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Thread: straight eight header how to?

  1. #1

    straight eight header how to?

    Im looking at having a header made for the 263 in my 51 special. Im wondering on how to group the ports together. Should it be front four into one collector and back four into another? Should it be front two and rear two grouped into one with the four centers into another? what would sond best trough dual exhaust, or does it not realy make that big of a difference an should just be done whichever way is easies? thank you in advance

  2. #2

    Straight Eight Header

    What really sounds neat is a 5 and 3 split. Five through stock muffler and three through glass pack.

  3. #3
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    headers

    I remember in the early fiftys I visited a speed shop in Glendale Ca. and they had headers for a Buick straight 8. It looked like a bowl of spaghetti
    and my conclusion was at the time that it would sound like two four cylinders motors. For you old timers there was a 180 degree crank available for the Ford flat heads involved in racing and it sounded like twin fours. Stormy

  4. #4
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    headers

    Well for an intake manifold I would suggest copying the stock manifold, but make it with smooth bends, One 4 barrel,to make it simple, and driveable. doesnt have to be a big carb, unless you are going all out. for the exhaust just making one like the original in 1 1/2 in. tubing would work great, just make it smooth flowing, and you should feel a difference, or just any kinda header in that size tubing, will make a difference.

  5. #5
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    The stock single exhaust is really quite bad. The stock dual exhaust that comes on the dual carb set up is quite good. But virtually any header is way better. Over on jyrki's site he shows what he did for his 320. These are not bad at all and fairly straight forward to build, if you've never done it before. These will diffinatly make power that you will feel. If you want a header that will get all the power there is to get, then you need to build a 180 degree, stepped tube, try-y. Come off the head with 1 1/2" tube about 12" long. Step up to 1 5/8" tubing and merge the two togather someplace handy that all pipes can be grouped togather. Join 1-8, 6-3, 2-7, 5-4.Total lenth should end up about 36''-46'' long. + or - 10'' wont hurt anything, in fact non equal lenth broadens the torque curve. Dump it all into a merge collector of 2 1/2''. Collector lenth of about 28'' will work great. Have fun. alleycat

  6. #6
    yeah i got some straight eight headers from alleycat. thanks alley..
    satin white hot coated and those things are beasts.

  7. #7
    thanks for the replies. Ive visited a few exhaust shops in my area and some don't want anything to do with it. The others want what seems like way too much money. Has anyone had a set of headers made by a shop and if so how much did they charge you? What is a fair price to have a set of headers made? If anyone knows of a good place to try in san diego let me know please.

    Due to all of this it looks like I might just have to have the stock manifold split(5-3) and have an extra flange welded on. I know i probably wont get any performance gains from it, but at least i willbe able to run dual exhaust without going broke.

  8. #8
    diego, when were you planning on doing the exhaust split? what size straight eight do you have?
    before the headers, my exhaust manifold was split for two. just cut and welded. but if you dont wanna go through the trouble, i can see if i can find mine in the pile of parts.

  9. #9
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    Hey LowBlow! Got that baby installed yet? I'm still using the same formula, I've just managed to reduce the number of pipes and its out of stainless steel now. Should bark with the big dawgs. alleycat

  10. #10
    does anyone have a good decription, drawing, or pictire of what has to be done to the motor mount in order to make the 41-42 dual exhaust fit ?

    Alleycat, reading through old posts , I read where you might start doing small runs of various parts like headers, valve covers etc. Have you had any luck with that? You wouldn't by any chance have a header to sell? If not do you have any flanges made you could part with?
    thanks

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