78 header install questions

[billyvette]

I have searched on this before and have a couple of questions. Car appears stock with manifods and original exhaust and l 82 engine.

Are headers worth the money as far as performance gains?
What brand and price for best quality?

I have power steering, power brakes and air conditioning - are headers a lot of trouble with these accessories?

Going to dual exhaust no cat is needed in MS. Want chambered exhaust, but summit wants 120 each for just mufflers.

please respond - thanks to all members

 

[JohnZ]

Depends what your priorities are - headers may look cool, but they're a PITA in terms of more underhood and through-the-firewall heat, exhaust collector leaks, burned plug wires, reduced road clearance (speed bumps, etc.), bolts that loosen constantly and cause blown header flange gaskets, and fabricated adapters/spacers for accessory drive brackets that mount to the stock manifolds. Whether all that is worth the grief is up to you.

 

[C3RVETTE]

Depends what your priorities are - headers may look cool, but they're a PITA in terms of more underhood and through-the-firewall heat, exhaust collector leaks, burned plug wires, reduced road clearance (speed bumps, etc.), bolts that loosen constantly and cause blown header flange gaskets, and fabricated adapters/spacers for accessory drive brackets that mount to the stock manifolds. Whether all that is worth the grief is up to you.

Just installed a set of Dynomax Ceramacoat headers in a '79 with all the underhood stuff.Bolted right up with absolutely no problems.The ceramic coating solves the heat problem under the hood,there is no rusting & corrosion,& you get more gas mileage & horsepower.No leaks,no loose bolts,no spacers,no brackets!All for around $230 from Summit.I also added 2.5" duals exhaust-no cat,& Flowmaster 40's.The old 2>1>2 system was rotting off the car.

 

[billyvette]

thaks cr3, i was beginning to wonder in anybody had a positive respone. Do you have all the accessories as well? Did your entire system cost 230 or is that just for the headers? Did you use a pipe system from mid america or similar? What about tips?
Were any extra brackets needed under the hood? What about your exhaust sound?

 

[Bob Chadwick]

I've only run mine a couple of times but liked what I found. I posted what I did to get them installed. By the time you buy good bolts and gasket you will be in for another $75 - 100. I needed a Sawzall to cut the exhaust pipes back, $125. If you need to pay someone to do the header to exhaust connection you will pay another $100 - 125 plus $50 to have it towed to the shop.

 

[Stallion]

Just installed a set of Dynomax Ceramacoat headers in a '79 with all the underhood stuff.Bolted right up with absolutely no problems.The ceramic coating solves the heat problem under the hood,there is no rusting & corrosion,& you get more gas mileage & horsepower.No leaks,no loose bolts,no spacers,no brackets!All for around $230 from Summit.I also added 2.5" duals exhaust-no cat,& Flowmaster 40's.The old 2>1>2 system was rotting off the car.

Better gas mileage? Is that so?

 

[Bob Chadwick]

Better gas mileage? Is that so?

Only if you keep your foot out of it. :L

 

[wrc3]

I just put in sidepipes with the hooker headers and finally got her up and running today. While I do like the end product, the process was a pain in the a$$. I would much rather have run headers with straight pipes and dual muffs. I am not sure about a 78, but with my 76 I had to fab a brack for my A/C compressor, but everything else fit relatively fine. Mine are ceramic coated by Jet-hot and at first glance the heat coming out of the engine is considerably less, the HP is up some, but hard to tell how much. I have no idea about gas mileage.

 

[C3RVETTE]

thaks cr3, i was beginning to wonder in anybody had a positive respone. Do you have all the accessories as well? Did your entire system cost 230 or is that just for the headers? Did you use a pipe system from mid america or similar? What about tips?
Were any extra brackets needed under the hood? What about your exhaust sound?

Accessories are what I meant by the underhood,etc stuff.I have to admit,I had someone install it-I dont have a place to work on it in winter in Washington State.It cost around $500 for everything.Sounds pretty good.I used the FM 40's cuz they were in stock,but there are others that flow better.Better mileage if you dont get on it becuase of all the reduction in backpressure,and I'm sure the clogged original cat.

 

[Stallion]

I just put in sidepipes with the hooker headers and finally got her up and running today. While I do like the end product, the process was a pain in the a$$. I would much rather have run headers with straight pipes and dual muffs. I am not sure about a 78, but with my 76 I had to fab a brack for my A/C compressor, but everything else fit relatively fine. Mine are ceramic coated by Jet-hot and at first glance the heat coming out of the engine is considerably less, the HP is up some, but hard to tell how much. I have no idea about gas mileage.

Yes but the biggest gain is what's most important with headers (and especially with sidepipes)...THE SOUND!!!

 

[C3RVETTE]

Yes but the biggest gain is what's most important with headers (and especially with sidepipes)...THE SOUND!!!

Yep! And I found out from my mechanic,that a cam was installed,and although they didnt change the torque converter,too...you can hear the lopey idle better now.

 

[Copdogcorvettes]

I have the Hooker Side Pipes on my 78. Getting the headers on was no problem. Mama and I put the headers on in about 3 hours at home. Then getting the side pipes hooked up took a little longer, but a person got do the whole job in a weekend with no problem. It took longer to get the old system off than it did to put the headers on.


As C3R said it is the SOUND. you notice the most.

Gary

 

[Stallion]

Yep! And I found out from my mechanic,that a cam was installed,and although they didnt change the torque converter,too...you can hear the lopey idle better now.

That's nice, dude. Good exuast and a lopey idle is definitely a true muscle combination.

 

[78SilvAnniv]

Love my chambered exhaust!

If you're going to buy headers, be sure to get ceramic coated or have them ceramic coated. They will last longer, look better and generate less under-hood heat.

My chambered exhaust system is connected to stock rams horn exhaust manifolds and going to chambered from my 2-1-2 system I noticed a marked improvement in performance and sound. Unfortunately my gas mileage has suffered greatly because I cannot keep my foot out of it! Have not driven it 'normally' to see what mileage improvments occured.
What would be the fun in that!? :t

...which is why my 78 is in the garage right now...

I slapped the #4 piston against the intake valve, bending the valve and pushrod. Replaced heads to 1.94/1.50s with Z28 springs, roller tip rockers, new pushrods, lifters all around and husband pulled the engine to replace #4 piston. The original problem was a timing chain with slack. Now have a new double roller timing chain. Can't wait to get back on the road!

I wish my vette was running, I'd offer you my phone number so you could hear the chambered fire up, idle and rev.
Heidi

 

[C3RVETTE]

If you would like to see some pics,I have some of the #56 yellow L-48 '77 thats now in Corvette heaven,and a few of the #72 red L-82 '79,among other things like a car show,maybe.Go to ... www.msnusers.com/cutlasscorvetteworkinprogress <--------I know,its too long. Beside whats on the front page..click on "pictures" ,theres 3 pgs.

 

[wrc3]

Yes but the biggest gain is what's most important with headers (and especially with sidepipes)...THE SOUND!!!

Ok I do have to admit after getting it all back together the first crank up was pretty impressive. It sounds like a muscle car should, even though mine doesn't have a lot of get up and go (L-48 350 Small Block), it still does sound and look pretty cool. Once this engine goes the rebuild, or the replacement will have considerably more HP, so I will have the horses to go with the look. Until then I have to fake it til I make it.

B

 

[Stallion]

Hey man, it's better to look (and sound) fast than to actually be fast. Nobody pegs out 200 mph on the street where the chicks are. But it is always better to have some horses to walk the walk.