How high for headers?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: May 2015
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From: Milford, CT
How high for headers?
How high do I need to jack my 77 to install headers? I am considering either long tube headers or long tube side headers. I have 6 heavy duty jack stands, a nice hydraulic floor jack and a flat cement garage floor. I need to get the car jacked up alone. I won't have any help. My frame is in fine shape. The car will probably be up on the jack stands for a few days. Can I just jack up the front or do I need to do the entire car if I go with side pipes and side headers. The side pipe system I am looking to buy is either Hooker or Dougs.
Had a 1976 L-82, 4-sp
Joined: Mar 2011
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From: Some days your the dog and some days your the hydrant.
Royal Canadian Navy
I have Hooker sidepipe headers. They will go on while the cars is just on the jack stands but you may need to remove the oil pressure and temperature sender unit. I also removed the Z-bar assembly as mine is a 4-sp. The passenger side was easy.
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Pro
Joined: May 2015
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From: Milford, CT
The installation instructions for the Hooker side headers state the car needs to be jacked up 30" off of the ground. I would NEVER trust being under a car using jackstands that high up! Some threads I read say 16" is all it needs to go. I just don't want to buy the headers and find out that I can't install them because I don't have a lift. I would love to get one of those kwiklifts but that's out of the question at this point. I have installed long tube headers in other cars and I never remember jacking height to be an issue. I also have a set of ramps but I can't drive the car up on to them. I do have 6 heavy duty jack stands and a nice floor jack.
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
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I have my car since 1973 and have gone through at least 3 sets of side pipe Hooker style headers. I have done all of them by jacking up the front of the car only. I do not own any usually high stands or a special floor jack.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2008
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From: Meriden CT
As long as you can roll comfortably under the car you're high enough. Get the rear up too, its easier and you'll need to for the rest of the system any way. I'm able to remove and replace my long tubes without removing the oil pressure sender, but the spark plugs gotta go.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2007
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From: Graceland in a Not Correctly Restored Stingray
The installation instructions for the Hooker side headers state the car needs to be jacked up 30" off of the ground. I would NEVER trust being under a car using jackstands that high up! Some threads I read say 16" is all it needs to go. I just don't want to buy the headers and find out that I can't install them because I don't have a lift. I would love to get one of those kwiklifts but that's out of the question at this point. I have installed long tube headers in other cars and I never remember jacking height to be an issue. I also have a set of ramps but I can't drive the car up on to them. I do have 6 heavy duty jack stands and a nice floor jack.
30"? Nah, I've never had to jack mine nearly that high.
As for the jack stands themselves, as long as they're good quality (there are some dodgy ones) and located properly in a stable position the problem isn't height, rather how to achieve height safely. I've seen large aircraft supported on a handful of them well above their normal "ride height".
Had a 1976 L-82, 4-sp
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 5,338
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From: Some days your the dog and some days your the hydrant.
Royal Canadian Navy
jgcable, I just used run of the mill jackstands and the car is only about 16" off the ground. If you need extra height, use a floor jack to get a few more inches while on the jackstands but only after you have removed any pieces that are preventing the headers from going up through. Once everything is out of the way it only takes a few seconds to get them up through.
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Drifting
Joined: Jan 2011
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From: Hamilton Virginia
For some reason, I am remembering all I did was drive mine up on standard ramps and they slid under and up. But if it wasn't that then it was my small stands and It wasn't much more than 14"-16" . Piece of cake though actually easier than I thought it would be. Took out the plugs. removed the oil switch. Pretty tight around the steering box was the only trouble.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2014
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From: Long beach NY
St. Jude Donor '15-'16, '18
About 24 in. Was all I needed to maneuver headers, had to remove plugs, oil temp send, and z bar, I used Dougs with copper gaskets so far so good. Still waiting to replace rocker moldings, didn't want to cut orig. sprayed area black for now, actually looks good enough to leave.
