hello all,

i have a 68 FB conv with a older chevy ZZ3 350 with aluminum heads, iam sick & tired of low scraping headers plus too loud for my taste. so, can i install stock castiron exhaust manifolds on aluminum heads ? someone told me not a good idea (something to do with heat).. if so why ?

also has anyone had any luck or are using theses http://www.sandersonheaders.com/product_info.php?cPath=21_23_35&products_id=67

or should i stick to stock exhaust manifolds ?

one more thing,

i know shorty headers will give me ground clearance, but are they as load as full lenth headers ?

thanks
ak

you have a chevy engine so the possibilities ar endless. i would go with a set of block hugger headers and an exhaust made for the camaro. this would be th esame set-up as the firebird and give you no problems with fit. as for the noise, you can solve this by choosing the right muffler for your application and sound/noise preference!!

andy

Thanks for the quick reply, i quess what iam trying to say ( too Loud ) is with a conv i hear more engine tarter from my full lenth super comp headers than what i hear rumble from tail pipe... or do i have header leaks ?

will block headers allow me to hear more tail pipe music than engine tarter ?

thanks
ak

i dont know exactly what you mean but im taking it you hear more exhaust then engine. you might have a leak in this case and id check for it by starting the car up and reaching underneath feeling around the exhaust of rany "windage" from the exhaust. if you hear the exhaust coming from the engine compartment, check your header gaskets as they may be leaking. i was told by an engine builder as an extra added precaution if you are using the cardboard gaskets, to use a gasket sealer. permatex makes it and is available at your local parts store. it has a copper base to accept the heat and helps seal them. otherwise if you can get ahold of a pair of soft copper haskets, they might help you and are a re-usable solution if you decide to switch your headers at another time

I'd recommend the red high-temp RTV for sealing header flange gaskets.

Also check your header flanges with a straight edge. You'll probabaly find that they are not true. I used #36 grit on a longboard, and a lot of elbow grease to true up my headers' flanges, then dusted them with #80 and #100. As tohcan says, high temp rtv works well with paper gaskets. My headers are super miserable to install fasteners, so I glued the gaskets to the header, and let it cure overnight. That way, I didn't have to chase gaskets floating around in a blob of sealer. (I cannot comment on other brands, but with the old style hooker comp +, the 67-81 versions, it would turn into a real mess to float gaskets in sealer while installing. Install the header to the engine with rtv between the gasket and engine ports, and draw the bolts to just snug. Let it sit overhight; then, put the mojo to the bolts. The headers are totally leak free, something that I have never had in the 30 years of running headers on a fgf.

It has only been one season, with super light use, so we have to let the timeline run a while. In the past, however, the always leaked, and didn't take long to blow out to the zit-zit-zit syndrome. My mufflers are more quite than most, so header leaks sound exponential.

And if you decide on going to stock manifolds for the Chevy, I have a set from a 68 Camaro I would part with.