Making headers fit

[Rich77]

Hello All,
As you can see from the pic, my headers do not line up with my heads.
The headers are about 3/4” too short. Also the bolt holes don’t line up.
Are there adapter plates available?
Or should I cut the header flange into 2 or 3 sections?

Thanks

 

[Rickf]

That don't look right. I've never seen an adapter plate that would make those fit. Are they correct for the engine/heads? I'd find a SBC iron head to verify the spacing.

 

[Originalthor]

Do you have all the rest of the bolts in accept those 2? If you do thats pretty bad.
If not and there sitting in there **** eyed and making it look alot worse then it is I've had to cut the flanges before and heat and tweak the pipe before going on aluminum heads. Then reweld a little quarter inch piece back in.

Probably should of sent the headers back and reodered some different ones. For the time it took to modify them.

 

[SirRobyn0]

Nothing you can do, they are either not for SBC or took some damage at some point (maybe in shipping) IDK, if you try to stretch them though mechanical means you'll just break them. If they are new I'd be demanding a refund. If they are used I'd stop now and get another set. If you are determined to make these work I think you'd end up having to make multiple cuts and welds to make it work and I'm betting you'll never get that cylinder to seal up properly after all that.

 

[nvrenuf]

Are these headers supposed to be a direct fit your engine / vehicle combo?

 

[Rich77]

I only have one bolt, the farthest forward, in finger tight.
Only the farthest forward bolt hole and port line up. The middle 2 and end are off about 3/4”.
Yes, these are Hedmann SBC headers (69088).

 

[RecklessWOT]

Looks like either they sent you the wrong headers, or the heads on your truck aren't the ones you think you have (maybe someone swapped them before you got the truck and here you were thinking it was stock the whole time). Those things are absolutely not correct for your application regardless of why. No adapter in the world could make those fit. I'd start with the company you bought them from, possible they sent you the wrong ones. If that checks out, maybe your engine isn't what you thought it was? Look for casting numbers and figure out what you really have.

 

[Turbo4whl]

I only have one bolt, the farthest forward, in finger tight.
Only the farthest forward bolt hole and port line up. The middle 2 and end are off about 3/4”.
Yes, these are Hedmann SBC headers (69088).

Take the one bolt out of the forward hole, move the header back and put that bolt in the rear hole. See what lines up.

The head may have one extra tapped hole forward.

 

[eskimomann209]

I’d cut em in two places. Send the two middle bolts in and heat and bend the outer ones out. If I HAD to use those for whatever reason

 

[SirRobyn0]

@Rich77 Something is wrong. If you bought them from Hedmann direct call them, or whoever you bought them from. Something is not right and if you start chopping them up to try to make them work you'll never get your money back if it doesn't work out and there are many, many headers that will bolt right up.

 

[Turbo4whl]

Send them back if they don't fit.

This shows the extra threaded bolt hole. Forward on the driver's side, at the back on the passenger side.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[SirRobyn0]

Send them back if they don't fit.

This shows the extra threaded bolt hole. Forward on the driver's side, at the back on the passenger side.

You must be registered for see images attach

Wayne does have a really good point with that front bolt thing.

 

[bucket]

You've got to be using the wrong bolt hole at the front...

 

[pnwnvrdn]

Bolting to the extreme forward threaded boss in the head as pointed out is the obvious answer.
As for compatibility/wrong headers, size up/place exhaust manifold gaskets (header gaskets) against the head then the headers, for alignment/fitment. I doubt that is the issue though.

 

[85K304SPD]

Wrong hole. Hopefully you didn't ruin those headers. If Hedman built those for a SBC and they fit that poorly, in the correct holes, I am sure they will exchange them.