Header Installation

[Robin7TFour]

BOB, should you ever decide to change the spacer ,let me know. i'll make you one at the shop here at the mouseworld. i can do mild steel ,stainless or aluminum. whatever you desire. it's a PIC to make something like that..

best to you

robin

 

[Bob Chadwick]

Robin,

Thanks for the offer. Next time that a/c comes off I'll take you up on it.

You guys with access to the best tools are so lucky.

Bob

 

[Robin7TFour]

BOB , you have no idea... i have three tiered snap-on set, a craftsman machinist box,and another craftsman tool box. that's just in my home garage. i am pretty wicked-good with a drill press ,vice and die grinder.
AT disney my bld is a on stop operation. paint ,fiberglass (and molding) machine shop ,welding ,sheet metal ,assembly(my group).
so a spacer is a walk in the park!!!!


robin

 

[Mako]

Anyone else want to chime in on this suggestion? I am getting ready to put mine in this weekend and being that I have the allen bolts and locktite available it would be nice to know if the solution was this simple.

Never apply red Locktite where you can't heat the bolt with a propane torch. I am skeptical that any thread locker would hold given the high heat a header bolt is going to be subjected to.

I recommend using Earl's Pressure Master gaskets instead, the graphite seal inserts allow you to put enough preload on the header flanges that they will hold the bolts in place. I've had very good results on both my 383's with the Earl's gaskets. No bolts have loosened up in some 20K miles of driving.

The gaskets are sold by Summit and Jegs et. al. Be sure to order the proper gasket for you application.

CYa!
Mako

 

[Bob Chadwick]

Both headers are in. I'm letting them sit for a couple of days and will re-tighten, run the car with open headers until it heats up, tighten it one last time and then put the locks on the Stage 8 bolts. Once I get the new valve covers on, I'll post some pictures. The ugly old dirty valve covers just take away from these shiny headers.

The driver's side is much tighter than the passenger side. Is it harder, not if you have a/c and have to deal with the spacer on the a/c bracket.

I had to take the plugs out on the driver's side. Any idea of what the torque is on these things when I put them back in.

Thanks for the help guys and Robin, if that a/c comes off, I will take you up on that spacer.

Bob

 

[wrc3]

man how did you get those darn things in? I had my car jacked up as high as the jack stands would go like 20 inches or so and still couldn't get them in...kept hanging up on the oil pick up on the left so I took it off and even then couldn't get them in. I guess I am going to have to take it to a shop with a lift.

 

[Bob Chadwick]

Pulled the spark plugs out, went right in. I had the car on ramps but I don't think it was any higher than what you indicated.

Started it last night with open headers in the garage. My wife said the washer and dryer were bouncing around on the second floor. Guess I can't drive it like it is to the muffler shop.

Off to Pep Boys today for some of the flexible temporary exhaust pipes to connect the header to the exhaust and on Friday I will take it to the muffler shop for welding.

 

[wrc3]

Off to Pep Boys today for some of the flexible temporary exhaust pipes to connect the header to the exhaust and on Friday I will take it to the muffler shop for welding.

oh ok so you aren't going with side pipes...that is probably the difference. I can get enough clearance to slide them in.

 

[Bob Chadwick]

No side pipes. That might be sweet some day but I just had the dual exhaust put on two years ago.

 

[Bob Chadwick]

And The Headers Are...In

There are more pictures at my web site.

 

[Bob Chadwick]

Got a chance to run the car today. A couple of observations. First, there appears to be more power through the gears. Not enough for an automatic with 3.08 to spin the wheels but it seems to get up to 70 much faster.

The other thing that I have noticed is that the resonance that my Flowmaster Delta 50's put out at 1,500 rpm, 25 - 30 mph, is completely gone. This is definitely a good thing.

Looks like my exhaust is done with headers, true duals with dual cats and 2 1/4 inch pipes and Flowmater Delta 50's.

 

[Stallion]

I'm having a hard time picturing how the a/c got in the way when putting your headers in. Are you talking about the compressor?

Any other points taken while doing this project?

 

[Bob Chadwick]

The compressor needs to be moved out of the way so that you can slide the exhuast manifold over the last bolt. It is a stud that goes the ram horn slides over, then the a/c bracket and then the nut.

 

[vmrod]

I saved my long stud, so that I can install it later, when I re-install a compressor. That will come one day, mostly so I can defrost my windshield!

 

[Stallion]

The compressor needs to be moved out of the way so that you can slide the exhuast manifold over the last bolt. It is a stud that goes the ram horn slides over, then the a/c bracket and then the nut.

What do you mean, "slide the exaust manifold over the last bolt"? What last bolt? :confused I figured that since you went from the bottom, the compressor should be out of your way.

 

[Bob Chadwick]

Look at the compressor. You will see that one of the attachment points is at the front bolt/stud on the exhaust manifold. In other words, this is a common stud attaching these two pieces to the block. The compressor bracket needs to be pulled free of this stud so that the manifold can come off.

Note the long shiny piece in the at the rightmost portion of the header. That is the spacer I made. The stud comes out of the block, the header goes over it, the spacer, then the a/c bracket (which you can't see behind the heater hose) and then the nut.

 

[Stallion]

So this spacer is threaded on one end which holds the header into the block? And then the compressor bolts onto the other end of the spacer?

 

[Bob Chadwick]

The spacer isn't threaded on. It just slips over. It takes up the difference in thickness between the header and the ram horn. Otherwise your compressor will be an inch or so closer to the block.

 

[Stallion]

How did you make it? I'm assuming with my '78 I would need to do something similiar.

 

[Bob Chadwick]

See post #20. Gives all the specs.