Guys, I need some advice. I installed Hooker Comp headers on my 73 Duster 340. At the moment I was planning on using Hooker 3 in. into 2in. reducers and then running 2 inch exhaust to finish it out. Typical pain in the *** install, but I'm worried about the passenger side. The passenger side collector sits directly underneath the torsion bar grommet at the entry to the crossmember. I'm worried that the heat will melt the grommet. There is about an inch or two between them. I was thinking about taking the header back off and cutting 2 inches out of the collector to give me a bit more room to plumb the exhaust away or trying to find an offset reducer. I haven't been able to find an offset reducer yet, although I have been told by more than one person they are manufactured. Another idea one of my buddies suggested is simple but not what I'm looking to do and that is to wrap the sh$% out of that section of exhaust with header wrap. LOL not exactly my style. If anyone has run into this problem or has any websites or companies they could direct me to I would greatly appreciate it. Pictures soon to come.
Header Help
- Thread starter bedn2377
- Start date
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Inertia
Well-Known Member
You can fab a tin heat shield to connect to the collector bolts,,
69_340_GTS
Well-Known Member
Rubber won't melt until it gets over 300°F. Do you really think it'll get that hot?
I am helping (doing and teaching) a young friend with his 69 Torino GT. The body looks excellent but as soon as the hood was opened, YUCK! Anyway I talked him into pulling the 351W so I could paint the engine bay. $%&^#@* hot rodder couldn't leave well enough alone and he went out and bought Trickflow AL heads, Harland Sharps, Airgap intake, Thumpr cam, converter, etc.
Not a great header selection available for that body but we went with Hooker Supercomps. I can't believe they actually tested that header in this combination! I ended up cutting the shock towers1/2" for clearance on both sides, flattening a tube on each side by the shock towers, cutting and rewelding the trans shifter bracket, and the collectors still didn't line up with the cutouts in the trans crossmember so I cut clearance into the crossmember and rewelded that. One pipe STILL hit the trans case. BTW, heads have stock exhaust location. I think the problem is they try to make one header model fit a lot of body styles and everything is a compromise.
But here's a tip.:
With nothing to lose I grabbed a jack handle and jammed it through the collector and into one of the primary pipes. Put a pipe extension on the jack handle and the two of us pulled down and actually bent each header away from the trans and slightly down away from the crossmember to get clearance. It would be easier to get leverage if the car was on a lift but of course we're laying on cardboard on the garage floor. It has about 1/2" of clearance now and that'll have to do.
You might try it.
Not a great header selection available for that body but we went with Hooker Supercomps. I can't believe they actually tested that header in this combination! I ended up cutting the shock towers1/2" for clearance on both sides, flattening a tube on each side by the shock towers, cutting and rewelding the trans shifter bracket, and the collectors still didn't line up with the cutouts in the trans crossmember so I cut clearance into the crossmember and rewelded that. One pipe STILL hit the trans case. BTW, heads have stock exhaust location. I think the problem is they try to make one header model fit a lot of body styles and everything is a compromise.
But here's a tip.:
With nothing to lose I grabbed a jack handle and jammed it through the collector and into one of the primary pipes. Put a pipe extension on the jack handle and the two of us pulled down and actually bent each header away from the trans and slightly down away from the crossmember to get clearance. It would be easier to get leverage if the car was on a lift but of course we're laying on cardboard on the garage floor. It has about 1/2" of clearance now and that'll have to do.
You might try it.
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