First, I would like to say my truck ran fine with stock exhaust manifolds and I was happy with them…….Then I got my stimulus check. For some reason the money started burning a hole in my pocket and I needed to buy something for my 1975 Chevy Stepside. I decided to get some headers. Due to being lowered, I went with the mid length so I wouldn’t bottom out and scrape over speed bumps, etc. I got the Hedman Street Headers. They came with a temporary coating that I had to media blast to remove. I thought I was saving a couple hundred by not getting the ceramic coated. All the time and work to remove the coating and clean and paint with VHT flameproof ceramic paint, I wish I would have spent the extra money and bought the ceramic coated ones .
Upon test fitting them, I found they were made for the turbo 350 trans. I had to trim about ½” off my 700R4 case for clearance (ball and socket type headers). After installation, I found I had to change to “shorty” plugs due to the clearance. I also used the plug wire sheaths to protect the plug wires from getting burnt. I didn’t care for the look of the sheaths and chose to get the under header Moroso wires. They are 8.5mm covered the entire length with heat sheathing making them 9.8mm thick. I could only find one wire loom capable of fitting this thick of plug wire. Next came the starter. The solenoid was too close to the header (heat wise) so I had to put the Powermaster 9100 (I heard about on this forum) so I could “clock” the starter to move it farther away from the header. It has been like dominos, one thing after another. I’m now wishing I would have just kept my stock manifolds, with stock spark plugs and wires and spent my stimulus check on something else for my 75 Stepside. What a nightmare!
What has everyone else spent their stimulus checks on and does anyone else have any regrets?
) and I had to re-torque the bolts every 300 miles because the headers started to leak.
