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I am thinking of going to a shorty header that will go to the stock head pipes for the exhaust. I have Hooker long tubes on the car now. Who makes a good set of shorty headers. I have seen stainless ones on E bay for under $200. Car is a 72 with a 502 in it.
Last edited by 540 vette; Oct 6, 2019 at 08:03 AM.
I think you will be leaving some HP on the table by going shorty. What’s wrong with using the long tubes?
With over 500 HP now does it really matter. It's a street car and will never see any kind of racing. I have a 67 GTO with a 540 chevy for that. I have long tube now. They will be a little quieter and and a little less heat in the interior.
From: Las Vegas - Just stop perpetuating myths please.
IMHO shorty headers are much better in every aspect than cast manifolds. But if heat transfer to the passenger compartment is the problem then I don't think the long tubes are to blame. In my personal experience on my '74 the rubber shifter boot which is under the leather shifter boot was torn and allowing hot engine compartment air into the passenger compartment. Also my trans tunnel insulation was missing. My right leg used to get so hot I couldn't let it touch the trans tunnel with it at all while driving. Another large source of passenger compartment heat was the ventilation box seals inside the ventilation box - the mixing door seal was entirely gone allowing heater core air flow to mix with the cooler ventilation air. Yes it's a job and a half to replace the ventilation box seals but on 45 year old car it's difficult to avoid replacing them unless you live in Alaska.
Something else that will help but lower on the list is to use adhesive backed insulation to cover the floorboards above the exhaust pipes - helps protect the fiberglass there. And finally ceramic coat your long tubes headers. Shorty headers are maintenance friendly and reduce exhaust reversion but it's kinda shame to remove good long tubes that already are fitted.
IMHO shorty headers are much better in every aspect than cast manifolds. But if heat transfer to the passenger compartment is the problem then I don't think the long tubes are to blame. In my personal experience on my '74 the rubber shifter boot which is under the leather shifter boot was torn and allowing hot engine compartment air into the passenger compartment. Also my trans tunnel insulation was missing. My right leg used to get so hot I couldn't let it touch the trans tunnel with it at all while driving. Another large source of passenger compartment heat was the ventilation box seals inside the ventilation box - the mixing door seal was entirely gone allowing heater core air flow to mix with the cooler ventilation air. Yes it's a job and a half to replace the ventilation box seals but on 45 year old car it's difficult to avoid replacing them unless you live in Alaska.
Something else that will help but lower on the list is to use adhesive backed insulation to cover the floorboards above the exhaust pipes - helps protect the fiberglass there. And finally ceramic coat your long tubes headers. Shorty headers are maintenance friendly and reduce exhaust reversion but it's kinda shame to remove good long tubes that already are fitted.
Hope this helps.
I don't have a heater in my car. My car has all the seals in the tunnel and on the floor. The car was recently redone. My Hookers are brand new and I would sell them to get the shorty's.
I have the mc jacks shortys with the corvette central N-11 off road exhaust 70 454 I think they sound great ,, I still have plenty of power to leave a hundred foot burn out ,,lol
Fit perfect, don't leak (also run aluminum gaskets so I don't think anything would leak anyway) look good, sound good (2-1/2" CC exhaust, currently with magnaflow
But NOT CHEAP by any stretch of the imagination
M
Fit perfect, don't leak (also run aluminum gaskets so I don't think anything would leak anyway) look good, sound good (2-1/2" CC exhaust, currently with magnaflow
But NOT CHEAP by any stretch of the imagination
M
I just bought patriot tight tuck headers...well they came with the full dual magnaflow exhaust system from CC. But they look like they're put together pretty well and are apparently ceramic coated. Have yet to confirm any performance or heat aspects of them yet tho.
Shorty headers
