headers / ram horns

[mudpuppie]

i have the old ram horns on my 283 , would there be alot or much more power with a set of cheep headers . never ran a set of ram horns before ......

[Longhorn Man]

You'll have ppl tell you that cheap headers are 10 times better than the best manifolds, and all kinds of BS.
However, that's not always true...actually, that specific claim would never be true.
The smaller the engine displacement, and the lower the power level, and the lower the RPMs are... the less headers will do for you.
Cheap headers normally suck. They are a pain to install, they are a pain to work around, they are thin, which makes them louder and shorter lived due to rust, they have crappy surfaces, which leads to more blown header gaskets, and, they simply aren't made very good. Some headers will flow WORSE than manifolds, plus, the ram horns found on these trucks, are some of the best flowing manifolds made.
I say skip the cheap headers... odds are, you'll never be happy with them. This is one area where you really get what you pay for.

[mudpuppie]

wasnt the 283 a higher rpm engine ?
power mostly on the upper end ?

[crazy longhorn]

I am a "diehard" header fan, but do agree that cheap in not good here! I do believe that you will pick up some power by running headers/ duals, & a small 4brl carb on your 283. I reccomend Hooker comps $140 through summit or jegs(painted), & they have nice thick flanges & 16 guage tubes. You need to verify the fit with stick shift, but I run a #2452 Hooker on my longhorn. You will want to keep the exaust pipe size down to 2" on the 283, so you dont give up the low end grunt. Add a 1 3/4" H pipe, & a decent set of mufflers(Dynomax super turbos for cheap/good), & set the tail pipes how you like (side exit if you like to HEAR it), or rear exit for more mellow. Again, keep the pipe size down to 2", & add your 3 x 16 " chrome cans to the ends for a deeper sound. A used Edelbrock performer, with a fresh 500, or 600 cfm edelbrock carb should work nice on top. Go for the elect choke versions, as they are calibrated a little leaner(good for the smaller cube eng). You wont find a "magical" extra 100 hp, but you will find some extra spunk from the old 283. best of luck...... L

[Longhorn Man]

Some 283 engines were high RPM engines...but not the ones found in trucks. Just like the 327, 396, and a hand full of 350's all had high RPM hardware stock... but again, not in pick ups. (excluding the El Camino)
I'll agree with crazy longhorn, and I had the same headers he is talking about (the price has come down quite a bit) and they were quite nice.
However, I doubt you'll see any improvement from ram horns to headers.

[Chevrolet4x4s]

Thinking of Summit brand (Heard they were reboxed Dynomax)headers 18ga $86 +$6 bucks shipping
or Flow Tech 16 ga $104 + 6% tax (lifetime replacement)
Then use the ceramic based VHT header paint.
Which is best?
Thanks
Shane

[TugOwar]

Originally Posted by Chevrolet4x4s

Then use the ceramic based VHT header paint.
Thanks
Shane

This header paint readily available or special order stuff?

[Chevrolet4x4s]

Just the 1500(or 1200 can't remember one of the two) degree headder paint in the rattle can their website says its ceramic based or something to that effect I think its like 5 bucks a can
Shane

[Longhorn Man]

that ceramic paint is ok, but it's not like the ceramic coat you are probably thinkin about. I used it and it worked better than normal spray bomb, but still nothing to write home about.

[mocwon]

Is it a daily driver or a ground pounder? These trucks are not power mongers due to weight, aerodynamics and displacement in the case of a 283.... If you go with headers consider investing in wave-lock washers so you don’t have to keep bending over the fender tightening header bolts. Eastwood makes a great manifold coating if you stay with ram horns.

[Gray Ghost]

I have run Hedman headers on all my trucks and never had a problem with bolts coming loose. I tighten them very tight once...drive the truck about 20 miles at 60mph or above then retighten if necessary.

I recommend only one brand of header for both fit and finish as well as power. Hedman makes a great set of street headers and Summit sell them for $135 + $10 shipping. The number is 69230...they are 16 ga. and have 1/4" flanges.

I've had bad luck with Hookers on cars [boy that's askin' for it huh?]. They don't fit well and they usually don't last long before rusting out. I have a buddy who owns an exhuast shop in Dallas, he will not install anything but Hedmans.

I've never seen less than a 10hp increase with headers on 350's...not sure about smaller motors though.

[Brainchild]

the ramhorns are less problematic than headers,of any brand.Get a nice set of headers if you get them.they are a PITA to change plugs though,and constantly working loose,or at least all my experiances are that way.
For a DD stock/mild engine,I'd stay with ramhorns,just my .02.

