Header Purchases

[Shannen Durphey]

Squash wrote:

> I would check out performance exhaust.  They have a website with their
> number, and they are listed in the back of petersen's magazine.  The use
> a ball/socket instead of those stupid gaskets.  For a nickle-plated
> tri-y header for a 454 and ball/socket they want $500.  I can go to
> All-Car and get flow-tech ones for $180 (nickel, not tri-y, collector
> gaskets).  I have a set of flow-tech headers on a 1977 k-20 4x4 350 and
> they fit awesome!  I have hookers on my other 77 k-25 4x4 454 and they
> rub the damned driveshaft@!@#$#@#!  They are gonna get traded out
> soon...  I do know that the dynomax headers will not fit properly on my
> 77 350.  they are too close to the driveshaft.  You can also buy a kit
> to put the ball/socket on any headers you buy.  Its $60 or so.
> --
> Andy Quaas

For anyone who's considering a set of headers for Chevy V8, here's what
worked for me.  The newest pickups have stainless steel exhaust gaskets
between the manifolds and the heads.  They're available in both small and
big block versions, and they're the only thing which last on school busses
and medium duty trucks.  At the collectors, I use doughnuts.  1990 Chevy
pickup (350) type worked great in my smallblock Hookers, they're flat on one
side and have a steel sleevewhich fits snug in the header.  I used a pair of
ceramic doughnuts with both ends tapered for the headers on my pickup.
After that, all I had to do was weld a bead inside the collector and turn a
taper into it in a lathe.  There are also flat gaskets available which have
a steel ring in the center and will fit some smaller collectors .  These are
used on some school busses and C-60 trucks.  Then too you can remove the
flat triangular plates from some types of headers, weld the collector to the
header, and use a stainless steel band clamp to connect the collector to the
exhaust pipe.  Just a few solutions I've used.

Shannen