goathearder

So, I just put my new heads on this weekend and while I was doing that I swapped in a set of the Headman 68301 smog legal headers so I could pass smog. The driver side went in perfect but the passenger side didn't.

Basically, the passenger side header is sitting right up again the pitman arm that is bolted to the frame.

Has anyone else has this problem? Is there anything I can do?

78pacer

I would take a ballpean hammer and 'tune' that header until the desired clearance is achieved. Mark the affected area and do this procedure off the car of course.
Mike

goathearder

I may have to do that. I already had to heat the tranny cooling lines and bend those away a bit. I gotta tell you, the cheap 80 dollar summit headers on I had on there before fit perfectly with no issues whatsoever. I am not super impressed with the Headmans.

Little Mouse

Headers should be designed to clear the idler arm bolted to the frame.
Any chance you have a motor mount problem on the passenger side.

goathearder

You know, While I had the heads off I put a new set of energy suspension poly motor mounts in there since they were easy to reach. Is it possible that caused a problem? Is there something I can check for that?

James B

I have those headers and I ended up putting them in my neighbor hydrolic press in order to make the tubes more oval in order to get clearance. One of my friends who had these headers had to do the exact same thing. If I had to do it again I would buy a more expensive set of headers that had the proper clearances.

goathearder

Damn, sounds like it isn't an isolated issue. Good think I didn't get the coated ones, I would have to have to bend those.

vetteguy75

Which Hedmans did you get? The Blockhuggers?

The3

I had the same problem. Had to dimple the header and now no problem at all.

goathearder

I got the 68301 which are the Headers that have a CARB EO number for us california guys.

hwcoop

I'm running a set of Headmans, its close but haven't had any problems

James B

The headers that have the clearance issues are the Hedman Elite. They are the "thermal Coated" as opposed to the ceramic coated. They are listed for $280 in the summit catalog. I bought them because of the thicker metal (14 gauge), as well as the ball and socket flanges for the collectors.

69elky

If you purchased them new I would contact Hedman and see what gives.I have the non epa friendly long tube headers and they fit fine on my 79.

lil_red_devil

Contact Hedman. I bought a set for side pipes from jet hot and they fit like a glove. tightened them once only with stainless steel socket head bolts and never had a problem. Also clear the plugs well too.

Good luck

68/70Vette

The pitman arm is on the driver's side of the car, attached to the steering box. I think you're referring to the idler arm.

fauxrs2

Same on my 78.. the tube is very close to the boot of the idler arm...no effort to dimple the tube at that point.

76yellow

My 2 cents, I put ceramic coated headmans on my 73. They also hit the idler arm. I called headman & they said they were the correct headers for a small block vette. Their answer was to hit it with a hammer. I could'nt believe it. these were 4 or 5 hundred dollar headers. I also wraped that area with header wrap to keep from melting the rubber on the idler arm. Needless to say, I was pi.......

goathearder

So I called Hedman and they said the same freakin thing "Eh, just lay a piece of metal on there and hit it with a hammer till it fits". Are you kidding me? How can that be an acceptable solution from customer support?

Oh well, looks like the headers come off again.

Little Mouse

Did you happen to buy them from summit, jegs call them tell them the
product they sold you does not fit you want a different brand of header
or your money back. They sold you that part its there responsabilty to make it right, Summit, jegs, competition products they are all in competition with each other they don't want to lose you as a long term customer, I generally have bought from summit they have never gave me any flack on sending something back. JustinD bought a billit Zoom flywheel from summit installed it Damn Zoom advertisment on summit web site failed to mention the flywheel only works with a springless racing disc, he called summit they sent him another brand flywheel. Call the people that sold you the product tell them you worked hard for the $350.00 to get those new headers you expect them to fit the car. Bend on a brand new set of headers thats bullcrap.

Little Mouse

Lets say the above posters that bent on headmans headers for headmen sort of done headmans job for them all bought them say at summit sent them back instead of bending on them, no doubt summit is a big outlet for sales to headman, all the sudden theres a phone call to the owners at headman from the wheel at summit he says i'm getting a lot of your 68301 headers back I'm not going to put up with it fix the header or I'm going to drop your line of headers no more sales from us. I bet there would be a cold chill run down the neck of the man from headman the headers would be fixed to fit pronto.

I worked in an automotive supply warehouse in the early seventies lots of companies hoping to get on the selfs.