Hedman Shorties = Cakewalk.

[Not A Duster]

Finally got around to installing the Hedman tite tube "shorty" headers I bought this winter.

I have to say I'm impressed - nice thick flanges, ceramic coating and the fit is awsome. (I had some concern regarding the power steering pump, but it turned out to be unfounded.) The best part was the installation: 2.5 hours total including draining antifreese, removing the old exhaust, installing a mini starter & putting the new headers in place.

Taking the car in on Tues to get pipes installed.

And before all you boy racers start...yes I know I will never see the full benifit of a 900 horsepower pro-stock engine using shorty headers.....

 

[69.5CUDA]

was the mini starter "required" for the shortys?

 

[68R/T]

Camera broke?? [smilie=e:

 

[Stretch]

Why did ya have to drain the antifreeze? That thing have the marine 340 in it? The one with the water cooled manifolds.



Nice workNad. We need some pics.

 

[Not A Duster]

Camera broke?? [smilie=e:[/quote]

Pics are too big to attach.

 

[Not A Duster]

was the mini starter "required" for the shortys?

Yup . I was going to do this anyway, so it was not a big deal.

 

[beeper*71]

Very good nodda...even on my big block the shortys was cake. [smilie=c:

 

[Da-ho]

So you actually have a 900 horse small block in something? [smilie=2: [smilie=2:

 

[mopar_man]

So you actually have a 900 horse small block in something? [smilie=2: [smilie=2:[/quote]

[smilie=e:

Here's some pictures that our old friend sent me. They look good and we had a good time terrorizing the town on the open tubes today

[img]http://moparman.demoni.ca/Demon/headers3.JPG[/img]

 

[Not A Duster]

Thanks Flamin' Head - for the help and for posting the pictures....

Them shiny tubes sure make that 318 look nasty, don't they..?

 

[RUSTY Cuda]

Sorry to agree Nod, had the same look when I put that shinny new carb on the 74, make the old stuff look even worse!
Looks like you clear coated the master before installing, good move mines rusting already, but it's comming back off in a few years so I'll live with it!
headers look sweet! is your workbench in a seperate enviorment controlled room, can never get mine that clean(even when empty!) Rich.

 

[mopar_man]

Looks like you clear coated the master before installing

Hehehehe. He should tell you what that really is on the M/C [smilie=i:

 

[Not A Duster]

Looks like you clear coated the master before installing

Hehehehe. He should tell you what that really is on the M/C [smilie=i:[/quote]

OK:

Shane drools, a lot.

 

[beeper*71]

OK:

Shane drools, a lot.

Dammit nodda. *Gets towel to clean beer from screen.*

 

[OrphanedV8s]

[smilie=i:[/quote]

OK:

Shane drools, a lot.

ZIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNG!

Dave

 

[mopar_man]

OK:

Shane drools, a lot.

Jeez. You coulda made something up like a leaky lid or something

 

[XLR8R]

HE did. IT just happened the lid was yours.

 

[Not A Duster]

So - an update on these things. Just goes to prove that anything easy comes with a price.

Ran into a couple issues with these headers people should be aware of:

First: They don't fit well in A-bodies. I know - I said they were easy to install & fit like a glove - but once I got 'em to the local exhaust shop, we noticed that the things dump directly above the steering gear on both sides of the car. This resulted in a right-angle bend directly below the collector and some serious pipe gymnastics - particularily on the driver's side. I am really not sure If I will be able to clear it with the clutch hardware when I make those changes. Not impressed.

Apparently it's not as big an issue on e-body/b-body cars. I cannot say for sure.

Second: The bolts they supply are soft. Been chasing exhaust & coolant leaks since I put them in to the point of draining the antifreeze & changing the cheepo supplied gasket to something better. Still ... tic tic tic. Turns out tightening the things screws up the threads. Changed 'em out with some old used ARP header bolts I had layin' around & it corrrected the problem.

To sum up:

Don't buy 'em for an A-body. Period.

Don't used the supplied gaskets. (I already knew this ... went and used 'em anyways.)

Buy as set of quality header bolts. You will have to use the supplied ones in a couple spots, because they have unsersize heads to fit under the pipes.

I purchased these things because tti's are out of my finacial reach and I did not want to go with the $159.00 crush-o-matic style. However these were not exactly cheap either - particularily with the HTC coating.

I'm disapointed.

 

[6pkrunner]

Damn! That was a big comedown from the first post. Sorry to hear they weren't what you were hoping for Nodda. I read a test on shorty headers a while ago ( I cannot say they were Heddman's or not) but the flange angled toward the firewall by several degrees, making custom pipes madatory, but also neatly clearing all the naughty bits that you seem snagged up into. And for exhaust fastening Grade 8 hardware stops the crap dead in its tracks. After Hookers on my '68 runner (headers - not ladies) and the headaches from supplied header bolts - never again. Fool me a thousand times, shame on....whatever.

So the ease of install was negated - now the ground clearance issue comes into focus. You have got to have more clearance than with conventional headers?

 

[Not A Duster]

Ground clearance is awesome - that was the point, I guess. But I didn't expect all the issues.

I expected custom pipes - I didn't expect it to be so challenging that it would take all day. [smilie=e: