To whom it may concern,
The following is a detailed description of my experience installing a set of your headers on my 1968 Barracuda (340--stock heads--power steering). To say the least, I am not impressed but I am hopefull that this was just a very poor example of what your company produces. It is even more dissapointing when I see the add in this months Mopar Action claim that your headers are the "best fitting" headers. Another thing that should be noted is that this is not my first go-round with headers. It is the first set of hedmans that I've installed.
The headers were placed into position to bolt on by first (passenger side) unbolting the motor mounts, picking up the engine about 4 inches, removing the oil filter adapter and oil filter, removing the valve cover, & then dropping the header in from above. The Drivers side header was installed by raising the motor another few inches, disconnecting the centerlink & tie rod at the steering box arm, using a large bar to pry the engine towards the passenger side, and then slipping them in from the bottom with the assistance of at least one other person. Once this is done the headers are in position for attachment to the heads.
There are 6 bolts that hold the headers on. I could get 4 of my ARP 12 point header bolts in both sides but on the outer tubes I could not get the inner bolts in. I figured I'd be real sneaky/smart and pick up some allen head bolts cause even if I got a bolt in I couldn't get a socket on it. I grabbed a few hex head bolts too, this way I figured I'd have it made. Wrong. The allen head bolts would not work on either hole without bending the tubes for allen wrench clearance, and the hex head bolts have heads that will contact the tubes so that they cannot be turned, once again creating a need to beat on the pipes.
I spent all day working on the passenger side header. I had to clearance the tubes (see pictures) to get an allen wrench on the header bolts. I had to re-tap one of the holes where I had started to cross-thread a bolt. I had to use three different type of bolts and that looks like hell.
So now for the drivers side. Once again the headers had a few tricks in store for me. The tubes are welded in such a manner that getting bolts into the flange holes on the inner holes of the outer tubes, let alone started into the threads, is impossible. The engine had to be jacked up, the holes slotted, the tubes clearanced, and re-installed. We managed to accomplish all this but once again, we needed three different types of bolts and lots of time was spent beating on the tubes so that we could get wrenches on the bolts once they were in. We finished up at about 10:30pm last night making this at least 18 hours worth of heartache and misery.
If these are the best fitting headers then I give up. I will never purchase a set of hedman headers for any of my other projects and I plan on warning all of the members of the Barracuda Owners Group. I will post your reply to the group too. Like I mentioned earlier, I hope this is just a case of one poorly made set slipping by the Quality Control department. If not, then it's safe to say that I would rather exit my car at highway speed then install another set of these babies.
Awaiting your response.
Josh Walton
Elko, Nevada
775-397-2813
BarracudaOwnersGroup