Well I cut off my old headers. No way they were coming out without engine removal. I cut them with a sawzall.

Maybe I should run them like this!
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g34/Brettd85/DSCN0916.jpg

Here are the old parts cut apart. I am selling the flowmaster 40's. The other header parts are free if anyone wants them. There are those reducers and nice shiny tips if someone could use them. They are 2.5". Look at how dented my headers were. Not from speed bumps but instead dips in the road. One of them was pretty caved in even.
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g34/Brettd85/DSCN0918.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g34/Brettd85/DSCN0917.jpg

New headers. Hedman mid lengths
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g34/Brettd85/DSCN0919.jpg

Heres my semi-tiny garage. Its better than nothing. :yes: That is my roomates kawasaki 1000.
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g34/Brettd85/DSCN0920.jpg

Here the shorties are installed. Driver side was hard to get in and there is about 1/32" of clearance between a tube and the crossmember. This is how I am driving to the exhaust shop.
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g34/Brettd85/DSCN0922.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g34/Brettd85/DSCN0923.jpg

More pics to come from the exhaust shop when I am getting stuff installed. It is going to be a 3" system to a magnaflow X-pipe to magnaflow huge 22" case mufflers, dumped at the axle. :thumbsup:

Sweet garage light, is that a bathroom vanity :D

Headers look good and the Headmans are a really good product, should hold up well. Are you going to replace your front springs too, or was the problem just the old headers hanging too low?

I can tell you really cared alot for your old exhaust system:eek:

Good to know where you live now, since if we get rained out were all coming over to the party:D

What size primaries did you go with on the shorties? I am suprised if they are 1 3/4 I would think they would have more of a neck down on them like mine and some others I have seen do.

Nicely done Brett! You get style points on the sawzall work.:D

I ran my car to the muffler shop with the same length headers. It's a fun ride.:yes:

After seeing your photos of the banged up headers, I am even more convinced that mid length's are the way to go for a strictly street driven vehicle in the same way that you stick with a shallow oil pan (stock or flared sump) and not an 8 qt. deep pan.

I have read and re-read dozens if not more posts/articles that poo-poo "shorties" stating that you'll lose gobs of power (i.e.-no better than stock manifolds, you'll be sorry, etc.).

It looks like you've got a fairly aggressive big block (yes/no?), so I would be very interested to get feedback on what changes you experience after it's all done:

Did you lose gobs of power?
How does the exhaust sound different (none, little, a lot)
Are you happy you did it?

Thanks in advance,
Fred

After seeing your photos of the banged up headers, I am even more convinced that mid length's are the way to go for a strictly street driven vehicle in the same way that you stick with a shallow oil pan (stock or flared sump) and not an 8 qt. deep pan.

I have read and re-read dozens if not more posts/articles that poo-poo "shorties" stating that you'll lose gobs of power (i.e.-no better than stock manifolds, you'll be sorry, etc.).

It looks like you've got a fairly aggressive big block (yes/no?), so I would be very interested to get feedback on what changes you experience after it's all done:

Did you lose gobs of power?
How does the exhaust sound different (none, little, a lot)
Are you happy you did it?

Thanks in advance,
Fred

I'd be interested in the outcome also since I am thinking about going from manifolds to headers.
I'd like to go with midlength also if going to them versus manifolds is worthwhile.

Mike, yes that is bathroom vanity! I need to look good while I work. :D

I will keep you guys updated. The midlengths are 1.75" primaries which should gain me some torque compared to the huge 2" primaries. I may lose a little high end but I am upgrading to the 3" system with x pipes so that may counteract it. I expect it to still be a very nice system. I am willing to trade some power for streetability aka not hitting headers on dips in the road. :thumbsup:

My springs are good bbc lowering springs with quite a stiff rate. Its just the hooker super comps hang WAAY to low. :yes:

Should have gone with the headman long tubes... Mine have NEVER hit. I have the hotchkis BB lowering springs in mine, so its a little lower than stock.

I used to have hooker supercomps and they hit all the time, like bretts did. Its just the header MFG

You know that purely by going from 2" primaries to 1-3/4" primaries you moved your torque peak down over 1,000 RPM...then you shortened the tube length and increased the RPM of the torque peak. It might be a wash. I doubt you will be able to tell the difference from seat-of-the-pants. You would probably see it at the track, but you don't have enough data prior to compare. If you do feel that you have lost torque you can always regain it by lengthening the collector. Just use an 8-10" piece of pipe after the header flange that is the same size as your collector (3-1/2"?); it should be. Then weld on your reducers after that.

Should have gone with the headman long tubes... Mine have NEVER hit. I have the hotchkis BB lowering springs in mine, so its a little lower than stock.

I used to have hooker supercomps and they hit all the time, like bretts did. Its just the header MFG

which header are you using now Ben? mid-lenths?

which header are you using now Ben? mid-lenths?

I have the full length Hedman Elites- They don't ever hit... Plenty of room for sparkplug access... Even fit on the car with minimal issues. Pass site slipped right in... drivers side, had to lift the engine to clear the steering shaft going in, but otherwise, no issues at all. Plus they have the ball flange collectors that never leak. Love em. I swear by hedmans

are those 3.5" to 2.5" collectors?

are those 3.5" to 2.5" collectors?

