Stainless Steel Long Tube Headers

[Burnnrubber]

Hello Everyone,

I am not having much luck finding a set of stainless steel long tube headers. I'm not really interested in the shortys. Anyone know of a good source. The headers will be used on my 1995 LT4, thats correct LT4.
I have been busy the last month converting my LT1 to an LT4, I have most of the parts setting in the garage & now need to find the exaust pieces. Thanks in advance for any help

 

[johnny]

Jim,

Try TPIS, I think they make on special order.

john

 

[BigRed]

Ones I want are from Lingenfelter. They are ceramic coated and I believe one piece.

Ecklers has them (as well as Lingenfelter)

Model # 30200 (Ecklers) @ $729.99

 

[Ken]

Be aware of the fact that they may not have the 1 5/8" primary tube headers available. When I ordered mine from them, that's what I was told, so I went with TPISpecialties.

_ken

D'OH! < Correction 04.02.02 9:00 PST) > D'OH!

I've been in a fog or something lately. It just dawned on me as I was thinking about my engine today, that I stated the above comment about Lingenfelter not having 1 5/8" primary tube headers for the C4 (L-98); well it must have been the 1 3/4" that they don't manufacture any more because if they had been making those size primaries, I most likely would have them now because I did order something from them and they were out. Maybe it was before I decided to go bigger than I have built and waiting to go in. :confused

_ken

 

[johnny]

LPE makes stainless steel.

 

[-=Jeff=-]

I would take a set of Ceramic coated headers over stainless steel any day

 

[Burnnrubber]

Jeff, please eloborate on why you would choose ceramic coated mild steel over stainless

 

[Trance_LT4]

The lingenfelter ones for the LT1/LT4 are shorties anyway. I'm going with TPiS. Lingenfelter does have an L98 long tube header, and I've been told this will work on an LT1/LT4 car, with a fabiricated exhaust from the header back, but its no bolt-up.

TPiS systems offer a complete full header and exhaust bolt-up, but it eliminates the cats, and isn't street legal, but they will give you advice on how to fabricate a legal exhaust for their headers.

 

[Burnnrubber]

THANKS TO EVERYONE

Here is what I've found out.
TPIS- Really nice ceramic coated mild steel long tubes
Lingenfelter-Stainless long tube for the L98, will fit the LT1
Doug Rippie-Quit selling the long tube, his vendor/fabricator was un reliable.
Not a good idea to ceramic coat stainless. The thermal expansion rate of Stainless is too great & causes the ceramic coating to crack & flake off.
Ken, did you go with 1 5/8 primary's from TPIS? How well do they fit? TPIS claims their headers have good spark plug access. Is this true?

 

[Ken]

The headers I got from TPIS were designed with the angle plug head in mind. The heads on my L98 were of the aluminum type and the plugs, if you looked closely, were slightly angled. The heads I'm using on my build are not angle plug heads, but we only encountered one plug that was impossible to either install or remove if the header was bolted in place. My builder used a ball-peen air hammer, with a rag on the pipe to soften the blows, to dimple the tube slightly, enough to allow changing the plug and provide clearance for the spark plug boot.

The way my luck has been lately, I may have been the unlucky recipient of an odd occasion of there being a defective assembly and I got it. The offending tube has an extra bead of weld material where none of the other tubes have it; it's as if someone started welding it in place and discovered they missed the mark and started over with the stub. Oh well, they fit now and none the worse for the hammering, inside or out.

Good luck!

_ken

 

[BigRed]

Re: THANKS TO EVERYONE

Ken, did you go with 1 5/8 primary's from TPIS? How well do they fit? TPIS claims their headers have good spark plug access. Is this true?

Keep in mind Burn Ken has the L98 you have the LT1. (I just was reading the posts and it seemed you were looking for advice on the wrong motor)

 

[Burnnrubber]

Thanks BigRed,
Just looking for a general statement, regarding the quality of the TPIS 1 5/8" headers. I got my answer... I still have not found anyone with a nice Stainless LT1 dedicated long tube header.

 

[-=Jeff=-]

Jeff, please eloborate on why you would choose ceramic coated mild steel over stainless

Well my main reason is the Coating keeps the heat of the exhaust in the header.. within 30 to 45 min after shutting the car off after normal driving the headers will not burn you. The coating keeps the under hood temp down as well..

I Have hooker 1-3/4" primary Long tube headers (2151) on my vette.. for the first 2 years I had them, I left the mild steel alone.. no coating. I then sent them out this year for coating at HPC.. they have a 3 year 100% guaranty from flaking and corrosion.. then after 3 years.. if they need to be redone it is only 50% if the original cost. My friend had a set of HPC coated header on a Z28.. after 5 years they still looked brand new and he never had to polish them

I just think the Ceramic coating is the better route to take..

 

[-=Jeff=-]

Thanks BigRed,
Just looking for a general statement, regarding the quality of the TPIS 1 5/8" headers. I got my answer... I still have not found anyone with a nice Stainless LT1 dedicated long tube header.

Did you try Exotic Muscle? they may have what you want.

 

[Burnnrubber]

Hey Jeff,
Thanks for the input on ceramic coatings. The headers I really wanted were the Doug Rippie Stainless long tubes (no longer sold). When I spoke with Rippie they refered me to Exotic Muscle.
I called Exotic Muscle & spoke with them, they also are only producing mild steel headers. I guess the ceramic coatings have put Stainless out of business. It looks like I'm going the ceramic coating route myself. Anything I should look for in coatings?

 

[-=Jeff=-]

Hey Jeff,
Thanks for the input on ceramic coatings. The headers I really wanted were the Doug Rippie Stainless long tubes (no longer sold). When I spoke with Rippie they refered me to Exotic Muscle.
I called Exotic Muscle & spoke with them, they also are only producing mild steel headers. I guess the ceramic coatings have put Stainless out of business. It looks like I'm going the ceramic coating route myself. Anything I should look for in coatings?

Yeah Get High Performance Coatings.. they seem to have the best warranty

http://www.hpcoatings.com/index.htm