[special-K]

I use headers on everything unless I want it original.Corvette ramshorns look original,yet have larger outlets and are the best manifold to use.I`ve never thought of headers as hard to put on,keep up,or had any leaking problems to sway me away.I hate dealing with donut gaskets on manifolds.I had dual exhaust bent from ramshorns-back on my`71 CustomCamper/20 because it was absolutely a sweet all original,right before leaving for the Grand Canyon.Coming down from the North Rim the right manilfold blew-out,cast iron fatigue.We got to an exhaust shop(Muffler Magic)in Flagstaff and he checked around for a manifold,no luck.He put on "cheap" headers,all he could find.I was using Blackjack AK5000s (aluminum coated) back then,but none were in town.My brand new pipes had to be cut and "doglegged" to fit these cheapo headers,really bugged me.Well,they were on that truck from`89-`03 before I replaced the collector gaskets,only had to tighten the flanges on the heads a couple times,and the black paint was burned off before I got back to Maryland.The truck sat (outside)most of the time and those headers had no paint for all those years.
The first headers I ever bought were cheap.I painted them with VHT and it came back off with the crap-for-paint that came on them,go figure.When I rebuilt the motor a year or so later I sandblasted the headers and sprayed VHT on them.It stuck on them forever,as well as any $200 ceramic-coat job.

[71chevytruckguy]

Originally Posted by special-K

The first headers I ever bought were cheap.I painted them with VHT and it came back off with the crap-for-paint that came on them,go figure.When I rebuilt the motor a year or so later I sandblasted the headers and sprayed VHT on them.It stuck on them forever,as well as any $200 ceramic-coat job.

same here. i recomend flowtech headers, got mine at autozone for $80. did what special-k said above. they've been on the truck for a month and half and no problems. no loosenin flange bolts, blowing gaskets or nothing. and they'll clear the z-bar if you've got a manual tranny. this is on my daily driver.

for spark plug clearance, the best thing i've found are the accel shorty headers plug, they're about 1" shorter than regualr plugs and mak elif much easier with headers, no more breakin plugs when installing them. chris.

[Chevrolet4x4s]

How was the fitment of the flowtechs?How close is it to fitting the exhaust for the manafolds after you cut off the dogleg into the engine compartment?
Thanks

Shane

[special-K]

Anyone use "shorty" center dump headers on a 4wd which would have had center dump manifolds from factory.I`m thinking this makes a great solution to z-bar issues.

[Huck]

How do you measure HP gain from headers?? My experience has been that i lost 2 mpg and some significant low end torque with Hooker headers and another 2 mpg from sticking an edelbrock intake on my crate 350. Headers tend to be loud and not necessarly cool sounding.
It's kind of like throwing stuff on a motor to beef up the HP--bigger carb, edelbrock intake, headers--all i've seen is a drop in torque and mpg!!. When I backed them off, the mpg and torque went right back up. According to my engine rebuilder, sticking a different intake and headers without changing the cam is like running premium gas in a stock engine. A waste of money!? Most engine performance shops will tell you the easiest HP gain is from the CAM. You are not getting the bang for the buck with headers. Or course the stock exhaust manifolds do tend to crack and break which is a different problem but just don't expect a quantum leap in anything but noise from headers. My experience~~.

[70rs/ss]

quote from Huck

According to my engine rebuilder, sticking a different intake and headers without changing the cam is like running premium gas in a stock engine. A waste of money!? Most engine performance shops will tell you the easiest HP gain is from the CAM.



Well, yes and no, any one bolt on will not make a night and day deal, but a series of parts will help. Just changing a cam won't do it either unless the heads can flow to the lift of the cam, as well as the intake, carb and exhaust. Changing manifolds for headers will give a small increase, especially if the manifolds are smoggers, (I have a set of BBC manifolds off a 70's 454 with a dimple in the end of the manifold where the four ports converge to dump out, wtf?) headers uncorked that ASAP! In a 283, you are kinda rubbing polish on a turd, but all the upgrades to the 283 can then be transferred to a 327, 350, 383, 400, 406..... So do it, if unhappy, focus on replacing the engine, there is no replacement for displacement, nuff said!

[Chevrolet4x4s]

I thought that headers were supposed to give you about 2mpg.also tipicaly bigtube headers cause the loss of low end torque but build high end hp.
Shane

[71chevytruckguy]

fitments real good, clear the z-bar with out an changes. what kinda dog leg are you talkin about? chris.

Originally Posted by Chevrolet4x4s

How was the fitment of the flowtechs?How close is it to fitting the exhaust for the manafolds after you cut off the dogleg into the engine compartment?
Thanks

Shane

[Chevrolet4x4s]

the dog leg I am talking about is the turn up in the pipe that connects to the dump on the manafold.
Shane

[glock35ipsc]

My personal favorite is to smooth out a pair of ramshorns, them either have them chromed or ceramic coated (which I am doing).

[71chevytruckguy]

can't tell ya. the exhaust came off a parts truck that had headers with dual runnin all the way back, u cut and re welded them so the dump before the rear tires. chris.

Originally Posted by Chevrolet4x4s

the dog leg I am talking about is the turn up in the pipe that connects to the dump on the manafold.
Shane

[pumpkin]

Whole lot of opinions. I love ramhorns, but they are too rare and expensive in my neck of the woods, so I run headers. Cheap way to do duals. I have yet to feel the difference in the seat of my pants,from headers. I used to race hobby stock on a rough dirt track in my younger days, and switched to stock manifolds, cause the track would ripp a set of headers off in half a season of racing. There was no big difference that we found. So there you go, another opinion. If I could get some 2.5" ram horns for cheep I'ld go with them. Nothin says cool like ramhorns.

[mudpuppie]

thaks all , will stick with the rams for looks , and want have to pay for manifolds ...