When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Have you ck'd with Lemon's Headers by chance? He has an incredible reputation for headers that fit perfect even with big tubes and still give good plug access.
Have you ck'd with Lemon's Headers by chance? He has an incredible reputation for headers that fit perfect even with big tubes and still give good plug access. Product List - Lemons Headers
He shows a listing for big block Vette's.
JIM
I looked at their website, they have some nice systems.
The small print says the big block Corvette headers won’t fit with oem manual clutch.
Might be worth a call. He does custom stuff for various heads etc...maybe with smaller tubes he can clear the crossshaft?
JIM
My Sanderson’s are supposed to be delivered today and I’ll fit check them.
I hope they fit so I can move on.
If not I’ll call Lemons and American Racing Headers.
I called McJacks and they are now painting Corvettes and no longer making headers.
That is sort of my next plan if the shorty’s don’t fit.
I’ll get another set of Hooker Super Comps in bare steel, fix the one tube making contact with the idler arm and send them out for ceramic coating.
Even if the Shorty's fit, I would go for the full package on the Hookers. Nothing sounds better than that. And that beautiful shiny finish will immediately get discolored anyway, so ceramic would be a better choice from what I know. And I am wondering if you have an original set of BB exhaust manifolds. They're not half bad.
I will give you one more fitment concern. -- when I fit Hookers on my small block, the passenger side collector hit the firewall. No big deal for my exhaust guy, but just saying - perfection in a pristine set of any manufacturer's offering may be unobtainable once you've cycled through every supplier. I would wait before getting them coated until the body came back.
Finally I don't see a bung for an O2 sensor. Downstream of the collector perhaps? It's worth having.
While I can't say one way or another about ARH with regard to manual clutch fitment on a big block, they sure didn't have a set that would match up on my LS motor. Billy Boat did but that was a bit too far and too expensive for me given I have a working car.
Have you ck'd with Lemon's Headers by chance? He has an incredible reputation for headers that fit perfect even with big tubes and still give good plug access.
That's actually an excellent thing to remind us of. OP as your mounting up these headers and cutting stuff up etc check your plug access and wire clearance too.
My new Sanderson’s arrived today and I had a day of compromise.
They are top quality, fit like a glove, and they are silver ceramic coated outside and throughout the entire inside of the header.
Sanderson did a wonderful job designing these short tube big block headers for our Corvettes.
They have 3/8” head and collector flanges which are thicker than any others on the market and the primary tubes are 16 gauge steel over Hooker’s and Hedman’s 18 gauge.
The flanges are machined to allow full access to the plugs have reliefs cut in to allow additional clearance for the head bolts and I can easily get a socket and torque wrench onto the header bolts to obtain proper torque.
They designed to head side of the flange so it is machined flat and they recommend not to use gaskets and only run a bead of high temp RTV.
The special reducers, all the bolts and hardware is included, they supplied a large tube of RTV and a set of copper collector gaskets.
These headers have absolutely the best quality of workmanship over the Hookers and the Hedmans.
My compromise is that I wanted long tube headers for my build, but these are so much nicer and I will be happy with them.
Certainly look nicely engineered - and primary ID's are what diameter?
Unfortunately they only make them 1 7/8” primary tubes.
Here is where the arguments will begin.
I’ve read several threads in other websites, I’ve done research and even watched numerous videos including those from Summit Racing and Hooker that show that smaller diameter primary tubes will produce the same or slightly better torque on an engine up to around 4000 rpm.
Plus a short tube header will make slightly better torque than a long tube header up to around 4000 rpm as well.
Sanderson has a couple grafts that show dyno testing they conducted years ago.
These companies sell both short and long tube headers so they have nothing to gain and I believe the information is valid.
Performance wise on my street driven car I may be better off with the 1 7/8” primary tubes and shorty header design than I would running long tube 2”+ primary tube headers.
Obviously if you are running 800-1000 hp this may not be correct for that type of application.
The big difference for me is these shorty headers fit and I can move on with my build.
Good news is you found something that fits for you.
Remind us...what's the engine combo? Cubes, compression, cam, intake etc? I see the Edelbrock heads....
RPM range you expect?
JIM
496 cubes, 10.4 compression, cam hydraulic roller, specs 236/245 @.050, valve lift .625/.639, lobe separation 112, intake centerline 109, intake manifold Edelbrock Performer RPM Air Gap, heads are Edelbrock Performer RPM’s ovalport.
During the dyno tune we only ran it up to 5800 and it made 552hp and @ 4400 it peaked torque at 572.
It will be a nice street runner.
