440 under car headers need advice.

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Out of a box headers are compromised by the need to be suitable for large scale production. The need to fit chassis with large production tolerences. The need to fit with as many options as possible. Custom built has none of those restraints. So its possible to get much closer to the ideal header for that particular car.
 
hangn0ut said:
Money no issue. Have em built. Insist on equal lenght. And spark plug access. Then stop by often to watch progress and learn why they cost so much.
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Very true. I just helped a friend build 2. and 1/8" headers on a Super Stock 68 Mustang with a Windsor engine. Incredibly time consuming. IDK how much he charged his customer but he paid me plenty for all the time I put in so I'm sure they were very expensive.
 
Doosterfy said:
I'm kind of surprised at how willing a lot of people are to get rid of the power steering on a street cars in order to fit parts like headers for performance gains. I've never driven an A body, let alone a big block A body with out power steering but I had a GTO with a big block Chevy and a Firebird with a Pontiac 350, both with manual steering and both were a real pain to drive in the pits at the track or parking lots or any slow speed maneuvering. For me PS is a must have on a street car, its makes the car much more enjoyable and it adds points or creed to build a car that runs hard without resorting to removing amenities to get there. To each his own. My advice is to keep the PS, you won't regret it.
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What if your car was manual steering to begin with?

A big block a body with manual steering is no big deal. If you switch to as rack it's even easier to steer. My wife drives mine.
 
roccodart440 said:
What if your car was manual steering to begin with?

A big block a body with manual steering is no big deal. If you switch to as rack it's even easier to steer. My wife drives mine.
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If I bought an A body with no power steering, I would add it. Without a doubt the best solution is one of the aftermarket front ends with a power rack and pinion.
If I bought an A body without power steering, I would go through the trouble to add it. Without a doubt the best way is to go with one of the aftermarket front ends with a power rack and pinion but either way whether stock box and pump or rack and pump, PS makes the car a lot easier, enjoyable and safe to drive. Even on a bracket car I use it. The only way I would go without it is if it were an original numbers matching car where adding it would hurt the value or its a total balls out heads up car or class racer where every last bit of e.t. counts for winning. I guess I'm a candy *** but I hate driving without it, I'd rather give up the small fraction of performance than to go without it.
 
I've owned a bodies with both. It's nice to have I'll admit that. When I switched to my RMS I could have added power steering and I didn't. It just doesn't mean much to me. The beauty of these car is they are like build a bear. Have it your way!
 
roccodart440 said:
I've owned a bodies with both. It's nice to have I'll admit that. When I switched to my RMS I could have added power steering and I didn't. It just doesn't mean much to me. The beauty of these car is they are like build a bear. Have it your way!
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Yup, I love these cars. I've had lots of cars over the years, mostly GMs. GTOs, A Firebird, Nova, Chevelle, Buick Skyhawk pro street, Monte Carlo pro street, A Ford Fairlane, a Cadillac Sedan DeVille and trucks. My Duster is my first Mopar Hot Rod project and it's my favorite by far. Much better than all the others. I may build more cars in the future but I'll let the teeth fall out of my head before I let this car slip out of my grip.
 
Why do you need power steering on such a light car? Swap it out for a manual box and get the TTIs.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Why do you need power steering on such a light car? Swap it out for a manual box and get the TTIs.
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I agree with rusty.i have had both and I didn't have any problem steering my 73 big block dart and the 73 with tti headers were no harder to work on/around than when I had the 318 in it.wirh the tti headers drill a hole in the inner fender for number 6 plug.makes it a lot easer to change the plug. Op I would like to see some pics of your car. I have a 73 duster I am building
 
One thing worth noting on the power steering or no power steering question; what is the steering box ratio with the manual box? IDK the answer but I know on most cars the ratio is slower with the manual box to help reduce the amount of effort without the power assist. That means that an emergency evasive maneuver will be slower. You know when the pinhead in the Prius suddenly pops the nose of their shitbox into your path and you have to quickly steer around it to avoid a collision. It's something to consider. I look at this debate pretty much the same as a debate about leaving the 9 inch non-power drums on the car or upgrading to better brakes. In the end it's to each his own.
 
I think Schumacher "Tri-Y's" will do what your looking for, BUT I might be confusing them with another as they seem to be block huger type that doesn't enclose the starter and are well fitted to P/S..... Been thinkin' about getting a set for my truck!
 
The best power assist i ever had is the adreneline rush when such a situation happens. Gotten me through a few situations that frankly i shouldnt have.
 
Hello all. Newbie here. I just purchased a '72 Dart and a 440 engine with 727 Torqueflite. Where can I find pics/videos to help a MOPAR fan on how to fit the engine, exhaust manifold, and headers? Appreciate any help.
 
bwillaub said:
Hello all. Newbie here. I just purchased a '72 Dart and a 440 engine with 727 Torqueflite. Where can I find pics/videos to help a MOPAR fan on how to fit the engine, exhaust manifold, and headers? Appreciate any help.
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Go to Schumacher Creative Services, they have motor mounts, headers and installs on there web site.
 

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hangn0ut said:
The best power assist i ever had is the adreneline rush when such a situation happens. Gotten me through a few situations that frankly i shouldnt have.
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LOL, Yup, I've been driving (on roads that is) for over 35 years. Had plenty of crazy things happen that got my adrenaline going!
 
This thread is a blast from the past but it brings up some excellent information about the headers for the RB car from real world experiences......

JW
 
roccodart440 said:
What if your car was manual steering to begin with?

A big block a body with manual steering is no big deal. If you switch to as rack it's even easier to steer. My wife drives mine.
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Same here -----except for the wife part.
 
bwillaub said:
Hello all. Newbie here. I just purchased a '72 Dart and a 440 engine with 727 Torqueflite. Where can I find pics/videos to help a MOPAR fan on how to fit the engine, exhaust manifold, and headers? Appreciate any help.
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Besides this sight. Another great site you might be interested in is
BigBlockDart.Com
 
bOb shingler said:
2" tti's will work for ya. so will custom made headers in 2" also.you can get 2" "B" body under chassis and all but the #7 pipe will fit, it just needs altered to miss the fire wall.
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Is that true ? B body headers will fit a 440 in a A body ? How much do you have to " adjust " #7 tube ?
 
That will be a challenging project. 1-3/4" B-body headers (Hedman 78030) fit quite well in a low-deck A-body with manual steering. There are pages with pictures on BigBlockDart.com. I put them in mine and had very little denting to do. Note that the collectors do not line up with the torsion bar crossmember notches, so I had to fabricate two short dog-leg sections (I used 18 degree 3" mandrel bends).
Unfortunately the RB is significantly taller and wider with the 3/4" increased deck height. That results in a lot more collisions with immovable objects.
There may be other brands of B-body headers (and with larger primaries) that can be made to fit with a 440, but I haven't come across any posts that say it's easy...
 
73440abody said:
What's out there for a long tube under car header. Needs to be able to hold 500-600 hp. 73 duster, power steering. Money is no issue.
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I don't think it would be that hard to figure out power steering and headers. I could add power steering to my Duster if I wanted.
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