better header pics

[jj_long81]

heres some better pics of the work i did on these headers. powdercoated them in stainless steel grey, silicone high temp powder.

 

[jj_long81]

last pic of headers

if you look at the last pic you will see the header with the exhaust valve. that was coated by my dad around 6 years ago with that paint that is susposed cure with heat. you can see the results. it was not even driven sience the part was painted. only around the neighborhood as work was completet on other parts of the car. the paint was cured in an oven and run on the vehicle. it just dosent work well.

 

[LanceB]

Is that what originally came on the 81's? My tubes are all cut and plugged with screws when I bought them but the heat shields are still covering them up. You are going to have one of the best 81s I have ever seen! I am jealous. I have owned mine 10 years and had it repainted, new seats, new brakes, radiator, true duals just to start. Yours is going to look better than they came from the factory.

 

[LanceB]

Other than the heat shields being different, are the manifolds themselves interchangeable? left/right vice versa?

 

[Copdogcorvettes]

Other than the heat shields being different, are the manifolds themselves interchangeable? left/right vice versa?

NO, They are not. There is a left and right side; due to a spacer on the right side front bolt for the A/C that is welded on. Also the heat riser hangs down further, so the header pipes are different. :bash

Gary

 

[LanceB]

I was thinking of trying to purchase this one online....I don't suppose there is going to be any way to tell for sure (seller apparently doesn't know) and if not I may try to go blind and try not to pay too much...I need a passenger side...



The ones here are nice also but a little out of my price range:

McJacks Chrome and Ceramic Coated Headers for C3 Corvettes

I suppose I can try to re-weld all of the tubing on the broken side but the tubing is all gone...just think the simpler solution is to replace.

 

[Tom Bryant]

That is the passenger side. The drivers side has a ball type jiont that the pipe flair seals against. This side is flat for the heat riser valve.

Here is the right side ('81 Vette passenger side) one on my '69 Stepside project. I welded up the AIR tube holes and coated them with Eastwood's stainless header coating. We'll see how well it holds up one of these days. They were spottlessly clean when I coated them so I'm hoping for the best.

 

[LanceB]

Well I ended up winning the intact passenger side header! Now it will probably end up in a box in my garage like some other projects that get filed away for a later date.

 

[LanceB]

Well I got the header and its in great shape. I have it upside down soaking the top thread in penetrant so I can get the broken piece off the top and cap it. After that its all fun stuff. What kind of tool would you cut/grind those inner A.I.R. tube ends off of the inside of the tubes (and slag)? That has to affect air flow a little bit. I really want to make my headers look like these!

 

[Tom Bryant]

I used a rotary file porting tool on a die grinder. You could also use a stone that will fit in a drill that has a long enough shaft to reach the tube. These tend to look like they were welded by a first year middle school shop class so there is a lot of extra weld in the port area. I ground out a lot of this being caeful not to remove too much weld and cause a leak. Also flip them upside down and look at the welds were the 4 pipes are welded together inside of the collector. There was a lot of extra weld and slag in here as well as some cracks in the weld I had to have rewelded so as not to leak.

Here's a before and after of one tube. With a little work I got them real close to matching my exhaust ports.

Tom

 

[jj_long81]

Well I got the header and its in great shape. I have it upside down soaking the top thread in penetrant so I can get the broken piece off the top and cap it. After that its all fun stuff. What kind of tool would you cut/grind those inner A.I.R. tube ends off of the inside of the tubes (and slag)? That has to affect air flow a little bit. I really want to make my headers look like these!

well. if you want them to look like mine, you can send them to me and i will make them look like mine...
i powdercoat for hire. maybe i did not tell anybody that.