Inliners International Forums General Discussion Hi Performance Which Headers Do You Use?

When i started the current 250 rebuild I'm doing I planned to split my exhaust manifold. However, due to the way it's turning out I decided to go ahead and buy headers. I'm going with either pacesetters from JCW or cast headers from Langdon's. The Pacesetters are long tube, and Langdon's are more of a block hugger type. Which one's perform best under what conditions? Long Tube or Shorties? The $59 price differrence is a drop in the ocean compared to what I'm spending overall. i want to use whatever is best for a mildly built 250 in a 1/2 ton pick-up

Thanks in advance,
Boo

Tube headers will rust or burn out over time the cast headers are there for ever. Hope this helps.

The issue is PERFORMANCE. I couldn't care less about having them burn out in 10 years! And a good coat of paint every six months or so keeps the rust away.
Boo

Hello,

You may want to read through this post:
http://www.inliners.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=000564

a lot of discussion on header types and designs went on but I think the major conclusion was that if your going to have an open exhaust system then long tubes are best, but if your going to have mufflers then just go for anything less restrictive than stock exhaust.

Anybody have any comments or is this a fair summary.

Luis, I personally think you're right on the money. In my case engine bay space was a concern,so it's Fentons.

I'm using Dynomax long tube headers (same design as the other 63-87 6 cyl truck headers offered by Clifford, Hedman & others). Got them really cheap and slapped some high temp black stove paint on them. Lasted about 3 days before they started rusting over.

I have a set of Clifford "shorty" headers that I may go with once the Dynomax tubes rust thru. The Clifford tubes are of a higher gauge steel than the Dynomax. I'll most likely invest in a set of Langdon cast iron Stovebolts and be done with exhaust issues for good! I've been advising others to do the same and after experience with cheap tubes will follow through myself.

-magic mike-

Well -- I think I figured out that using long tube headers with tubes of fairly equal length produces the best performance on a small, mildly built, street engine. I'll get the Pacesetters from JCW for $195 and cover them with several coats of Ceramic High Heat ( 1200 degrees ) Engine Paint. I do like the cast headers from Langdon's, but I don't need headers to last 30 years, I'm going for optimum performance.

Boo

Luis, yes, a fair summary.Generally speaking,tuned headers are unecessary on a mildy tuned street engine.About the only thing they will do is heat up the engine compartment.Equal length,or more correctly,equal flow tube headers are tuned for a certain rpm power range,usually high rpm.Outside of that range on a street engine with mufflers,a set of short tri-y tube headers or the classic cast iron headers will make more usuable power and throttle response at normal road speeds.

Boo,

I used "Rutlands 1200 degree Black Stove Paint"; put a couple of coats on the headers too. The one thing I didn't do in my haste to get the job done was to remove the cheap factory paitn. I did clean the headers up very good with alcohol before I painted.

The better hi temp paints (like Rutlands) will need to be "fired" to cure. Be sure to sand the cheap factory finish off the pipes. I was too lazy to.

My persomal opinion is that one coat or four, the tube headers will start rusting in about a month or two.

-magic mike-

I used a set of Dynomax Coated headers and have been on the truck for about 3 years and still look good. They can be bought for about $300. up here in Canada so you guys should be able to purchase around the $200. - $225. area. These are the long tube for 63-87 Pickup.

MagicMike --- I think you have a VERY good point there, and I am glad you mentioned it. I probably would have just scuffed the factory paint with steel wool, and shot the good stuff over it, but now that we're talking about it, it seems obvious that you need the quality stuff next to the metal. Kind of a no brainer when ya think about for a second or two.

Boo Radley

Here in Germany we have silver Stove paint. A can for $5. You use a brush (it is not a rattle can) to apply so you don`t have to remove the header from the car. With a can you can paint at least 50 headers. It looks like polished alluminum and autlasted all the (expensive) high tech exhaust coatings I ever tried.

Is that silver stove paint the same stuff used on cast iron radiators in houses or is it an automotive hi-temp paint?

Been 25 years since I rebuilt engine in my 54. I put Clifford tube headers on at that point. Anyway, read an article in some street rod magazine where they mentioned a trick to keep chrome headers from blueing. Thought it would be worth a try so I did it when I installed them. Factory paint lasted 2 years and headers are still on and haven't been touched since. Covered with surface rust now. I don't at all understand what the deal could be but the tip was to spray white litium lube on inside of header tubes before it was ever fired up. I guess when it heats up, It makes some chemically bonded coating that must lower heat? also used a fine coat of Hi temp silicone sealer on both sides of header gasket. It still lives also. Don't understand the tube treatment , but I am convinced. My experience in the past had been that factory paint was good until engine was started.

Well --- When I finish my engine compartment will be a freaking work of art. We'll see how long it lasts! Whatever happens, I'll try to pass on the do and don'ts as I experience them!

Boo Radley