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I have a pair of Hooker Super Comp’s and there is a hard clearance issue to the passengers side steering link/knuckle. It touches. Whats the the best way to this - BFH? They were $500!
I have Hooker Supercomp side pipe headers installed with no clearance issues.
My engine appears to be a stock style replacement with stock style iron heads.
There is a rubber boot (with grease inside it) on your idler arm that looks like it is right up against the header. If you start it it's going to melt and probably catch fire. The pipes should be further towards the rear from the idler arm. I think the header on that side is for a different application or was put into the wrong box. You can't "dent" that enough with a combustible rubber boot right next to it....
Last edited by CanadaGrant; Jun 10, 2018 at 12:11 AM.
I have Hedman headers with a 454 (NOM) in my 68 convert. I had to carefully dent, even after grinding some of the steel off the offending part of the idler arm and bolt. If you carefully mark the location and take the header off the car, you can heat the area with a torch to more carefully control the denting without risking making a crack in the steel.
I have installed Hedman headers and my current headers, StainlessWorks, and neither was close to the larger heavy duty idler arm. I cannot understand how any manufacturer build headers specifically for a certain car, and you would have to put a dent in them to make them fit. If I bought one of those, they would be send back with a very nasty letter.
If you do have to dent it...a socket laid on its side and smacked will make a smoother/softer dent that won't look so bad.
What Jim said.
To the O/P yes and no. It seems that because there is enough variation in these "old" cars and header manufacturing that some people will tell you they had no issue and others with the same header manufacturer and same engine configuration did. Don't be fooled by the cost of the header into thinking the more you pay the better the fit may be. The difference could be that the lesser price header manufactures aren't concerned with your fitment issues and will tell you to "clearance" the header while the more expensive header company will tell you if you didn't modify the headers package them and send them back and we will refund your money.
I can personally attest to that.
Last edited by 3JsVette; Jun 10, 2018 at 08:03 AM.
After I bought them, I had them blasted and I painted them with high heat header primer/paint/topcoat. Not sure if I can send them back? Also, I am running these with AFR heads on a 406.
I remember seeing a YouTube videos that showed a pair of headers needing to be dented about 50% before they had any impact on performance. To me, one you dent them, it takes the “tuning” out of them.
I had to dimple my header when I installed the Borgeson steering box. Just light taps with the rounded end of the ball peen hammer did the job. Replacing 50 year old motor mounts also helped get everything back into its intended position.
Last edited by Dynra Rockets; Jun 10, 2018 at 09:11 AM.
It's the raised exhaust ports on your AFR heads that are causing the interference. A small dent shouldn't hurt the tuning. Watch the engine masters video on you tube where they dented headers on the dyno. It will make you feel better.
From: Arizona - If you don’t know CFI, STOP proliferating the myths around it...
I have Hedman and had to dent them, no big deal and it doesn't hurt the performance unless the tube is closed. They did a video on this subject on Engine Masters and found NO change in HP, the dented header tube is a myth. It sucks that you have to dent an expensive set of headers, but it happens. Take 427Hotrods advise and use a socket to make it more aesthetically pleasing.
Heating and using the socket works well. Wasn't sure what coating he had and if he wanted to put a torch to them.
It is amazing how poorly some fit..because when you look at them you can see several ways the tunes could have been re-routed to clear better. There's tons of room in a small block Vette.
I;ve had small tube big block ones that were close to idler...yet my large tube Hookers weren't even close. Just depends on who's making them.
I dont think ive been involved in a header install ever that didnt have to have some tweak here or there, i came to believe thats just headers,
What sucks is like the hooker side mounts i have someone went overboard on a tube, dented way more than it needed,
I would hope now days with laser this and comp designed that they could make a set of headers that fit with zero tweaking.
My Hedman headers and my Stainless Works headers fit on my SBC with AFR heads with NO modifications required, plenty of clearance for everything. Just buy the headers that work and stop buying junk that don't fit. How hard is that?
Does everybody have to dent their headers?
What Jim said. 
