When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
As if anyone cares but maybe helping just one person who thinks header install on a vette is like building a space ship! (Summit Headers)
Anyway I didn't really expect to have to remove the zbar but lucky I did because the ball into the engine block was falling out!
Anyway so far on the drivers side needs no dents at all.
The closest spot is the Zbar and I can almost slide a finger inbetween it and the header tube.
Just for the fun of it I might dent the bottom of the tube a little so I can get a finger between the two.
Nothing and I mean nothing is in the way!!!!
If you want headers do it, this way you can drive it to the exhaust shop with open headers like im going to !
[IMG][/IMG]
i just installed a set of these on my 69. tube #4 had to be dented slightly for plug wire clearance.
the collector on the passenger side is too far outbound, and comes RIGHT underneath my floor boards, and about a mile away from the tranny crossmember.
my biggest complaint though is the bolt hole/tube spacing. i installed studs and nuts, and those nuts were scrapping against about half the header tubes. makes installing/removing the headers take forever. plus it all has to be done with a wrench.
did you break any bolts? and did you do anything before you started like soaking with liquid wrench etc
One day a couple of weeks ago I was just looking at stuff for problems and all my exhaust manifold bolts were finger tight so they are all coming out with no problem!
HI Tim, funny you say that. I have a 76 and I was under the car last weekend looking around and noticed the bolts to the exhaust manifold were falling out and some missing. Seems like the threads are pretty short, wondering if the guy who rebuilt the engine years ago used the wrong bolts? Anyway, since the exhaust manifolds are stock, wondering if I too should go with some headers. But from reading on the forum I think I should get ceramic coated for heat reduction. Thanks again for the pics and info that I shouldn't have any clearance problems with the ones from Summit.
Summits are a good set of regular install headers.
Now if coated headers are built the same and I didn't have to dent them that would be a good choice also.
Exhaust manifold bolts have to be tightened alot at first because they get hot and cold all the time and that is what loosens them.
Here is the passenger side.
[IMG][/IMG]
Now a few things to take note of.
Starter wires are now real easy to get to as is the plugs and wires.
Make sure your rubber fuel lines are in excellant shape and not leaking because there is only about maybe 4 inches between then and a very, very hot header tube.
Im going to see how the starter reacts to the heat also and if it dies im going with the external solenoid set up and that will be the end of that problem.
Oh yes not one dent has to be put in these headers.
Im used to Oldsmobiles where you have to grind your a-arm and beat and bang the headers to death and raise the engine up 5 inches just to squeeze them in!
So next will be the exhaust set up from a shop.
I am done with the install and drove it for like 6 to 7 miles. Definitely louder and sounds like a race car but when idling it very quite. Also, I did not get any errors or engine check light because I eliminated the rear O2 sensor, i mean using the rear as the front.
Next i will take the PCM out and mail it to East Coast for tuning