Those old collectors? Yes I believe they are 3.5 to 2.5. The new collectors are 3" and will be going no reducer just straight into 3".

How much do you want for those? I'm going to eventually need them when i put my headers on. Why do they put such huge collectors on? I've always heard that a 2.5" collector is fine for street driven cars.

You're Header's should come with some.

How much do you want for those? I'm going to eventually need them when i put my headers on. Why do they put such huge collectors on? I've always heard that a 2.5" collector is fine for street driven cars.

Mine's street driven,,,,,,,,,,hard!!!!!!!!!!!!! 3 1/2 inch collectors

2.5" exhaust is fine for the street, not 2.5" collector. I dont recall alot of headers having 2.5" collectors, maybe a set of exhaust manifolds?:confused:

2.5" exhaust is fine for the street, not 2.5" collector. I dont recall alot of headers having 2.5" collectors, maybe a set of exhaust manifolds?:confused:

Maybe on FORD headers,,,, :D

Maybe on FORD headers,,,, :D

I think the headers.......header on Kevins scion has a 2.5" collector:thumbsup:

You can have them for free. But agree, your headers should come with some. I will also have the ball style reducers if you want them.

Is it done yet?

Is it done yet?

I'll bet its not, he's got to change the lights in his vanity mirror.......................

I'll bet its not, he's got to change the lights in his vanity mirror.......................

& thery're like Christmas tree lights...........once one goes out,they all do:D

You can have them for free. But agree, your headers should come with some. I will also have the ball style reducers if you want them.

Yah the collectors that come with it are 3.5" to 3" and I have 2.5" exhaust

Exhaust is done, forgot to take pics though. They messed up the 02 sensor thread, then were gonna run a tap through it to clean it up. However, they didnt have a tap so they send a guy to harbor freight and to a bunch of hardware stores and of course he couldnt find it. :clonk: So then they cut mine out and weld in a new one, why didnt they do that in the first place?!? Took them 4.5 hrs to do the whole system with them going so slow. They did a fairly nice job though. I think the fronts could have been tucked just a little more. I am going to go pick it up now, had to leave it there after it was done since I had my honda. I will check out the ground clearance on the ground, still should be soooo much better than before. It also sounds pretty sweet.

Sounds like it all worked out in the end.

Of course we want pics and or video.:D

Mine took about 5 hours to do also with the X pipe and tucked up as tight as possible, it was not cheap but its the best system I have ever had. I think you will like yours too, it sucks bottoming out on nearly every bump. Should last a long time.

Guys, question for you...

One bad thing with the new exhaust is it chugs alot and jolts in the lower gears when I am at low rpm, foot off gas, engine braking. It never used to do it this bad, only before in 1st gear. Now I get it in 1st 2nd and 3rd. Why would the exhaust change this? Is it the backpressure change?

sounds like you lost some bottom end power.
I've heard this happens when you go from long tubes to mid-length.

sounds like you lost some bottom end power.
I've heard this happens when you go from long tubes to mid-length.

Even when I am foot off the gas engine braking? I realize an engine is an airpump and I am trying to make it spin faster than it wants too with the foot off the gas but is that why it would buck?

Is it missing? At the most it might need a small jetting change but I don't see how your primary header difference is going to effect idle speed or engine braking?

Is it missing? At the most it might need a small jetting change but I don't see how your primary header difference is going to effect idle speed or engine braking?

x2
although I can see the slight idle change.

I guess we will find out on the dyno?

Or @ the track

That will tell all,,,,,,,,, do you have burnoff tires too?

That will tell all,,,,,,,,, do you have burnoff tires too?

No burnouts for me until I figure out my pinion angle stuff. I get some slight wheel hop, especially when on the brakes. On the street I can dump the clutch and burnout in 1st or 2nd but at the track and when trying to foot brake the hop shows up.

I'm sure you've checked already... but could a plug wire be loose or grounding on a header tube?

Just trying to throw an idea out there.

I'm sure you've checked already... but could a plug wire be loose or grounding on a header tube?

Just trying to throw an idea out there.

I suppose the grounding wire could be loose but it starts and runs so smooth otherwise.

Did they leave a shop rag in a pipe or something?
Does the flow seem the same out of both pipes?

It just seems a pretty drastic change in performance for the change that you made.

Did they leave a shop rag in a pipe or something?
Does the flow seem the same out of both pipes?

It just seems a pretty drastic change in performance for the change that you made.

Lol, I suppose you could be right. I will check out the grounding. Yes flow seems same in both pipes.

Nitrous will even it out,,,, :D

Nitrous will even it out,,,, :D

For Brett or his Elky?:p

Any updates? Yer killin' me with the wait!

Not really... Still chugs at lower rpms in lower gears. I am just learning to live with it. I am going to do an upgrade to the ignition system soon and get the timing curve perfected. After that we will see how its doing.

boy I sure found out how much headers help. they woke my car up, it buzzes right up to 6300 now

boy I sure found out how much headers help. they woke my car up, it buzzes right up to 6300 now

Is this with the cops after you?

Is this with the cops after you?

no I waited till it cooled off and all the cops where in town and let her eat