Recommendations for good "A" street header

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My TTIs were new in 1999. For the first five or six years, I drove that car 4 seasons. In 2004 or 05, I had the engine out for the last time, and the merges at the top where the salt and sand collect had become perforated. I welded them up and they went another 6 years, now as a part time car and weekend bomber. Around 2010 or 2012, I patched then again.
Those headers now have well over 125,000 miles on them, and If I put new merges on them, I guess they could go another 10 years.
BTW
The gaskets have never burned out, altho I replaced them one time, And the bolts never loose their torque. The nickle-coated pipes show no sign of perforation.I guess they'll go another 10 yrs, lol; for a total of 30 years.
Do the math; Mine were $495 back in 1999. That maths to $24.75 per year (on 20 years) plus merge repair; and still on second set of gaskets..

Couple that to the fact that I can hammer speed pumps, catch air, and mount curbs, with impunity, and not start grass-fires; I say TTIs for the win !!
No mine did not fit perfect, but I am a mechanic; I have tools. I solved the problems and made then fit. I also have a 4-speed, power brakes, power-steering, 1.03 T-bars, Milodon RoadRace oilpan, and the mini-starter was a big plus. I made it work with the factory Z-bar nocutting/nowelding; but yeah that was tight. And there is no way you can adjust the freeplay with hot pipes. But I figured out a way around that too.

If I had to do it over again, the only thing I would do different would be to cut and fit a patch in the top merge, so snow/salt/sand can not collect there, and I would do this before I installed them,lol. Or more likely I would call TTI and see if they could supply a slip-fit merge, yeah I like that idea.......
 
Don't know if header technology has changed since I was a young buck. I've had 2 set of headers on my '72s...Kustoms (R.I.P) and Doug Thorleys. IIRC neither set required any denting or manipulation to fit. One set (can't recall which) had the left front tube as a slip-on removable piece to go around the steering shaft, which had solidly rust-welded itself together by the time I had to remove them and required a zip wheel to cut it apart. I strongly dislike the idea of having to pound dents in ceramic coated pipes to fit, as that's where the peeling and flaking will most likely begin.
 
Captainkirk said:
@yellow rose
Do the Hookers bolt up without pounding dents in them? Also, do they clear the standard starter?
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This is a double edged question. But I’ll answer it in two parts...

#1 Hookers always bolt up. I think you ment to say hook up... but nether here or there... pounding dents into Bookers is the goal but... there used to taking a beating in one form or another... so good luck there!
As far as the “Standard Starters”, ya! I’m sure they’ll break a few cherries!

#2 Now the Hooker headers for my Duster actually required a minor dent at the drivers side bottom side of the header where it met the steering box. Stated clearance was fine.

If you’d afraid to beat up on some Hookers,
(#1 or#2 :poke:)
your in the wrong game.
 
rumblefish360 said:
If you’d afraid to beat up on some Hookers,your in the wrong game.
Click to expand...

Above the steering headers, are a tight fit, that's a fact.

I can't remember ever having fitment issues with under-the-steering headers; but it's tough to get them to survive more than a summer, cuz it seems no matter how careful you are, that one hanging-down pipe, is gonna take some hits. The only time I ever drove like a granny was the day I took my the driving test.I have never been one to drive with much regard for my junk; if it breaks I just fix it. And drive until something else breaks. When speed bumps were invented, man those were the worst! I had to memorize them as they appeared. And memorization was never my gift...... Over-the-steering headers means to me, freedom to "drive"
The cheaper headers, have flanges so thin that even with the best composition gaskets will blow out, maybe partly because the stinking bolts won't stay torqued. And the collector flanges are even worse.
Speaking of which, the TTI collector flanges are pretty substantial, and mine have never blown out a gasket. For me, after initial adjustments, the TTIs have been a pleasure. In the Early years, I used to take the hotrod 360 out every fall and swap in a stock-smog-longblock (with just a TQ) for the winter. Then I would freshen the 360 over the winter and swap it back in in spring. I did this at least 5 maybe 6 times. So that's like 13 installs. And thru it all, I only installed new gaskets once, and not because it particularly needed to be done. I still have the TTI supplied gaskets hanging on the wall as back-ups.

BTW
The nickle-plated headers do just fine. The only problem I have had, I did to myself. One of the steering arm studs (pitman I think) scratched one of the tubes, before I caught it and fixed it. The tube surface-rusted right in the rut. That was year 1999, and it still has not rusted thru. None of the clearance dents have made trouble.
The only thing you will ever regret with over-the-steering headers is the initial cash outlay. But as the years go by, in the end, they will have been a one-time purchase, and the cheapest, on a per-year basis.
Reminds me of the Optima Battery; same deal.
 
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Thin cheap flanges ....

Summit’s have a nice and thick one @ 3/8 IIRC...
 
Now I’d like to see ARP increase their header bolt length to 1” instead of 3/4”. With 3/8 flange 3/16 thick gasket ya don’t have much length left especially in aluminum heads
 
Captainkirk said:
@yellow rose
Do the Hookers bolt up without pounding dents in them? Also, do they clear the standard starter?
Click to expand...


The older Hookers bolt up without denting them. It seems Hooker, like the rest of the businesses in this country has sent their manufacturing to the chicoms, so they may be shitaroo now.

The 5204’s and the 5303’s both clear a standard starter. When those headers were designed there were no mini starters!! That’s how old I am. In fact, I bought my first set of 5204’s in 1980, and 5303’s in 1984.

I still use both today. My junker has 5303’s on it and I was lucky to find those.
 
I bought my first hookers in about 1975/76. They were fenderwells , for a 340 into a 65 Valiant Wagon. I remember they were very expensive, but they were the only game in town. My lil brothers watched in amazement as I opened up the aprons. Heck!, I think they cost more than what I paid for the entire wagon, which IIRC was $395. The wagon is long gone, and so are the brothers.
 
I have always ran inexpensive headers from cyclones .,summit headmen and even Doug thoroughly My latest pair have been on my car for 4 years now they're jegs they have very heavy flanges I had to purchase longer bolts and had to use Allen heads in some of the flange bolts. I also run an oversized oil pan and had to massage them slightly with a mall. But overall I'm very happy with the header and when I need a new pair I will probably purchase them again I think I paid $145 or something
 
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