DIY Headers

I found some novice-type articles on different old school header designs, with a bit of theory thrown in:

http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/exhaust/0504sc-header/viewall.html

My sweet six has been done by many at the HAMB:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...00-six-cylinder-same-exhaust-manifold.124107/

Excellent DIY videos, and might be my only regional source for 1.5" OD aluminized steel piping.

http://www.stainlessheaders.com/index.aspx

And this is one rare fabricator! He makes OE or custom engine equipment mounting brackets. If I have to move my AC to the Driver's side, I might make one, or get one here:

http://www.alangrovecomponents.com/Catalog.htm

Not strictly related to my project, but the article details and pics are worth a read:
http://www.sdsefi.com/techheader.htm

This site is informative:
http://www.howrah.org/exhaust-system.html

http://www.howrah.org/header.html

Really old school site - fun stuff for early V8s and up to the mid 60s engines:
http://www.hotrodchassisandcycle.com/parts_cars.php

When I get the header made up, I'll start another thread on making my own tri-power manifold. There's a lot related to my engine, because the stock exhaust manifold is removable, and its heat does overheat the cast-in-head integral intake manifold. With the headers, this should stop fuel boiling, after the engine is shut down - a common I6 problem for these engines. But since I am swapping to a standard transmission, I won't need to use a heat tube to the choke, because the 1981 Capri I6 engine that I got the floor shifter from, used and oil heat driven switch to shut off the electric choke. The choke is only mounted on the center carb. The other 2 carbs don't need chokes.

Gonna be fun!

 

Really old header flange source as far back as the Model A, but all car brands, and even performance parts for all car makes:

http://www.victoryheaderflanges.com/

Got it from here, in their Links page - worth checking out!
http://www.hotrodchassisandcycle.com/links.php

And check out their pics! What fun those old-tech guys must have had running around with no mufflers!
http://www.hotrodchassisandcycle.com/headers.php

 

Couple other old school Header and custom intake sites, mostly V8 engines, all makes also.
http://www.lakeheaders.com/Home.html

Tech articles on 40s to 60s drivetrains - engines, transmissions and exhaust and intake systems, including headers and tri-power / multi-carb systems and motorcycles (Harley and British):
http://victorylibrary.com/mopar/mopar-tech.htm

Great links at the bottom of the page! Some are dead (sites no longer exist.)

Some links have changed names. This one was GrapeApeRacing.com. The topics are in PDF format. The Fuel Systems document gives calculations to figure out both fuel line diameter and fuel pump capacity by horsepower:

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzezeqah/id1.html

Home page:
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzezeqah/index.html

Excellent automotive online calculators:
http://www.rbracing-rsr.com/calculations.htm

http://www.engineersedge.com/calculators.htm

 

That is a beautiful work of art.

 

Absolutely Stick! I'm glad he set the bar high. Sure worth the detail work!

 

Making headers is an art, for sure. I bow to the experts, but my understanding benchmark has risen. I went to a Muffler shop named "Benders, Inc." They don't do mandrel bends. I lucked out and found a local new Stainless distributor and bought one 20 foot long X 1.5" 304L tube with 1/16" wall thickness, They cut it up to give me 6 pieces of 33.25" and the remaining piece of about 40" ($108 taxes included)

But the guy at Benders said he wouldn't work off a mock up. So much for that, but since I pulled the other motor, also a 6 cylinder like mine, and needed the head to have rebuilt over the Winter, I hauled it into the basement so I can work from the real thing - the rest is measurable.

Anyway, all I've read and learned about exhaust size and horsepower comes back to the stock 2" diameter after the header connectors, so I bought a pair of new solid steel 3/6" flanges to bolt up the new stock exhaust system that I ordered locally, except for the new stock pre-muffler exhaust pipe which I got out of the US, with its own flange. So If I have to pull the motor, or change the clutch, I don't have to cut up my exhaust system - 2 bolts and its off!

Also got the special rod to weld Stainless to Steel, locally.

And got the VHT 2000 degree primer and paint. If time and money allow, I'll take it off next year and have it ceramic coated locally. One shop here does that for our aircraft industry.

Too much going on the car body right now, but I should get the header done by early January 2015.

 

This stuff used to be available, at the local parts store:

Might come in handy to model your real headers:

 

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.

 

My Header Map

Since I've never done this before, and it's way too cold outside, this time of year, I figured a way to imitate the installed engine issues.

