Headers 1971 Longbed automatic 350

[c_tietjen]

So i got my truck a month ago and am in love with everything about it... except for the headers. they are just the original stock ones, and are frankly quite ugly, and would like to replace with some ceramic coated, or anything thats more of a, silver, color. SO like i said, I've got a 1971 chevy c10 long bed with the auto tranny. what headers would be the easiest to put on (bolt on) without modifications. I've looked at doug thorleys and really like em, but they are a little out of my price range right now I'm really just looking for something that will improve hp/torque slightly, make the engine sound better, and look purty, all suggestions are welcome!

One other thing i was looking into is putting an x-pipe on the exhaust. any recommendations there? or are all x-pipes pretty much created equal.

Thanks,
Chris

[Jay W]

If you have your truck lowered keep in mind that some headers sit below the frame rails and will drag if you are two low. Im at 4/6 drop and I have scraped mine causing exhaust leaks, real pain in the a$$. once i get some other work done im scraping them for some short/midlength headers.

[c_tietjen]

I'm at stock ride height. gonna get some new shock absorbers soon, and possibly new springs, but keeping everything everything original on that front. I know this might be contradicting myself, but id like headers that are as low maintenance as possible. The stock manifold is just ugly as crap IMO, but I've heard that headers can be a huge pain sometimes especially with leaks. Why are they such a big pain, and what can you do to mitigate these problems. Im relatively new to restoring cars, but i have a vast knowledge about how cars work. just looking for some input.

[hgs_notes]

This is what I put on mine, which is basically the same truck you have. They fit pretty good, but I did clearance the edge of the frame in one spot by the #2 cylinder. They sound good and look good. I've never had problems with exhaust leaks on my headers and I've been running them for about 25 years. Use good gaskets, tighten, run it, tighten again and you should be good to go. Some of the cheaper headers have thin flanges where they bolt to the head, so when you tighten them down the flange actually bows, just don't go nuts.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/BIG-31500FLT/

I also have some nice headmans on my Jimmy, and they make a set for the 2wd also. Nice heavy flanges and tubes. Well made.

[c_tietjen]

Thanks man ill keep them in mind! Ive heard some good things about these

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HED-69890/

Any thoughts? whats the difference between the ones you posted about and these?

[c_tietjen]

i also just had Vintage Air AC system put in. It had factory AC originally, but the clutch on the unit stopped working YEARS ago. way before i bought the truck. Figured id just get the new system so i can use the new coolants and everything. Ended up getting a new radiator while the old one was out. The old one was maybe running at 60 percent (still keeping the engine way cooler than my 400 ci Pontiac LeMans does) but it was seriously damaged from 40 years of use. got all the extra wiring cleaned up in the engine bay too. The previous owner, rather than fixing the original horn, bolted a new one right next to it and wired it up. wires were just going everywhere. Trucks starting to come together. Figured the air had to come first since its starting to get quite hot here in dallas. so yah, don't know if the vintage air system will effect the headers at all. any ideas?

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by c_tietjen

Thanks man ill keep them in mind! Ive heard some good things about these

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HED-69890/

Any thoughts? whats the difference between the ones you posted about and these?

Those have larger primaries and a ball-socket type collector. I have a similar header on my Jimmy but with regular flange collectors. They are a good header, but I don't know how they fit because its not what I have. I'll say this though, that headman header designed for the 4x4 will probably NOT fit a 2wd. I tried mine and the header hits the front crossmember on one side. So make sure on the headmans that it is for a 2wd truck. 1-5/8" primaries is probably the most common for a small block. I went with the 1-1/2" primarily because I got a great deal on them through holleys ebay store ($150 shipped I think), but also because I have a built 283 small block, and smaller primaries is said to help low end torque numbers. And I do think it has more pull from the bottom end than it did before.

Originally Posted by c_tietjen

i also just had Vintage Air AC system put in. It had factory AC originally, but the clutch on the unit stopped working YEARS ago. way before i bought the truck. Figured id just get the new system so i can use the new coolants and everything. Ended up getting a new radiator while the old one was out. The old one was maybe running at 60 percent (still keeping the engine way cooler than my 400 ci Pontiac LeMans does) but it was seriously damaged from 40 years of use. got all the extra wiring cleaned up in the engine bay too. The previous owner, rather than fixing the original horn, bolted a new one right next to it and wired it up. wires were just going everywhere. Trucks starting to come together. Figured the air had to come first since its starting to get quite hot here in dallas. so yah, don't know if the vintage air system will effect the headers at all. any ideas?

Most headers are shipped with installation hardware that includes a spacer or bracket for mounting the AC compressor, since many of them have a bolt attaching to the exhaust manifold. I don't have AC on mine. Other than how the compressor mounts I don't know of any other issues with headers and AC.