Headers?

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LarryB340

LarryB340

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Any suggestions for the best fitting headers for my 1969 Dart Swinger 340 four speed? I'm on a budget, planning on painted header and wrapping them. Just looking for headers that fit well without having to beat dents in them.
 
IMO stick with the manifolds unless you want to make serious horsepower. Even the expensive ones seem to be a pita. Been discussevely. Search it.
We went manifolds to Accurate Exhaust with Summit 2.25 inch low buck Flowmaster knock-offs. Sounds amazing.
Edit:
just looked at your build pictures. Maybe that cam will need headers. Budget and good fitting headers don't seem to go together. Best of luck!
 
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Doug’s D453’s or TTI’s for best fitting. Either one may still need a few small dimples. Some cars need them, some don’t, that’s just life with the body tolerances on these cars. I have Doug’s on my Duster with a 340 and a 4 speed. I needed a few dimples for my 1.12” torsion bars but if I had stock bars they probably would have been fine. I also have the spool type engine mounts, so, no shimming like you can do with the biscuit style mounts.

Other than the Doug’s, TTI long tubes and TTI shorties, all the other headers will capture the steering linkage. The ground clearance isn’t great with those styles, they usually end up flat.

The TTI’s and the Doug’s both need a TTI z-bar, or the stock Z-bar modified to the TTI specs. TTI has a diagram on their website, you basically just move the arm on the transmission side to the edge of the bar and turn in around so the stud faces the other direction.

Either way though with pretty much any A-body header there’s no guarantee that you won’t need to dent, dimple or modify something. The stock 340 manifolds do pretty decent for stock or close to stock engines.
 
Don't wrap headers unless you want them to rust WAY too prematurely. I would make a header recommendation, but the crowd would beat it in the ground so.....
 
I bought the highly recommended Doug's headers for my small block dart. They look great with the ceramic coating. But after bending, denting, and tweaking on them. The finish has a few scrapes and scratches.

If I was to do it again I would get the cheap headers and beat the crap out of them to make them fit and not worry about it.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Don't wrap headers unless you want them to rust WAY too prematurely. I would make a header recommendation, but the crowd would beat it in the ground so.....
Click to expand...
I bought a set of used tti big block headers, a few yrs back. They were wrapped , I figured I would make sure they fit , and took a couple of tubes out and straightened them out. Also figured to have them coated after finishing the car. 7 yrs later, I don`t want to mess w/ pulling them to have coated, I did rewrap, I hate that stuff. You get fiberglass in ur arms every time u have to work on it. Did I say, I hate it? Spend the $ now . Mine were chromed from tti, and have no rust yet. Also fit perfect, clearing everything, but are very tite.-----jfyi
 
Hey Larryb,
While many folks turn their noses up to them, the cheap, ie FREE in my case, Hooker Comps on my Duster fit nicely. The key to the install is to get the car up high, like 3 feet high. Disconnecting the idler arm was a pain the 1st time. But after having pulled and installed the headers several times, I am able to slip them in and out quite easily and quickly now.

I had no interest in shorty headers, would run stock 340 manifolds instead.

With 2 girls starting college in a year, fancy/expensive headers are a no go LOL!

Be well,
Pat
 
I have used tti headers.
Once with 340 j headed tti headers (headers came with the basket case)

Ran w2 tti headers for a few years on the stroked 340 (418) with the 1 5/8 headers.

Now waiting for the 1 7/8 w2 headers for the indy headed 418.

I have never had any issues with tti headers yet. Never had to dent or modify them in any way.

I also run tti x pipe full exhaust system with their mufflers. Everyone seems to love the sound of my car and I always get compliments.
I cannot compare any other header as I have never used any other brand.
 
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