. WD-40, PB, whatever, but oils works best. Like Liquid Wrench, Your air tool oil that you have handy, or I use my Acetone/ATF mix. Oil is best cuz it doesn't run off as fast. Get a clean new steel nut, preferably hardened if you have one. And run that UP the stud working it back and forth, cleaning the threads. You do all that first. Then try to start working the nut loose, and believe it or not, going in the direction to tighten it first, can help break it loose coming back off. Once you get it moving, working it 1/2 turn back, go forward, full turn back, 1/2 turn forward, another full turn back, 1/2 turn forward, another full turn back. What you doing it allowing the nut to dispose of the rust and **** when you go forward with it and it spits it out the top of the nut, when you're coming down. And you don't have to do this for long since, you already cleaned the threads at the bottom of stud with the clean nut. So once you hit that clean portion of the stud, you've got it made. Trust me, it takes a bit of time, it's a pain in the ass, but it damn sure beats pulling off exhuast manifolds and then drilling out studs. When you replace your nuts, replace them with BRASS nuts instead of steel. Brass being much softer, is more giving, and will strip out instead of tearing up your studs. Just plan on replacing your brass nuts everytime you take them off since they're likely stripped to at least some degree and won't have the holding power they had originally and will have tendency to loosen back up if reused.
 

GreaseDog

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Now if you do run em here's some tips and tricks...

use manifold gaskets, the alum type up top, and then down low if you dPpon't get the ball style then buy the summit header buddies, lmc has some now too, they are ball end so they use NO gasket on bottom. No gasket means no leaks.

I have been having problems, I think due to cheap header bolts, but I use Fel Pro MS9275b manifold gaskets, cut the bolt holes so you can start the bolts into th e head and header with no gasket, then drop the gaskets on from the top. I always use aluminum collector gaskets on then too. Very few problems in the 16 years I've been ribbing them this way.
 

Swims350

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the fel-pros I use already have the slots cut in them. That sure helps alot and makes it nice sliding in the gaskets with all the bolts in place.
 

bucket

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I normally just use the graphite type gaskets found at the parts store. This last time I splurged and got the fancy copper gaskets to go with the fancy ceramic headers. Retighten the bolts one week after then install, then once a month for the next year. After that they are usually good from then on out. Yeah, it SOUNDS like a pain checking the bolts that often, but it only takes a few minutes. I've got an old Mac wrench that fits on all the bolts.

I will say that with the last copper gaskets I bought, the bolts needed snugged after the first couple heat cylcles, but have been tight ever since then.
 

DoubleDingo

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I wouldn't run headers. I like the stock exhaust manifolds myself, especially the center dump "ram horns" on the older vehicles. They were actually not allowed for racing because the pressures were too even and they flowed too well. I just wish they would fit on my '81 because I have two sets of them.
 

HotRodPC

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Yep. Ram Horns would be my preference too unless I had a motor that really needed the headers. Just depends on the vehicle for me. If I can't justify the headers, I'd rather not. Those Rams flow well, but not as well as a header. Good Luck finding a cheap set now days though. I"d imagine Bucket has the exhaust manifolds on his 454 Burb that I have on my 84 C20 454. Those are some good flowing manifolds too, especially for late 80's motor and certianly enough for Peanut Port heads. I also like the fact, they have an expansion provision in them to keep them from cracking. I like'em.
 

Jims86

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Yep. Ram Horns would be my preference too unless I had a motor that really needed the headers. Just depends on the vehicle for me. If I can't justify the headers, I'd rather not. Those Rams flow well, but not as well as a header. Good Luck finding a cheap set now days though. I"d imagine Bucket has the exhaust manifolds on his 454 Burb that I have on my 84 C20 454. Those are some good flowing manifolds too, especially for late 80's motor and certianly enough for Peanut Port heads. I also like the fact, they have an expansion provision in them to keep them from cracking. I like'em.

Extrude Hone will do manifolds...apparently their porting process makes a big difference.
 

Old77

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Myself, I can't imagine having done all the work I did on my truck and the money that was spent just to stick on the old, heavy, restrictive manifolds back on.

IMO, this topic is just like many topics we discuss. It's all a matter of personal opinion and experiences and some people prefer one over the other :shrug:
 

Swims350

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why won't ram horns fit an 81? the crossmember? if so it's more then 81's. or what is it?

a sbc is a sbc mostly. I can't see them not fitting other then the crossmember.

I know you're gonna have to rework exhaust, but that's on almost anything.
 

HotRodPC

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I didn't know they wouldn't fit an 81. Could it be the front sub frame is so wide? If so, there is 2 different dumps. One is straight down, one is straight and takes about a 30-45 degree turn to the rear. That one might work if the straight downs don't.
 

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I didn't know they wouldn't fit an 81. Could it be the front sub frame is so wide? If so, there is 2 different dumps. One is straight down, one is straight and takes about a 30-45 degree turn to the rear. That one might work if the straight downs don't.

If I remember right, they both dump straight down. I will have to look. I do have a set that has the smog ports. The other set is on the 283 that is sitting under a tarp and those do not have the smog ports.
 

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ive had rams horn manifolds on an 81 RCSB i use to have with a 355 in it. Just so happenes i even know what vehichle they came from. a 68 impala with a 327 is where i got them from.
 

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ive had rams horn manifolds on an 81 RCSB i use to have with a 355 in it. Just so happenes i even know what vehichle they came from. a 68 impala with a 327 is where i got them from.

Interesting, I just may consider adding them to my '81 when I decide to do the the exhaust. Thanks OLP.
 

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