Good luck
Good luck
Had a 1976 L-82, 4-sp
Joined: Mar 2011
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From: Some days your the dog and some days your the hydrant.
Royal Canadian Navy
Drifting
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From: Kernersville NC
I use two Big Red 4 ton double ram bottle jacks from Northern Tool. I place them under the lower control arm, just inboard of the ball joint. With them all the way up the side pipe headers can be installed with no issue. I would guess the frame behind the front wheel is 16 inches above the floor.
Drifting
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From: Long beach NY
St. Jude Donor '15-'16, '18
Race Director
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From: San Jose CA
For some reason, I am remembering all I did was drive mine up on standard ramps and they slid under and up. But if it wasn't that then it was my small stands and It wasn't much more than 14"-16" . Piece of cake though actually easier than I thought it would be. Took out the plugs. removed the oil switch. Pretty tight around the steering box was the only trouble.
Had a 1976 L-82, 4-sp
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 5,338
Likes: 1,213
From: Some days your the dog and some days your the hydrant.
Royal Canadian Navy
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
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From: Western NY
"Regular" headers can be slid under the car, "on their sides", then rotated up into position, because they're a LOT more compact that a sidemount header. The sidemounts have to go under the car "as is" then lifted into the engine compartment.
Set the sidemounts on the ground, and measure from the flange to the ground. THAT'S how high the car needs to be, to be sure you are high enough. I've never installed a set of these on a Corvette, but did on a Trans Am that I used to own.
I don't remember exactly how high I had to raise the car, but I know it was pretty high.....in fact, I distinctly remember the instruction sheet saying 36", and I'm thinking, "Yeah, right"......Well the instructions were pretty close.....
Set the sidemounts on the ground, and measure from the flange to the ground. THAT'S how high the car needs to be, to be sure you are high enough. I've never installed a set of these on a Corvette, but did on a Trans Am that I used to own.
I don't remember exactly how high I had to raise the car, but I know it was pretty high.....in fact, I distinctly remember the instruction sheet saying 36", and I'm thinking, "Yeah, right"......Well the instructions were pretty close.....
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Pro
Joined: May 2015
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From: Milford, CT
"Regular" headers can be slid under the car, "on their sides", then rotated up into position, because they're a LOT more compact that a sidemount header. The sidemounts have to go under the car "as is" then lifted into the engine compartment.
Set the sidemounts on the ground, and measure from the flange to the ground. THAT'S how high the car needs to be, to be sure you are high enough. I've never installed a set of these on a Corvette, but did on a Trans Am that I used to own.
I don't remember exactly how high I had to raise the car, but I know it was pretty high.....in fact, I distinctly remember the instruction sheet saying 36", and I'm thinking, "Yeah, right"......Well the instructions were pretty close.....
Set the sidemounts on the ground, and measure from the flange to the ground. THAT'S how high the car needs to be, to be sure you are high enough. I've never installed a set of these on a Corvette, but did on a Trans Am that I used to own.
I don't remember exactly how high I had to raise the car, but I know it was pretty high.....in fact, I distinctly remember the instruction sheet saying 36", and I'm thinking, "Yeah, right"......Well the instructions were pretty close.....
That's what I was thinking. I want to go the side headers, side pipes route but it looks like I will need to get the car almost 3' in the air. That's simply not going to happen in my garage. That's a job for some kind of car lift.. not jack stands! I may need to go with full length long tube headers and a 2.5" exhaust back to a set of Flowmasters or Magnaflows. I was also considering that Allens chambered system.
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Pro
Joined: May 2015
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From: Milford, CT
So... from all the responses I guess my choice is simple when it comes to headers. I should have no problem with standard jack stands or ramps and jack stands if I go with standard long tube headers.
If I go with side headers and side pipes I would need a lift because the car has to be up at least 30" in order to slide the headers in and that's higher than I am comfortable with using jack stands.
If I go with side headers and side pipes I would need a lift because the car has to be up at least 30" in order to slide the headers in and that's higher than I am comfortable with using jack stands.