Small block E-body headers fit in a B-body?

[Jerseys Finest]

I was at a swap meet in south jersey over the weekend and was talking to one of the few mopar vendors and the guy claimed e-body headers will easily fit into a b-body,has anyone tried this? and how close was the fit?

 

[rumblefish360]

Yes, been there done that, you'll never know it was for another body sytle.

This is mostly due to the one size fits all design of the headers for one, two, the E-body is a shortened B body.

I have personally installed the one size fits all header between the two body styles as well as a set of hooker Super Comp 1-3/4 small block headers between body styles. They went from My Cuda to my '79 Magnum.

 

[moparmarks]

Yes, been there done that, you'll never know it was for another body sytle.

This is mostly due to the one size fits all design of the headers for one, two, the E-body is a shortened B body.

I have personally installed the one size fits all header between the two body styles as well as a set of hooker Super Comp 1-3/4 small block headers between body styles. They went from My Cuda to my '79 Magnum.

Most companies make the same header for both B and E. The 71/2B is the same front inner clip as E. 66/70B isn't much different

 

[Jerseys Finest]

Thanks for the input guys, unfortunately the guy i know with a set of them sold them,but i found a local guy with a set of 80's truck headers for $50.00 i wonder if they'd fit if combined with a mini starter?

 

[rumblefish360]

Absolutely no way no how not even with a BFH and a touch.

 

[Jerseys Finest]

from the picture they looked like they'd fit but they looked kinda wide for the driver side,i need headers bad

 

[greenmonsta79]

lol at the truck headers on a B-body! no way they would ever fit! but yes B/E headers are the same.

 

[rumblefish360]

Well, Jegs/Summit headers are about the cheapest headers out there but have 3 of 4 tubes running under the steering linkage on the drivers side. This side will always get bangs on the floor and get dented and sooner or later, flattened out.

IMO, if you can wait and save, do so and purchase tti (Step header) or Hooker Super Comp headers with 1-3/4 pipe. Not the 1-5/8 size tube of the comp header.

Very well worth it in the long run. Just a bit of coin up front.

 

[Cranky]

I messed up a right side header on my old 79 pickup and just happened to have one from a small block E body laying around and it fit right in. It was close to the frame tho but it went in without any mods. Yeah, it surprised me too. I would have to say that the left side will not fit based on the way they look but if you had them laying around, it might be worth a try. The steering box location on a truck allows more leeway in the way they are made and I doubt they would be even close to what a car needs.

 

[MoparBillTX]

I used Summit headers on my Challenger, PITA to install, constantly leaked, removed with a torch and replaced with Dakota manifolds. Manifolds are tight on the DS but worked well. I learned quality headers arwe the ONLY way to go, cheapies aren't worth the metal they're built with...

 

[Randy73]

Well, Jegs/Summit headers are about the cheapest headers out there but have 3 of 4 tubes running under the steering linkage on the drivers side. This side will always get bangs on the floor and get dented and sooner or later, flattened out.

IMO, if you can wait and save, do so and purchase tti (Step header) or Hooker Super Comp headers with 1-3/4 pipe. Not the 1-5/8 size tube of the comp header.

Very well worth it in the long run. Just a bit of coin up front.

Depends on the engine, if you have stock or near stock engine, 1 3/4 primaries will cost you torque and maybe a few ponies. 1 5/8" will give you way better torque and HP, you need a certain amount of back pressure and 1 5/8 " will give you that. I heard this from countless people who build engines, go with the smallest primaries that do not restrict airflow to get the maximum amount of power from an engine and by power I mean HP and TQ.

 

[PoppaSmurf]

absolutly agree Rumblefish for a small blk 1 5/8 is the way to go...but to add to that use "long tube headers" dyno test have shown over the years a 5-10 hp increase over the shorties, and if it's an all out racer there are a few tricks in trimming the collecter lenght that actually helps as well....

 

[Cranky]

Depends on the engine, if you have stock or near stock engine, 1 3/4 primaries will cost you torque and maybe a few ponies. 1 5/8" will give you way better torque and HP, you need a certain amount of back pressure and 1 5/8 " will give you that. I heard this from countless people who build engines, go with the smallest primaries that do not restrict airflow to get the maximum amount of power from an engine and by power I mean HP and TQ.

"Go with the smallest primaries that do not restict airflow....."

I agree with that whole heartily but at the same time, you contradicted yourself by stating you need back pressure. You need to match the tube size with the engine you plan on using. Larger tubes will let the flow get 'lazy' and will not create a scavenging effect. The first pulse helps pull the 2nd pulse along the tube and so on. Back pressure? A large tube on a small engine will impede the quality of flow and will actually create backpressure....in a nutshell.

 

[rumblefish360]

Depends on the engine, if you have stock or near stock engine,

True, but how's doing that these days. If you are the OP are, then I would recommend manifolds. The 1-5/8 headers are best described as above...

cheapies aren't worth the metal they're built with...

1 3/4 primaries will cost you torque and maybe a few ponies.

Nope, inccooorect.

