Re: Building your own headers
[Re: CMcAllister]
#2573106
11/02/18 04:51 PM
11/02/18 04:51 PM
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 4,457 Washington
madscientist
master
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master
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 4,457
Washington
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It's a fun, relaxing way to spend a few days, especially if it's a piece of cake like a Hemi or an RB in an A body with stock suspension. I would not suggest it for your first project if you just bought a new welder and decided to teach yourself how to make stuff. You and I certainly have a different definition for fun and relaxing!!! I've built several sets of headers and I'll never do it again. Last set was a set of 2.125 X 28 x 4 in an early A with the engine set back 8 inches AND torsion bars. New swear words were invented. The bad thing was I had 12 inch collectors and really needed to be at 18 or a bit more but just didn't have the room.
Just because you think it won't make it true. Horsepower is KING. To dispute this is stupid. C. Alston
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Re: Building your own headers
[Re: racerx]
#2573194
11/02/18 08:19 PM
11/02/18 08:19 PM
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,645 Phila. Pa.
Mattax
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,645
Phila. Pa.
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First, Kudos to everyone who posted pictures of headers they've made. Pretty nice to super nice work. All very impressive. The mandrel from the slug is very clever. Can anyone give some tips or tricks on building your own headers? Some good threads on speedtalk about building headers. Join the speedtalk forum so you can see the pictures. The only e-mails you'll get are those from Speedtalk itself - maybe once a year or two. This one is long but lots of good info in it. First Time Header Build - Speed talk Although the guys there prefer 421, we found it too be very difficult in my Barracuda. (We really being Brian Slowe, as he did all the real work) Passenger side is really tight. 4 in 1 would be easier. Whether or not going for a narrow rpm band, Calvin Elston's perspective on tube size and length off the head is really interesting. If interested, check out his posts in this one What is (exhaust) Blowdown Length? p.2 and poke around his blog. http://www.exhausting101.com/?p=37Another place with building tips is Headers By Ed's website and booklets. If you have the ground clearance, his designs are pretty nice and because they are multi-piece, easy to install.
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Re: Building your own headers
[Re: HardcoreB]
#2573203
11/02/18 08:51 PM
11/02/18 08:51 PM
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,125 Mo.
racerx
OP
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OP
master
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,125
Mo.
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Can anyone give some tips or tricks on building your own headers? I try to 'size' them dimensionally with consideration of what upgrades may be in the future for the application. Put the collector in place first, ideally on a fixture to hold in place. Route the rear tubes for each bank (i.e. 7,8) out the inner fenders and around the frame. Route the tubes CW or CCW respective to the engines firing order. Build the most compromised tube or tubes first so they flow as good as possible. Don't sweat equal lengths. Make S.plugs and wires easy to access. I use a hose clamp and cut out a section in the middle to allow tack-welding while holding tube in place. Good ideals gents i'm likeing the hose clamp /drill hole deal for tacking tubes.
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Re: Building your own headers
[Re: FastmOp]
#2573216
11/02/18 09:14 PM
11/02/18 09:14 PM
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,125 Mo.
racerx
OP
master
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OP
master
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,125
Mo.
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I have made a few sets. I'd charge $1500 plus materials if I was going to do a set. Fastop or the top set for the turbo setup?
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Re: Building your own headers
[Re: racerx]
#2573221
11/02/18 09:24 PM
11/02/18 09:24 PM
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,540 PA
moparacer
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master
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,540
PA
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I want to do a setup similar to what 69B1 Dart did on my Dart, With them exiting out the fender.
Read over a lot of threads but never see what guys are using for primary length on different setups. What are you guys with setups similar to mine using for primary length on Big block stroker setups? I have a 502 cid with Indys that probably makes 800 and something or so HP and have hooker supercomp fenderwells on it, that I know are killing it.
I was thinking something like 2-2 1/8 dia. with 32-34 inch long pipes?
Last edited by moparacer; 11/02/18 09:25 PM.
67 Barracuda street/bracket car 11.27-119 68 Dart 502 BB 8.70s-152 414 cid SB Dragster 7.65-174
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Re: Building your own headers
[Re: racerx]
#2573393
11/03/18 11:50 AM
11/03/18 11:50 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,765 Hot Rod Ridge
FastmOp
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,765
Hot Rod Ridge
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I have made a few sets. I'd charge $1500 plus materials if I was going to do a set. Fastop or the top set for the turbo setup? Yes that's for Ka-BLUE-E the Turbo Avenger. The black coating has not held up as well as I had hoped. I think my next set will be stainless just so I can skip getting them coated. I used a couple scrap pieces of aluminum and a couple hose clamps at the joints I wanted to weld to get everything lined up. Worked pretty good.
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Re: Building your own headers
[Re: racerx]
#2573571
11/03/18 07:49 PM
11/03/18 07:49 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 18,582 Rust Belt, SW PA
Silver70
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 18,582
Rust Belt, SW PA
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I made a set of turbo headers over the summer. I never attempted to make a set before and didn't know what I was getting into over the comments about how difficult they are to make that I read online... I have to say it was 100 times easier than I expected. I bought a header kit to make your own for the pipes/bends and bought some good thick stainless flanges. A few afternoons they were pretty much done.
Just have a lot of bends on hand and it's pretty easy to do. No way I'd pay 2k to have a pair made.
68 Road Runner, 69 Belvedere, 71 Challenger Vert 340 barracuda, 01 Ram CTD, 95 Ram, 04 Ram, 85 Daytona turbo Z 66 GTO, 06 Magnum RT AWD. 07 Ram CTD, 07 Ram
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Re: Building your own headers
[Re: FastmOp]
#2573575
11/03/18 08:05 PM
11/03/18 08:05 PM
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,125 Mo.
racerx
OP
master
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OP
master
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,125
Mo.
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I have made a few sets. I'd charge $1500 plus materials if I was going to do a set. Fastop or the top set for the turbo setup? Yes that's for Ka-BLUE-E the Turbo Avenger. The black coating has not held up as well as I had hoped. I think my next set will be stainless just so I can skip getting them coated. I used a couple scrap pieces of aluminum and a couple hose clamps at the joints I wanted to weld to get everything lined up. Worked pretty good. Fastmop were you useing header wrap on the turbo headers or running them unwrap?
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Re: Building your own headers
[Re: racerx]
#2573627
11/03/18 10:04 PM
11/03/18 10:04 PM
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,125 Mo.
racerx
OP
master
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OP
master
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,125
Mo.
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Re: Building your own headers
[Re: CrAzYMoPaRGuY]
#2573734
11/04/18 02:47 AM
11/04/18 02:47 AM
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 6,257 gulfport, ms, west mi
rowin4
master
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master
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 6,257
gulfport, ms, west mi
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I made SURE the bends flowed, no tipped tubes/bends and no cheating. Smooth flow. Then someone showed me a dyno test of a set of headers on a dyno, fresh headers that were then hammered like crazy. Not much difference on the dyno. Which to ME seems crazy!!! I seen the same video I believe it was on a Road Kill episode. Basically shows that the header tubes were to big for the engine. It was interesting showing them beating the heck out of a new set of headers.
it's ok to butt heads, just don't do it with a butthead
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