Not sure if this is a General question or drive train question....
Anyone have any experience with headers and dual exhaust setups? Original car had single exhaust. I looked in Ames and noticed they have Doug's headers and Pypes exhaust systems. I have the original exhaust manifolds still on the car, but I was thinking about removing them and adding headers (part no. D569). Their tech rep said the footprint from the highest point to the lowest point on the system is 13.5 inches. Not sure how low they will hang off of the ground once the vehicle is loaded. The tech rep said they have problems installing on cars with a locking steering column (not in 67) and some factory heads need to tap a stud in place on the back of the motor, though he says this is rare. This is something I really don't want to do if I have to.
The exhaust from Pypes is a little more confusing. They have two different configurations 2 muffler systems, where you can pick your own mufflers, an "H" system or an "X" system (SGF42=H Pipe, SGF60=X pipe). One is slightly better performance at the lower end, the other gives better performance on the higher end. This car is a driver and my racing days are behind me, so either would be fine. With these two systems I would be able to choose from three mufflers, I would probably choose either race pro or street pro. The third system choice is a single-muffler variety is their race pro muffler (quietest of the 3) mounted transversely on either an X or H system. In either case I will have to modify the reinforcement bracket underneath. It drops 3" from the original position, and the exhaust stays up at least that high but no lower than 3" lost. Original muffler was transverse mounted.
Spoke with a club member last night who said that he was happy with his headers and dual exhaust. Prior to that I was pretty certain I didn't want them because of clearance, and modification of the cross bracket spacer underneath.
I would be interested to hear any do's and don't's before I commit to this, and any advice would also be appreciated.
Replaced my bent up rusty leaky hooker headers with long branch manifolds years ago. One of the best things I did. Headers are terrible to work with on pontiacs, especially with the limited space on birds. Avoid headers at all cost. My 2 cents
Thanks Bob. I feel the same way about air conditioning. I hate to work on or around it, but the emotion never comes over me when it’s 95° and it’s cooling down inside. I was pretty set against it, but I spoke with a club member yesterday who really loves his exhaust headers.
So the long branch manifold was stock in a ram air? They breathe a little better than the stock manifolds, the fit is better too, but you don’t have the fit problems you have with headers. Right?
I have to agree with bob on the headers based on your motor trans and gears and mostly how you describe your driving habits. I have installed many full length headers in 1st gens and it is not a job to go into lightly. I have never installed with factory a/c but own a stock 68 350 a/c vert now and would not wish that job on my worse enemy. Bob is right in my opinion on the long branch manifolds being a better option for your application and I'm pretty sure you have the end holes drilled/tapped in your heads. But just take a look at the ends of one of the manifolds it will either be an empty hole or have a bolt head peaking at you. My advice to you would be to put on one of the stock oe dual systems that Ames offers. I have made many dual exhaust on a pipe bender over the years and the problems you will run into with a lot of the over the counter high performance exhaust systems is they will not have the jogs in the pipes like in front of the dual mufflers and will instead just be straight. This is part of the reason these generic systems do not fit close to the body like original systems and having a vert. with the brace and stock slightly sagged suspension can cause lot of fiddling and rattles as well as ground clearance issues. One other thing to consider is noise, most of us love a nice throaty bark from our exhaust note but the unintended consequence of the mufflers your looking at and a lot of others is a terrible drone noise that will drill a hole in your head while cruising at steady rpms and can ruin the cruising experience. The stock dual oe with resonators will not give the drone and has a decent growl when accelerating. You have to think of an engine as an air pump, having to free of an exhaust system based on displacement heads intake carb cam and rpms is a total waste and will do nothing for you but make you feel better. Also if you go the stock dual route I would leave your manifolds alone and if you want to upgrade later any good shop can adapt your new setup to your system. It's my opinion with your 326 and specs. this would give you the cleanest best fitting with no drone setup
There isn’t that much wrong with the stock logs. Easy to deal with. Unless you’re trying to wring a few high end horsepower for the track, not sure there is much performance gain for headers over either logs or long branch
I just installed new headers on mine, Hedman Street Headers 28146 $485. ceramic coated. my old ones were toast. there only 3 tube, center 2 together. went in real nice. I did install a hi-torque mini starter, to have more room just incase have to work on starter.. I really like them.. had the local exhaust shop do the rest of the system. 2.5 inch pipes. with flomaster look a like.. sounds great..
Thanks for the post. Car looks great. Love the wheels. I’m glad you got yours to work for you. And you are right, that starter is a busy place under there. I would have loved having headers, but mine’s a Vert, decided for stock manifolds and exhaust because of the support grate under trans, and evaporator assembly on passenger side. If I would have left the AC off, probably would be shopping for headers...