1 5/8" will give you way better torque and HP,

Only on the mildest of builds.

you need a certain amount of back pressure and 1 5/8 " will give you that.

Not exactly. I'd rather call it incorrect than go into any detail. Back pressure is more myth than anything. Though zoomy headers are a over the top thing. I do agree a certain size header tube for a certain amount of power is the right thing to do.

However, at this level, forgettaboutit.

I heard this from countless people who build engines, go with the smallest primaries that do not restrict airflow to get the maximum amount of power from an engine and by power I mean HP and TQ.

Absoultley agree. Except the problem of street driving with the 1 size fits all header hanging down low on small block MoPar cars which in turn, ends up being a waste of money time and effort and a real beoutch of an effort it is only to end up destroying them. NEVER AGAIN!

 

[rumblefish360]

absolutly agree Rumblefish for a small blk 1 5/8 is the way to go...but to add to that use "long tube headers" dyno test have shown over the years a 5-10 hp increase over the shorties, and if it's an all out racer there are a few tricks in trimming the collecter lenght that actually helps as well....

I have noticed, that a custom header (Price not an issue. Like all headers are 99 cents) will eeek out a few ponies more. The design lengths of the parts can be custom to every engine and perform differently.

While I'd like to stay with a 1-5/8 tube size, I only know of one maker that does it right or as close to right as possible and NOT have 3 tubes drag on the nearest speed bump or mini pot hole, DOUG's.

And that would be the header I forgot about to mention and the only small tube header worth a mention.

(I still consider a 1-3/4 tube header a small tube header. But that is just me. Call it what you like. Big tube is the next size up @ 1-7/8 IMO.)

 

[rumblefish360]

Thank you Cranky!

I should also note that the -3/4 units I have are on a engine well suited for them. Certainly not stock.

 

[Randy73]

"Go with the smallest primaries that do not restict airflow....."

I agree with that whole heartily but at the same time, you contradicted yourself by stating you need back pressure. You need to match the tube size with the engine you plan on using. Larger tubes will let the flow get 'lazy' and will not create a scavenging effect. The first pulse helps pull the 2nd pulse along the tube and so on. Back pressure? A large tube on a small engine will impede the quality of flow and will actually create backpressure....in a nutshell.

Should have written that part better, what I meant was that is there needs to a slight back pressure to keep the airflow moving, so that you do not get scavenging effect.


Rumblefish,
Having gone from 1 5/8 primaries to 1 3/4 on a chevy 350, I know for a fact my TQ and HP went down, test was done on the same day and with 2 hrs of each other, nothing else on the car or engine changed.

 

[Cranky]

Should have written that part better, what I meant was that is there needs to a slight back pressure to keep the airflow moving, so that you do not get scavenging effect.

The engine is not supposed to push the exhaust out....that's what a good header system is supposed to do...scavenge the cylinders once the flow is started. And on engines that uses the pan evac system with hoses going from the valve covers down to the collectors, back pressure will only keep that from working. Yeah, those are not street engines but back pressure means a loss of horsepower on any engine regardless of if it's a street car or a race car. Needing back pressure is a myth that's been busted for many years now....

 

[Randy73]

The engine is not supposed to push the exhaust out....that's what a good header system is supposed to do...scavenge the cylinders once the flow is started. And on engines that uses the pan evac system with hoses going from the valve covers down to the collectors, back pressure will only keep that from working. Yeah, those are not street engines but back pressure means a loss of horsepower on any engine regardless of if it's a street car or a race car. Needing back pressure is a myth that's been busted for many years now....

Disagree with you, first off you took what I said and turned it around and secondly, exhaust IS pushed out by the engine, hence the reason the exhaust valve opens on the noncompression stroke. What GOOD headers do is let the exhaust flow smoothly with little to no turbulence and EVERY engine has back pressure and if it is such a myth, why does everybody not flow 6" exhausts, race cars put bends in the exhaust pypes to cause a slight backpressure.

 

[Cranky]

Disagree with you, first off you took what I said and turned it around and secondly, exhaust IS pushed out by the engine, hence the reason the exhaust valve opens on the noncompression stroke. What GOOD headers do is let the exhaust flow smoothly with little to no turbulence and EVERY engine has back pressure and if it is such a myth, why does everybody not flow 6" exhausts, race cars put bends in the exhaust pypes to cause a slight backpressure.

Blow through a straw that's pinched. That's back pressure. The engine starts the process and the headers take over helping the flow to continue on out the collector or exhaust system. Too large of an exhaust is just as bad as too small because a large pipe lets the flow turbulate within the pipe. How about boundary layer flow? Ever thought about that? Airflow along the walls of the pipe does not move very fast but the flow nearer towards the center moves very fast. Huge pipe is saddled with that in small engines and it's present in all flow no matter what size the engine is but any time an exhaust system is restrictive, you have back pressure.....that's all I'm going to say about it. Study up and experiment with it is all I can say. I have and I'm convinced that back pressure is something that an engine doesn't want. A free flowing/working exhaust system always makes more power. Have a good one! :icon_thumright: