Good day by lukester - March 28th 2024 12:26 pm
| Crazy mods by MufflerMan Mike - March 28th 2024 9:38 am
| | Lew Greger by MufflerMan Mike - March 27th 2024 5:15 pm
| | | Installing headers | Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 91 journeyman | OP journeyman Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 91 | Anything special you have to do when switching from manifolds to a set of headers on a mid-Dodge? I mean, to get them to fit around the engine and transmission properly. Yeah, I should have maybe started asking these questions before buying the stuff but I guess I thought it was going to be straight-forward unbolt the old, bolt on the new kind of thing. I got these. | | | Re: Installing headers | Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 458 addict | addict Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 458 | Cool I have never owned this particular brand of headers, but the application listing on summit looks right. Invest in some nice think pliable gaskets. Leave the studs in the block if you can get you headers on with them still in. If you have to remove the end studs from the block.. you may leak coolant ( I did ). Bolt them on... have a blast driving to the exhaust shop with only headers on. -Jess
1977 "Shorty" Dodge Tradesman 318 4bbl - Hurst 4sp Manual OD Hedders - 30 series Flowmasters | | | Re: Installing headers | Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 1,097 old hand | old hand Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 1,097 | Use good gaskets. I like Felpro
Take Care, Billy
Have Van Will Travel
| | | Re: Installing headers | Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 1,241 old hand | old hand Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 1,241 | On my headers I used allen head bolts. And used a quality 3/8th drive allen socket about 2" long. Made it much easier to torque them down. This was on my '83 chevy and there wasn't much room. Good gaskets and good torque should result in leak free years of service.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/154142337@N08/15982P
| | | Re: Installing headers | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 21,211 Likes: 25 Supreme Master | Supreme Master Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 21,211 Likes: 25 | When you get the new headers, double-check to make sure the sealing flanges are flat.
Nate Breece | | | Re: Installing headers | Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 1,097 old hand | old hand Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 1,097 | Thats good advice . A file across the flanges makes them seal much better.
Take Care, Billy
Have Van Will Travel
| | | Re: Installing headers | Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 91 journeyman | OP journeyman Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 91 | Thanks for all the advice! One other thing... on the passenger-side manifold there is some sort of doorknob-looking thing. Not sure what it is, some sort of valve? Anyway, is this thing really necessary? It appears that I will lose it when I ditch the manifolds. Will it matter? | | | Re: Installing headers | Joined: Mar 2007 Posts: 4,463 Likes: 12 pooh-bah | pooh-bah Joined: Mar 2007 Posts: 4,463 Likes: 12 | That's called a manifold heat control valve. Now you're getting into the conflict territory between performance vehicles and daily drivers... that device is supposed to help an engine's cold starting and warm up.
When cold, that valve directs heated exhaust gas to the heat chamber under the base of the carburetor in the stock intake manifold. The extra heat helps vaporize the mixture during cold starting.
Have you ever seen the small crossover passage in the intake manifold where the EGR valve attaches, and which always accumulates carbon? (you're supposed to clean it out every 40,000 miles or so) That's where the exhaust gas passes. There's actually fins cast into the chamber under the carburetor to help soak up the heat from the exhaust gas as it passes.
By removing the heat riser valve you may make the engine run rougher during start and warm up, or it may not have as stable an idle when cold since the mixture won't vaporize as thoroughly.
Good luck!
-It's been such a LONG TIME... BlueShift>> 1981 Dodge Ram B250 Custom Sportsman Maxi Van It's what you learn after you know it all, that counts... Are you living to work, or working to live? Learning from my own mistakes is good, learning from yours would be much better! | | | Re: Installing headers | Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 91 journeyman | OP journeyman Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 91 | Well, 3 days of working in my spare time and they're still not done. I thought this morning would be the finish but when I started it up, it was super-loud and there was smoke coming from under the hood. Didn't really have time to figure out where the leaks were, there was just enough time to walk to work. I had done the best I could installing but the way the pipes were curved, a couple of the bolts were impossible to get at with a socket so I had to do them with a crecent and I think I maybe didn't tighten them quite enough? Or the gasket sucked? Or the headers just didn't fit right? Maybe I need some kind of gasket sealer? I don't know but it's frustrating. | | |
0 members (),
18
guests, and
4
robots. | Key: Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod | | Forums68 Topics35,746 Posts537,916 Members12,725 | Most Online177 May 8th, 2013 | | | |