I removed the head from the 1978 Zephyr 3.3L I6 (AKA 200 I6), removed the valves, frost plugs, rocker arms, etc, and cleaned it up. I also removed the frost plugs in the Intake Manifold, to get a wire brush in there to clean off the rust and carbon, then I wiped it off with Acetone, and sprayed it with Drycoat http://www.metalrescue.com/drycoat.aspx

Earlier this week, when it was only -20C (0 degrees F), today its -32C (-30F), I went and measured the block (on an engine stand), the engine compartment, and location of the K-Member (Motor Mount cross-member for non-Ford Fox folks).

Hauled out the flanges and header collectors that 'Premier' donated, and made up a sort of plywood full size whiteboard to fit below the head on my work table. I still need to add a couple wood blocks to reflect how much the starter sticks out from the block, and a wood block to locate where the flanges will mount.

With that, I can see where to redirect the header tubes to mate up with the flanges, and maintain enough air space between the block and fender wall, the header assembly and K-Member, and down from the floor to connect the final exhaust pipe:









You have to be registered to see the pics in this post, on how one fellow dealt with his Header and Factory installed AC bracket.
http://www.fordsix.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=72460

If my idea doesn't work, I may have to do a similar work-around. His car is a 1963 Comet/Falcon. Mine has a different bracket, mounting the AC compressor ON TOP of, instead of cradled within, the bracket.

My bracket looks like this:



You can check out his Youtube flick, about 50% into it, where he shows still pictures voicing over what and why. Its number 6 of his 7-part series on his Tri-power 200 -I6 build up. Private DIYer with LOTS of tips in every part.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOW2Rb29Zts

I do have a couple quanderies that I'm not clear on yet:

1) Fitting the two 3-pipe collectors into the final 2-way - do I nip off the inner walls to join them, or do I heat and flatten them to get them into the 2-way?

2) How much air space should I have below the floor pan at the firewall?

3) Since it is a 4-speed manual trans, there's no fluid lines or fill tubes to deal with, so I have a clear space of 7.5 inches from the fender wall to the block, and according to my map, I should be completely clear of the Starter. So I do have the option of setting the 3-way collectors, wither side-by-side or one over the other vertically. Vertically looks like the rear 3 pipes would be shorter than the front 3 pipes. Horizontally reduces that issue by about an inch.

I've got some metal clothes hanger wire, that I can fab up to get the rough angles, then I'll use the PVC pipe to mock up from that, then I'll start cutting up my final 304L Stainless 1.5" pipe.

 

See - this is what happens to people up here in the great white north...

 

Thinking out loud?!!!

 

I found this picture from the FordSix.com forums. It shows a long tube header for the 3.3L (200 CID) I6. The first RH tube is the PITA. I have to start the bend at the top, closer to the head, and almost parallel with the flange and then bend it down, to clear the AC and bracket.



I won't be using a ball type flange, but rather the stock type 2-bolt manifold to exhaust pipe flange, which will need the 2" pipe reducer. I lucked out and got the last new stock mid-exhaust pipe from the cat to the muffler with the stock pipe flange (no crappy muffler brackets to rust-in-peace), and bought new ones to use the donut gasket when it mates up with the header, so I only have to make up one short pipe to that new mid-pipe.

I ordered and got Walker's OE grade replacement muffler and all the pipes, and restored my OE hangers and brackets. I like the quiet rumble from the stock muffler, and with only 60 to 70 HP more, the 2" pipe is the most recommended, even for the stock 145 HP 302-V8. (I might hit 150 HP with the tripower and mild cam, maybe.)

Anyway, I found another good pic of the passenger/header side engine compartment. All of my pics had the Intake on. Its a 1978 Fairmont I6:



I just found a better pic of mine, from the first resto:

 

Or there's this style too on the Aussie crossflow:

The log head on ours would be the issue here.

 

Wire Framing the tube model

These really help me get my brain thinking in 3-D! No glasses required!

I had different coloured wire clothes hangers so I straightened them a bit, and located them on the flange bolts, roughly centered in each exhaust port.

The AC mount bracket is the beast in this adventure. Nobody makes commercial headers for the US model Falcon or Fox sixes that can be installed on an AC-equipped model without some dent or other mod, including making the stock bracket hang further away from the block.

So for me, the key issue is making the Number ONE header tube fit like the stock manifold profile, which is about 2" thick at that point, and leaves about 3/4" air space between the AC compressor and stock exhaust manifold.

I know my bottom collectors have to protrude further out from the block, which I'll do tomorrow. I just jigged this up to see if I was on the right track.

 

That's one Wild looking beast! Why didn't Ford give us that engine?