Will having one HP header and one Stock exhaust manifold damage my engine?

[318to440charger]

440 with some very radical sounding parts inside... (I know nothing about this engine, just what it sounds like...) Holley 850 double pump, high intake and craaaazy idle sound. Very deep and ballsy.
Can I damage the engine by not having "headers" on both sides? The passenger side looks like a stock manifold but appears to be solid with no holes. Can I put a new header on the driver side only? Here's some pics. Thanks.

 

[R413]

How are you driving it?

Wide open up to redline?
Cruising around at 3000 RPM?

 

[318to440charger]

How are you driving it?

Wide open up to redline?
Cruising around at 3000 RPM?

Not driving it at all... It has no exhaust pipes and I'm told that I shouldn't even be idling it without exhaust... Could damage valves? My intention though is 4000 RPM burnout, chirp second, and cruise at 60 mph.

 

[318to440charger]

BTW, I bought it in this condition and have never driven it.

 

[#41]

Where are you going to guy a header for just one side?

Ideally, the exhaust type should be equal left to right, but running it like that temporarily or without exhaust piping is not going to hurt anything but your ears and relationships with your neighbors.

 

[318to440charger]

Where are you going to guy a header for just one side?

Ideally, the exhaust type should be equal left to right, but running it like that temporarily or without exhaust piping is not going to hurt anything but your ears and relationships with your neighbors.

The car is this way when I bought it and once I start tearing into it, I won't be able to drive it for like a year because I am very limited in time and money... I just wanted to get one burnout before I start disassembling it.

 

[padam]

Drive it. Might sound funky but there’s no way it will hurt anything.

 

[j-c-c-62]

I had an International 1600 Straight truck I believe with a 392 gas motor decades back. I installed/used a long tube Hooker header from an International scout on one side, while I tried to figure out how to make the other side fit. I drove it thousands of miles, and never got the other side on. It must be far from ideal AR tuning wise bank to bank, but never noticed any downsides other than I likely wasted money buying the new Hooker headers..

 

[BeepBeepRR]

Cheap headers for peace of mind. Or source a driver side exhaust manifold. They should come with gaskets, bolts and collector pipes.

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[Photon440]

To answer the question, you won't hurt the engine. However, the side with the header may run require slight enrichment for best results, which will be hard to do on just the one side with an open plenum.