resolved hedman headers part #69010 *issue resolved by manufacturer*

[rotduke98]

As the title states, do not buy these headers for square body c10 trucks. They do not fit. I figured I would start a thread for these headers because I looked for a long time and couldn't find any install info on them and I don't want anyone else to make the same mistake I did and waste a pile of money. I bought a set and the passenger side does not clear the cab foot well floor without dropping the rear of the transmission and mounting it directly to the cross member, and then you still have to cut a heat shield out of the way. If you do that it will put your driveline angle so far out from the pinion angle it is not advised to run the truck like that. I contacted hedman and they were absolutely no help, told me they "should" fit, then never replied to any subsequent emails.

[rotduke98]

i figured id add some pics to help make my point.

[geezer#99]

You'd been better off with headers like this.
I have a similar set in my 84.
http://www.summitracing.com/int/part...9640/overview/

FWIW you can't leave your yoke sticking out of the tranny like that. Big vibration.
Here's a pic of my hedman's.

[rotduke98]

I heard back from hedman today, I guess i was hoping they would care just a little bit more, this is what they said......

Hello Jeremy :

I am in charge of all fitment issues regarding our products, and oversee all warranty situations. Tim has briefed me on your situation in detail. We are sorry you are encountering a problem with the fitment of this hedder on your vehicle. This issue has been round tabled by our entire tech staff, as well as our lead fabricator. We do not know why this vehicle is not providing the clearance necessary for the 69010 hedders. The sales history of this part number is virtually flawless, with no documented fitment issues to date.

All of here at Hedman are car enthusiasts, so we understand your frustration. The reality of the situation is that for whatever reason, sometimes parts do not fit. Obviously, we want our hedders on your truck, however in this case, it appears that is not going to happen. We have tried all available sources to try and explain why this one vehicle is experiencing problems, but unfortunately there is no explanation that we can find. You are welcome to create any posting you like, however, keep in mind negative postings are not received well if they are not fair and accurate. We do not feel any negative postings on Hedman Hedders are deserved in this situation as we have tried to assist you as best we could with the information you have provided us.

At this point, I would recommend having the hedders returned back to your point of purchase for credit. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I genuinely hope your project finds its way to a successful completion.

Thank you,
David Czaplicki
Hedman Hedders

[rotduke98]

Thanks geezer for your info on the hedders that worked for you, id be open to an exchange from hedman but it doesn't sound like they care enough to do that. As far as the yoke goes, I wasn't going to run it like that. I was just showing how far I had to drop the rear of the tranny/motor for the headers to clear the floor pan. Thanks.

[ka_jd7and1]

What are you running them in, and what did it used to have for an engine?

I may be mistaken, but I believe that the I6 and V8 use different engine mount stands, and they go in a different location on the frame. The I6 position is the 2 rearmost holes, and V8 is frontmost 2. Looking at the pic you posted, you're running I6 position, which would mean that with a V8 the engine would be to far back/close to the firewall. Could explain the fitment problems you're having?

Might just be a shot in the dark.

[rotduke98]

ka_jd7, thanks for your thoughts on this, but the i6 to v8 mount issue is more for the earlier model trucks, 67-72. My truck is a 1979 and it came with a 305 and im putting a 350 into it now. The older trucks had the smaller one piece motor mounts and the squares have the larger clamshells with different frame to crossmember brackets. There also isnt any other holes to move into on frame and no room to move on the cross member either. I did think about sliding the drivetrain forward and drilling the frame to make room, but i would need about 2-3 inches for the headers to fit and then only half of the mount bracket would be on the cross member. I also would have to modify the driveshaft, shift linkage, fuel lines, etc, etc. If you check geezers pics above, his motor mounts and engine are in the same position as mine. One of the reasons i bought these was they were supposed to be bolt on and go. If i wanted to do field modifications there are other better header options that ill probably end up going with anyway. Thanks for the help though. Hopefully we'll figure it out.

[special-K]

I read their response,which sounds very reasonable. I'm amazed you don't feel the same. What more could they do? I have no stock in Hedman,but I need more info in your truck in regards to condition of body and engine mounts. Are you positive your truck wasn't originally an I6? Not trying to rile you up. I could assume everything has been replaced and up to spec,but it's info like that which gives the whole picture. I've never used the part number in this application,but can say I've used Hedman headers for over 40 years and never had a single issue,which I say purely for perspective reasons. They are a quality company with arguably the most experience. I'm sure they've seen it all and they've never seen what you're experiencing. Without your truck in their presence there's really no more than they can do but offer to buy them back. Could be as simple as the wrong headers were put in the wrong box.

[rotduke98]

I apologize for the long post in advance. Thanks special-K for your input. Ill try to address your comments to better explain the situation. I covered my trucks specs above but Ill go more deeply into it. Its a 1979 c10 stepside, vin decodes to a 305 truck, the block numbers of motor that was in the truck come back as a 305, the 350 motor im putting in is out of my friends 1978 k10 (known to be unmolested). The i6-v8 issue is an issue in the older trucks. Look at geezers pics he added to this thread and you will see his motor in the same position as mine. There have been multiple e-mails and phone calls between me and hedman at this time to try and rectify this, but that will be addressed later on. My initial problem with hedman was when I contacted them about fitment issues, their reply was they "should" fit and sent me pics of cubbers truck. I then explained that cubbers is a 69 and mine is a 79 so that doesn't help me. They then said they weren't aware of any significant chassis changes through all those years and they insisted I was doing something wrong and they still "should" fit. I then explained its not the chassis, its the location of the drivetrain in the chassis and that is the problem. Again reference geezers pics, and cubbers pics and see relation of #4 and #6 exhaust ports/primaries to the upper control arms, about 3 inches different to the rear in squarebodies. Now compare motor mount brackets and motor mount types, also completely different. It was only after then when hedman suggested I return my product to point of purchase for a credit. We all know a credit is different than a refund, a credit would not help me because they could not confirm that a different set of headers would work so I needed real money back. I had purchased the headers online, so I was going to incur shipping charges and restocking fees and the like. I didn't think I should be on the hook for that since I used their fitment calculator on their website to order the proper header and it turned out to be wrong. Like I mentioned before there is a deal in the works and when it is finalized I will post the results. I can tell you they have had other fitment complaints with these trucks and headers, although few, and they are going to get their fabrication team to revisit it and see what can, if anything could be changed. Im not riled up, im just trying to inform others about my header fitment issues with these headers because when I was looking before purchasing them I couldn't find any. Thanks again.

[rotduke98]

***update*** After more emails and phone calls, hedman hedders understood that there was fitment issues with their headers on my truck. They did admit they have had some other reports of fitment issues before and said they would have their techs revisit the issue and see if modifications need to be made. As a result they agreed to speak to the company i purchased the headers from and arrange a return with no costs to be absorbed by me. I am happy to report that as of now i have been issued a full refund of my purchase price. Thank you hedman for seeing this through, and i hope we can do business in the future.

[zeldman]

Glad to see things worked out for you. Really happy to see Hedman step up to the plate and made good on their customer service.

[special-K]

Good to hear. Unfortunately,many times it's little old you against big old them with most everything in the world today. And,it takes perceverance to get through and be heard. I just dealt with Sprint in much the same way and unfortunately,as is often the case with these monstrosities,they still didn't hear.

[bigwheel6]

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[ctentime]

I have the 69010 on mine, they fit perfect. Your photo shows your motor is in wrong. Check your motor location.

[rotduke98]

Ctentime, thanks for your interest in this thread, but as mentioned before the motor is in the correct position. If it is wrong, it was wrong from the factory, and geezers is also in the wrong spot. If i were to move the motor forward enough to clear the floor pan, id have to redrill the frame for the motor stands, lengthen the drive shaft, re-engineer the shift linkage, then my cooling fan would be in to the radiator, etc, etc, and on and on. I dont know what year truck you have, but the 67-72 trucks are different than the 73-87 trucks. On a side note, i received info that hedman had redesigned these particular headers recently due to the amount of fitment complaint issues they have received and maybe you have one of those sets. Hopefully the 2nd generation headers will fit much better, its also nice to see a company take the feedback from their customers and try to redevelop a product with less issues.