headers or exhaust manifold

[dinnut]

ive been looking around and found some hedman headers that are street legal. im just starting my build up. my left exhuast has a crack and the other one is leaking... should i try and find replacements from a junk yard or should i go for headers now? right now we got duals that exit before the wheels with some random mufflers on there. that leak is pretty loud...

[krue]

Go with the headers, your gonna want em sooner or later anyway!

[68CST327]

If you don't have an a/c or an alternator that bolts to the manifolds I say go ahead and get headers. If you do have an a/c, it gets a little more complicated.

[Iron-Butt]

manifolds

[Randy70C-10]

I like headers. They flow better and sound better.

[Glen]

I would like a set of manifolds if anyone has any for sale. I prefer them over headers.

[gr8scott51]

There have been a lot of threads on the manifold vs. headers issue. The biggest problems with headers appear to be: 1) they hang too low if you intend to lower your truck 2) they don't last as long as exhaust manifolds.

I tried a few different brands of headers and was not satisfied with them. I now run center port ram horns on both sides, 2-1/4 inch pipe to series 40 flowmasters and 2-1/2 inch pipe to tips at the bumper. Loud enough to get anybody's attention, quiet enough to not get the cop's attention. good luck, Scott

[Riveted1]

I like headers.

[spinning wheels]

I'm still running the stock rams, but I'm switching to a set of Thorley's tri Y set up. I picked them up at a swapmeet for $20. Figured what the heck, if I don't like them, I'm not out a whole bunch of bucks.

[dinnut]

im looking at hedman headers... do you think they will hit the ground with a 4/6 early classic drop?

[spinning wheels]

Dinnut, check out the Patriot headers, sold thru Jegs, they have some tight tuck headers. Patriot is a new header brand being made by Pertronix.

[dinnut]

awesome. im on jegs.com right now

[Longhorn Man]

I say headers...but not the ones your looking at.
Get some real good ones. I have a set of hooker super comps. I have absolutly no ground clearance issues, (I bottom out frequently with my 500K mile old front springs) the flanges are nice and thick...I've never burned a gasket.
I have not had to mess with them at all since I installed the engine 29 months ago.
They are only a PITA when I chainge one plug, and when I removed the starter a couple years ago...and they get a little in the way when dropping the tranny.

[crazy longhorn]

I have run both Hooker & hedman on the longhorn. On a lowered truck, I would say no to the Hedmans(the driver side collector points downward). The Hooker comps are a good fit, & leave the collectors only 2 1/4" below the frame rails. They are a little more cash, but do have heavier flanges & tubes than many of the headers on the market. Painted hooker comps are approx $140 through Summit or Jegs......ceramic coated are a little pricey. good luck,crazyL

[sgtjed]

i have come to hate headers with all the pinging and leaking. in fact i ripped the headers off the truck the other daycause of the 3rd set of gaskets.
i went to a set of vette center dumps rams horns. all i hear now is the mufflers. but if you gonna get headers get a real good set as the cheaper sets tend to leak more.

[lukecp]

HEADERS!

I love the heddman headers on my truck. They sound about twice as good as a set of ramshorns through the exact same exhaust system. They also make more power, and give you better gas mileage. I don't have any issues with ground clearence on my stock height truck, i can use a socket wrench on all but one plug (and that one plug is still easy with an open end wrench), and i haven't had any problems with burning up starters in the 2 years i have had them on. However, i have had to put 2 sets of gaskets in them, but i upgraded to Fel Pro header gaskets and some copper collector gaskets, kept the bolts tight, and they haven't leaked in almost a year.

[popeye72]

Headers! More Flow

[dinnut]

http://www.dougsheaders.com/online_s...t_subcat_id=18

in a perfect world... i would get that... it makes it so you can run open headers or through your exhaust setup... pretty cool. 500 bucks though. ive been looking at http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerc...63&prmenbr=361 those because i have a 72 chevelle 350 in a 72 chevy pickup... thats where my story gets confusing to me even. if i get headers for a chevelle they may not clear stuff on my truck... but if i get headers for the truck they may not fit the engine... any help anybody?
http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerc...54&prmenbr=361
those are tight tuck headers i might get those too

[crazy longhorn]

I think the Hooker shorties will fit the truck(chevelle headers), but I will leave that to the guys that are running them. As far as the eng, a sb is a sb, whether it was truck or car.....so how they bolt to the eng will be the same(generally use the header for the vehicle). The Chevelle shorties will give more ground clearance on a lowered truck, & some of the guys are running dynomax? shorties. Talk with Shane, or Ruemster on the board.....I think they are both running the shorties. Good luck,crazyL

[crazy longhorn]

We didnt need the same messsage 2 times

[chevykid1969]

go for the headers