OldCarBum - that spec' is remarkably similar to mine - except for my 234/240 Howards non-roller hydraulic cam and a little less lift with 570/606 hp/tq
496 cubes, 10.4 compression, cam hydraulic roller, specs 236/245 @.050, valve lift .625/.639, lobe separation 112, intake centerline 109, intake manifold Edelbrock Performer RPM Air Gap, heads are Edelbrock Performer RPM’s ovalport.
During the dyno tune we only ran it up to 5800 and it made 552hp and @ 4400 it peaked torque at 572.
It will be a nice street runner.
That should produce enough power to put a smile on your face. I doubt very much you will notice what little power you might give up with the shorties. And they fit, and no problems with ground clearance. Sounds like the perfect solution to me.
I ran 1 7/8 Hooker Super comps on my build. granted it is not a 496 but a very healthy VortecPro 467. They were the easiest headers I have ever installed, even with a Borgenson Box. Spark plug access is easy as well. Not sure if your engine will be track only but you may be surprised the 1 7/8 headers give you all you can handle on the street. My .02 cents as I just went through this in the last couple of months. by the way I tried both solid and stock engine mounts with no difference as far as headers.
I really want to run long tube headers on my 73 and the fact that I may have to run shorties has been bugging me.
So yesterday I called Holley (Hooker Headers) and told them how unhappy I was and about how many people are posting negative comments about the fitment of their headers on the internet and car forums.
The person I talked with didn’t really seem to care.
One thing I noticed in reading so many posts on different forums was that for some people their Hookers fit and for others they did not.
For those that had clearance issues many ordered a second set which would fit and others would just ding or dent them to gain the clearances they needed.
So, in the end I ordered another set of Super Comps and hope the fitment is better.
If they only have the interference with the idler arm, my plan is to find a good custom welding fabrication shop and have them modify the one primary tube so it clears the idler arm, then get the headers re-ceramic coated.
If there is any fitment issues elsewhere on the new set, I still refuse to dent them and they will be returned to Hooker.
More to come.
I really want to run long tube headers on my 73 and the fact that I may have to run shorties has been bugging me.
So yesterday I called Holley (Hooker Headers) and told them how unhappy I was and about how many people are posting negative comments about the fitment of their headers on the internet and car forums.
The person I talked with didn’t really seem to care.
One thing I noticed in reading so many posts on different forums was that for some people their Hookers fit and for others they did not.
For those that had clearance issues many ordered a second set which would fit and others would just ding or dent them to gain the clearances they needed.
So, in the end I ordered another set of Super Comps and hope the fitment is better.
If they only have the interference with the idler arm, my plan is to find a good custom welding fabrication shop and have them modify the one primary tube so it clears the idler arm, then get the headers re-ceramic coated.
If there is any fitment issues elsewhere on the new set, I still refuse to dent them and they will be returned to Hooker.
More to come.
Now that you've gone down that route, order a few more sets from different vendors. They are likely to have been made on different days by different welders.
Perhaps there are batch numbers on the boxes you get.
Let me give you a suggestion here. If the major source of interference is the bolt head in the picture, it's going to be a bitch to replace your idler arm, should you ever need to.
Instead, drill out that upper hole, thread in an insert, and fit a correct length bolt from the other side. At least that is what I would try. That will gain you 1/2" and maybe that's enough.
Let me give you a suggestion here. If the major source of interference is the bolt head in the picture, it's going to be a bitch to replace your idler arm, should you ever need to.
Instead, drill out that upper hole, thread in an insert, and fit a correct length bolt from the other side. At least that is what I would try. That will gain you 1/2" and maybe that's enough.
I turned that bolt around when I tried to fit the Hedman headers because that was another place they hit.
Turning that bolt around made the clearance I needed, but the Hedman's hit other areas too.
The Hookers cleared that bolt with plenty of room and they actually contacted the lower part of the idler arm itself.
Now that you've gone down that route, order a few more sets from different vendors. They are likely to have been made on different days by different welders.
Perhaps there are batch numbers on the boxes you get.
That is actually what one other person did on one of the Chevy website.
He ordered three sets, mixed and matched the sets and got one pair that actually fit without issue.
The first set I bought was from Summit and this set is coming directly from Holley.
The Holley employee I talked with yesterday said, he has gotten several calls about the poor fitment lately, but nobody ever wants to post a poor review so the company does nothing to correct the quality problems.
Here is the final chapter for this thread, well, unless someone has a reply.
Yesterday I received another set of Hooker Super Comps that I ordered directly from Holley.
I installed the drivers side and it actually fit slightly better and had a little more clearance at the steering box than the last set.
Then I installed the passenger side and to my amazement it slid into place, however the primary tube still contacted the idler arm, slightly, but still contacted it.
I contacted Holley, they sent me a return label, and dropped them off at UPS this afternoon.
I’ll be installing the Sanderson short tube headers and running them on my car.
02-26-2024, 11:37 PM
