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Get rid of the headers, right?

Kern Dog said:
I'd bet lunch at a Burger King that the majority of guys favoring manifolds are over 65.
I don't race my cars but I have headers on both Chargers and even my 75 Power Wagon.
Click to expand...
I've owned 23 vehicles in my
lifetime. Every one but 3 had
a V-8. Every one but 3, had/
has headers. There's many
benefits to running a good
quality set. Weight and ease
of repair being the biggest.
20210321_144848.jpg
(P.S. ---- I'm 69)...
Don't worry about the burger.
After 4 days in the mail, it
probably wouldn't taste that
good......
 
I’m 65 and I love my ceramic coated headers on my 68 Coronet. But I hate burger king. Think I’ll eat me a Kern dog for lunch!!
 
vsj100 said:
Hi to all! Mine is a 1968 Coronet 500 Super Bee. As some of you know I have been solving a vibration problem and tonight I planned on installing the new flex plate made to solve a mismatch between the cast crank 440 and the non weighted torque converter. I learned that the transmission will not come out due to header interference and the starter has the same problem. I am NOT hooked on headers. I did pull the transmission back and did install the new flex plate. Do you suggest going back to stock exhaust manifolds? That is the question.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
If your car is strictly a street car get rid of the headers, for a street car the gains are minimal and are not worth the headaches of leaks. Find yourself aa good set of HP manifolds and you will be much happier
 
Well it's back together and still has headers. I did buy a "just in case" set of HP manifolds for the future. Having to drop the right side header and the trans just to replace the starter is a pain but perhaps is worth it to keep the performance added by headers. I am over 65 but more of my cars have headers than don't. Shout out to the boomer generation!
 
I'm a billion years old, and I'll put headers in a build if I were doing it tomorrow.
MMorgan said:
I’m 65 and I love my ceramic coated headers on my 68 Coronet. But I hate burger king. Think I’ll eat me a Kern dog for lunch!!
Click to expand...
 
Houle #382 said:
If your car is strictly a street car get rid of the headers, for a street car the gains are minimal and are not worth the headaches of leaks. Find yourself aa good set of HP manifolds and you will be much happier
Click to expand...
I've have headers on a '79
CJ7, 360 V-8. They've been
on this engine for more
than 30 years (thru two
rebuilds). In all that time,
not a single problem with
leaks and no rust-thru.
The reason they were
installed in the first place?
Both cast iron manifolds
cracked when the Jeep
turned two years old.
If you're gonna run headers,
get a good quality set, or
better yet, have a set
custom made.
Not to mention the 10+ HP
gains w/better heat
dissipation under the hood.
 
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One thing I don't hear mentioned much about headers is the heat... A good set of ceramic coated headers will take the underhood temp down.

Except for an old driver 68 Polara 4-door, I've always run headers for power.

I couldn't believe the difference on my 65 Coronet 383 vs stock manifolds. Made it so I could tune it in the summer without having fans blowing all over me and the car. Also helps with interior heat.
 
I have to say if you have headers that are hard to seal, the RemFlex header gaskets are really good.
I have the RemFlex on the Charger with the old 2" Hooker headers. These had issues sealing before the RemFlex gaskets, and I had tried several different ones.
The Coronet is using the SCE graphite header gaskets, but with the TTI headers. The thick header flanges on these headers seem to make a big difference. Never had a sealing problem with these TTI headers.
I just noticed Cometic makes header gaskets too? Anyone use those?
 
vsj100 said:
Hi to all! Mine is a 1968 Coronet 500 Super Bee. As some of you know I have been solving a vibration problem and tonight I planned on installing the new flex plate made to solve a mismatch between the cast crank 440 and the non weighted torque converter. I learned that the transmission will not come out due to header interference and the starter has the same problem. I am NOT hooked on headers. I did pull the transmission back and did install the new flex plate. Do you suggest going back to stock exhaust manifolds? That is the question.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Being in the plus 65 group, and loving cars but consider racing them as an exercise in destruction, I prefer the stock manifolds. My recent project 72 Charger w 440 already has short headers on it and also came with an extra set of long headers (which I have sold for $150). I acquired a set of stock manis at a swap meet last fall (550 Cdn). Surprised at the cost as one would think that with all the header installs out there that a used set would be cheap. I have to fix or replace the heat thermostat on the right one. I am not sure I can remove the short header on the left side without raising the motor or cutting up the header. I will check it out when I get back to our summer place shop in May. Has anyone been able to remove the left header from a 440 with engine in place?

For those that want more performance, of course headers are the way to go. A few decisions such as long vs short, material and size are thoughts to chew on. P.S. I am surprised that the tranny cannot be removed with the headers in place.
 
Manifolds on my Charger since 1985. That means I should be 104 years old :). Sometimes I feel like it. I do care about performance, and the car is no stranger to the track. To each his own. And like Lew said, for me, the camshaft would be important in the header-manifold decision.
 
451Mopar said:
I have to say if you have headers that are hard to seal, the RemFlex header gaskets are really good.
I have the RemFlex on the Charger with the old 2" Hooker headers. These had issues sealing before the RemFlex gaskets, and I had tried several different ones.
The Coronet is using the SCE graphite header gaskets, but with the TTI headers. The thick header flanges on these headers seem to make a big difference. Never had a sealing problem with these TTI headers.
I just noticed Cometic makes header gaskets too? Anyone use those?
Click to expand...
If the RemFlex gaskets were available decades ago..I don't think many people would be complaining about their headers. They are worth every penny!
 
BSB67 said:
Manifolds on my Charger since 1985. That means I should be 104 years old :). Sometimes I feel like it. I do care about performance, and the car is no stranger to the track. To each his own. And like Lew said, for me, the camshaft would be important in the header-manifold decision.
Click to expand...
You are correct as to "each
his own".
I just prefer headers, and the
benefits they provide.
 
Well, I must admit that's a new one on me...
An actual example of ageism has plopped right into the middle of yet another otherwise routine
debate over headers - tossed out there by a fella recently retired and not too far behind us 60+ folks,
no less.
I find that shiyat sort of hilarious, actually...
After all, those my age and older do still recall younger days - and perhaps even remember expressing
similar age biases over this or that, eh?

More to the point - the use of headers vs. manifolds can be debated until the cows come home of course,
but the relative positives and negatives of each are well known to all but the newest of wrench-wranglers -
but to say the merits of either are somehow related to the age of the vehicle owner is just downright silly.
That's the kind of **** a smug teenager would say, honestly.

Sorry, apologies for the interruption. Carry on.
 
moparedtn said:
Well, I must admit that's a new one on me...
An actual example of ageism has plopped right into the middle of yet another otherwise routine
debate over headers - tossed out there by a fella recently retired and not too far behind us 60+ folks,
no less.
I find that shiyat sort of hilarious, actually...
After all, those my age and older do still recall younger days - and perhaps even remember expressing
similar age biases over this or that, eh?

More to the point - the use of headers vs. manifolds can be debated until the cows come home of course,
but the relative positives and negatives of each are well known to all but the newest of wrench-wranglers -
but to say the merits of either are somehow related to the age of the vehicle owner is just downright silly.
That's the kind of **** a smug teenager would say, honestly.

Sorry, apologies for the interruption. Carry on.
Click to expand...
What you say is not a
"knock" on us old folks.
I believe the reference
relates to the experience
one gains with age.
Especially with us old
geezers who've turned
more than our share of
wrenches, and have learned
from the really old geezers
what works. Be it a hotrod,
a dragster, or just plain ol'
every day driver.
 
Last edited:
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