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I was looking to buy the OBX headers after I read in most cases they fit perfectly.
I notice that they sell for 1,600$??
The Hooker headers sell for 500-800$.
What are you guys recommending ?
Oh ok, I was looking in OBX website: http://www.obxracingsports.com/products.php?pk=1597
Does the ebay OBX are good fit? Do I need to modify them? I read long time ago that some people had a problem with the header that was touching the pitman arm ?
I just installed them on my build. Small amount of trimming needed for install, body is off though. Putting them in and out multiple times to check clearance would be a big chore with the body on. Lots of pics on my thread if you wanna look. Header install is on last page, or maybe next to last page. 77 Resto-Mod
Hi Dan, I have fitted two sets of these, one on a 77 and the other on a 79. On the 77 the holes in the manifold flange which mount to the engine did not line up with the locations on the head so needed to be opened up. On both cars there was a significant difference when installing the header to head bolts. On the 79 it was very easy on the 77 the position of the down pipes made it really hard. If I remember the bolts had to go in before the flange was positioned against the head. The flange hole allowed the bolt to go in at an angle because the down pipe would not allow it to go straight in. On both cars the pipe near the pitman arm had to be dented in to clear it. Other than that they fitted well. On both cars the passenger side pipe was closer to the rocker panel. Loosening of and rotating the engine on the mounts would not work as it seemed like the passenger side was further in than the drivers side. On the 77 we just trimmed the aluminum rockers trim on the 79 I did not want to do that so I modified that header to clear. Hope this is of some use to you.
Pete This is my passenger side header with the addition of small spacers. I can now fit both rocker trims with clearance and no cutting of the trim The trims on the 79 are polished. The one at the bottom is from the 79, so I did not want to damage them .
After finally getting on the obx headers and pipes I love the look and they were a bitch to put on . It seemed like I lost some hp. So I read that the obx pipe baffels were an issue I will eventually want to get maybe turbo baffels or something long story short i ended up modifying the baffels and reinstalling them I like the dougs headers because you can get the pipes,baffels,headers seperate and would have went that route I think all the brands will have fit issues I know there was a significant change in power when I took baffels out it ran awsome but way too loud Im still messing with it today side pipes are a must for me though it gives it a good look but the sound that was always in my head was big block with pipes the small block is not quiet as throuty what made me notice that the obx were restrictive was the fact that my pipes would only get slightly warm but headers were super hot and so underhood temps were actualy hotter than when i had manifolds
question on denting the side pipe near pittman arm
Originally Posted by Pzark
Hi Dan, I have fitted two sets of these, one on a 77 and the other on a 79. On the 77 the holes in the manifold flange which mount to the engine did not line up with the locations on the head so needed to be opened up. On both cars there was a significant difference when installing the header to head bolts. On the 79 it was very easy on the 77 the position of the down pipes made it really hard. If I remember the bolts had to go in before the flange was positioned against the head. The flange hole allowed the bolt to go in at an angle because the down pipe would not allow it to go straight in. On both cars the pipe near the pitman arm had to be dented in to clear it. Other than that they fitted well. On both cars the passenger side pipe was closer to the rocker panel. Loosening of and rotating the engine on the mounts would not work as it seemed like the passenger side was further in than the drivers side. On the 77 we just trimmed the aluminum rockers trim on the 79 I did not want to do that so I modified that header to clear. Hope this is of some use to you.
Pete This is my passenger side header with the addition of small spacers. I can now fit both rocker trims with clearance and no cutting of the trim The trims on the 79 are polished. The one at the bottom is from the 79, so I did not want to damage them .
Great post and thanks, I just made a post about my OBX headers touching the back of the pittman arm on my 68 327 Coupe.
Sounds like I need to dent the one header tube. So how did you dent the tube??, little hammer, BFH, ha! heat to soften first?
This is going to be fun, fun, fun, I guess I need to mark the location, remove and dent and then reinstall the header, correct?? Also how much clearance needed or more likely easily obtainable? 1/4"?
I had to mark them and then take them off. Used a ball hammer and carefully dented the one tube to clear. I have about 1/4” clearance. The biggest issue I found was the flange holes on the headers not lining up with the holes in the heads, that is poor machining as the flange plates are machined prior to welding the down tubes into place. And the angle those tubes hit the header flange at can make it a bitch to get the bolts in.The 77 was a pain as I had to place the bolts in the flange holes and then try to screw them into the heads, holding the header away from the head because if I pushed the header against the head the bolts would push back hit the down tubes and go of being perpendicular to the head. I used the STS baffles with caps fitted. The caps are conical to keep a clean flow over the center tube.
I had to mark them and then take them off. Used a ball hammer and carefully dented the one tube to clear. I have about 1/4” clearance. The biggest issue I found was the flange holes on the headers not lining up with the holes in the heads, that is poor machining as the flange plates are machined prior to welding the down tubes into place. And the angle those tubes hit the header flange at can make it a bitch to get the bolts in.The 77 was a pain as I had to place the bolts in the flange holes and then try to screw them into the heads, holding the header away from the head because if I pushed the header against the head the bolts would push back hit the down tubes and go of being perpendicular to the head. I used the STS baffles with caps fitted. The caps are conical to keep a clean flow over the center tube.
Bitch to install.. Had to fabricate a wrench to tighten header bolts - the bends were too close to the header bracket. Had to "dimple a tube to clear the pitman arm and had to re-bend the drivers side pipe to fit the rocker panel (about a 2 inch drop from front to rear)
They do look good but the fit was far from perfect....I was lucky - I had access to tools, benders and welding gear!!
Bitch to install.. Had to fabricate a wrench to tighten header bolts - the bends were too close to the header bracket. Had to "dimple a tube to clear the pitman arm and had to re-bend the drivers side pipe to fit the rocker panel (about a 2 inch drop from front to rear)
They do look good but the fit was far from perfect....I was lucky - I had access to tools, benders and welding gear!!
curious Jim, did your rocker panel covers fit without having to trim them? Asking because I found that the drivers side fitted but the passenger side would not without some trimming.
I had to notch both sides where the sidepipe brackets mounted to the frame - about 1/4 of an inch for the width of the two brackets.. My biggest issue was the left/drivers side. as mentioned, the left side dropped about 2 inches from the front of the car to the rear wheel well.
When I uncrated the pipes I noticed that when I set the pipes on the garage floor - header brackets facing each other as would be mounted on the engine, they were uneven (using the floor as a reference point).
OBX Headers
