V8 headers or manifold

[inthewall]

I have a 350 with ramhorn headers in my 40. They heat up the engine bay and you can fry an egg on the floor boards. What is the best way to go. I have saginaw steering.

Block hugger headers
Manifold
Something else

 

[FJROME]

I've run fender well headers since i installed the 327, they are wrapped with insulation wrap that significantly reduced radiated heat. Eventually i will replace them with cast iron rams horn manifolds

 

[DomSmith]

Rams horn manifold x2.

 

[dgangle]

read away

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=174413
https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=103668

 

[DiHrdBowTi]

Ram horn manifolds x3

 

[morrison]

ramshorn!

ramshorn manifold are getting hard to find. These are pretty cool:

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/pl/47,3823_SandB-Chevy-Cast-Iron-Tru-Ram-Exhaust-Manifolds.html

 

[cpratt]

I have a set of Hooker block huggers, fit great and look good too.

 

[tehcruiser]

X4 on manifold. Better for low end torque too.

 

[inthewall]

thanks ram horn manifold.

 

[JJS]

Another one for ram horns. They provide the best fitment, and they're cheap.

 

[dgangle]

ramshorn manifold are getting hard to find...

Maybe if you are roaming the local bone-yards. You're not looking in the right places.

There are usually at least two dozen on Ebay at any given time. I have two spare sets I have bought and never paid more than $25/set. If you are not in a hurry or looking for new or the rarer 2.5" they are plentiful and cheap.

 

[Bigmoose]

WHAT GM cars' did the ramhorn style exhaust manifold come in and which years are the better ones? Bigmoose

 

[kulangot]

Hard to find?

Nah!

http://www.1aauto.com/1A/ExhaustManifolds/Chevrolet/Pre1966Pickup/1AEEM00100/476138


-Stumbaugh

 

[morrison]

I meant hard to find in the junk yard. Never thought of buying a new pair. I got mine for $15, but it was the last ones in our local yard. They haven't been put on SBC's since the 70's.

 

[TLCSKULLS]

'nother vote for ramshorns. If under hood temp is still a big issue, you can have them ceramic coated. Workded well for me.

 

[Adventure Teq]

So what about the headers? Those of you with opinions, what are the drawbacks? Been thinking about switching myself.

 

[kulangot]

Hawkdriver,

I've run headers on a half dozed trucks and I've also run Rams. I'll stick with rams from now on.

A lot less hassle, easier to fit and works great with the Texican part number cross over pipe.

Headers come loose too much and rust out too fast. Collectors are a pain as well.

Any HP loss with rams vs headers is minimal on a stockish motor and if you really are worried about that, get the high performance Corvette style rams from GM's Performance catalog as they have much bigger collectors.

-Stumbaugh

 

[hammerhead]

Yep, Ramhorns here too. Got tired of the headers leaking, rusting out and melting stuff.

I got mine off of a '59 truck and the left side has an extra set of mounts which help in mounting OBA compressor or whatever...

 

[rhino73]

One more here for Ramshorns.

I think Headers are best suited for higher HP Engines and do not really show many gains under 3000 RPM. (IMHO)

And again.... They dont leak or rust out.

 

[Brian in Oregon]

One more here for Ramshorns.

I think Headers are best suited for higher HP Engines and do not really show many gains under 3000 RPM. (IMHO)

And again.... They dont leak or rust out.

Well, that depends on the header length, diameter, collector and exhaust system. Short fat heders with large collectors and big free flowing exhaust shift the power into the higher RPM range. Long, small diameter headers with small collectors and a standard exhaust system are good for low end torque.

I'm running the block hugger headers, with a basically stock single exhaust through a Flowmaster. I think it's equivalent to a cast iron manifold setup.

My big objection to the block hugger headers is the clearance to the stock steering bix. My headers are slightly dimpled for clearance, and it's a very tight fit.

When my headers start leaking and rusting (and sooner or later they will) I'm going to install cast iron Ram's Horns.