Header Problems

[hogfarm]

As you may have seen the 58 is in the shop,I have tranny and brake lines install.Next problem are the headers.I have bought 3 sets os far and none will work,the block huggers will work but I can't got to the spark plugs to remove plug or put on wire.I saw a post here yesterday guy doing about the same thing as me,tried to PM him and find what headers he used.I was planning on haveing this truck done last June,now I hope to get it done by next June

[OrrieG]

Not headers, but down draft Rams Horns work fine. Stock are 2", but you can get repop 2.5" Corvette ones that the stock drag racers use. For most applications under 5K rpm you will not notice the difference in performance. I used POR brush on high temp coat on mine.

[tmoble]

Hog, what's wrong with those headers? run the front 2 wires straight down. put some kind of Adel clamp on one of the oil pan bolts, run them through it. If you build your own wires you can run them down behind the motor mount like Chevy did.

rear two the same, run them down, not up. run all 4 up through a clamp bolted to the back of the cylinder head. and up to the dist cap. most modern caps have male terminals sticking up, put 90 terminals and boots.

I put a set of Moroso plug wires on on my 327 when I built it in 1985. ran them like this on both sides. They were still good when I blew the truck apart in 2015.

If you don't run them over the top so they hit the headers or manifolds and keep oil off them they'll outlast you.

[hogfarm]

Answer to both post,First I did also buy a set of Ram horn Manifolds,I think I found the link from here.When I got them they were so ruff it would take hours to grind them smooth,plus they had holes drilled and taped by every plug.They were so bad I tried to send them back,guy told me no to bother sending them back and refunded my money,they were new,no idea where they were made.But the other day I bought a 1976 pickup for the drive train for my 41 chevy coupe,so I can try those manifolds.
Second.Running the wire under the manifolds is a good idea,I did that on my 54.the problem is the header hits the number 6 plug no way to get wire on .same thing on other side hits number 5.I was going to notch header to fit around the plugs but decided to wait untill I have cab back on to check stering linkage,putting cab on tomorrow
thanks for all the help

[Hover]

Had the same problem with one sparkplug. Simple solution was to use a shorter NGK plug.

[1957 Chief]

Originally Posted by Hover

Had the same problem with one sparkplug. Simple solution was to use a shorter NGK plug.

This ^^^^^

[SKFengineer]

We have shorter Accel plugs on our '56 but I'm not a fan of the Accel product. Are all NGK plugs shorter? ( I don't think that's the case ) Is there a special part number for the shorter NGK's, I haven't been able to find another option to get rid of our shorter Accel's.

From my experience the shorter plug makes a big difference on header engines. If you try the ram's horn route I would check with Eckler's we used the 2.5" ram's horns on our 1964 Impala SS and couldn't be happier with the result. It might cost some more money than going the FleaBay route but you've already burned up money on three sets of headers so what the heck.

[Hover]

Originally Posted by SKFengineer

We have shorter Accel plugs on our '56 but I'm not a fan of the Accel product. Are all NGK plugs shorter? ( I don't think that's the case ) Is there a special part number for the shorter NGK's, I haven't been able to find another option to get rid of our shorter Accel's.

From my experience the shorter plug makes a big difference on header engines. If you try the ram's horn route I would check with Eckler's we used the 2.5" ram's horns on our 1964 Impala SS and couldn't be happier with the result. It might cost some more money than going the FleaBay route but you've already burned up money on three sets of headers so what the heck.

I used NGK #UR4, crosses over to AC Delco # R45TS, this NGK is shorter than the AC, not sure if ALL NGK's are shorter, but this worked for me.
Posted via Mobile Device

[_Ogre]

these are hedman block hugger headers they have plenty of room for plugs and wires
http://www.hedman.com/Block-Hugger-Street-Rod-Hedders

[OrrieG]

Originally Posted by hogfarm

Answer to both post,First I did also buy a set of Ram horn Manifolds,I think I found the link from here.When I got them they were so ruff it would take hours to grind them smooth,plus they had holes drilled and taped by every plug.They were so bad I tried to send them back,guy told me no to bother sending them back and refunded my money,they were new,no idea where they were made.But the other day I bought a 1976 pickup for the drive train for my 41 chevy coupe,so I can try those manifolds.
Second.Running the wire under the manifolds is a good idea,I did that on my 54.the problem is the header hits the number 6 plug no way to get wire on .same thing on other side hits number 5.I was going to notch header to fit around the plugs but decided to wait untill I have cab back on to check stering linkage,putting cab on tomorrow
thanks for all the help

If they had the smog ports they were later ones, not the early Corvette. 74ish truck might work, they dump more towards the rear like Sanderson cc56 or cc11.

[mr48chev]

A'll of the early V8 Small blocks ran the wires under the manifold with the front two on each side lacing though between the block and the mount before going up to the plugs.

Up into the mid 70's at least Corvettes sill used the ram horns as Orried G showed and the wires rand down the back of the heads and under and up to the plugs

If you have HEI wires for a 78 Corvette will work No hei and wires for 58/74 Corvette small block wires will work.

[dsraven]

Corvette also had shields for the wires thatran down then forward.

[Coupeguy2001]

Those headers shown in the first photo up top look like slant plug headers on straight plug heads.
the straight plug headers give more room.

[hogfarm]

I have no idea what those headers where made to fit,they could be for slant plug heads.The ones "Ogre" is using seems to be the way to go.Anyone have a part number?shorter plugs will not work.I have not had the time to install steering,but have cab on

[tmoble]

_Ogre posted the link, click on it the small block headers are on page 2 #68366 for the coated version.

there's header bolts available that have small 3/8 heads, easy to work with. Fel-Pro has a set of graphite header gaskets, vastly superior to the while pressed paper type.

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by dsraven

Corvette also had shields for the wires thatran down then forward.

corvette shields were more for radio static suppression than any other purpose, corvette also shielded the distributor

Originally Posted by tmoble

_Ogre posted the link, click on it the small block headers are on page 2 #68366 for the coated version.

there's header bolts available that have small 3/8 heads, easy to work with. Fel-Pro has a set of graphite header gaskets, vastly superior to the while pressed paper type.

3/8'' bolt heads are shown in the pics i posted, the only way to install them
even with the small heads you can't get a socket on some of the bolts
definitely use a good header gasket, i blew out a few paper/foil gaskets before ordering a better gasket