i talked myself right into a set of headers for the olds and already regretting it .passenger side install went pretty well after removing trans lines and oil filter housing .drivers side is another story am i correct in assuming the starter ,shifting linkage,steering shaft,and alternator brackets all need to be removed ?ive heard alot of guys say they had no problems installing headers .some step by step instuctions would be helpful from someone who has done this before .thanks

 

Just to confirm, is this a column shift, AC car?

 

How about telling what brand of headers you bought more info is always better.

 

yes it is column shift.the headers are from speed daddy on ebay cheap imports i assume .did not want to spend a ton of money on them if i had to pound and dent them getting them in .

 

I know column shift linkage takes some finagling.

 

i removed the ac but the alternator remains on the drivers side

 

Okay enough said i'm out of here.Good luck with your install.

 

i guess ill figure it out trial and error . will post my progress .

 

Interesting info but I can't see how that has any bearing on the headers.

I can't really help as when I installed headers the engine was out so I laid them in the engine bay and lowered the engine. Easy no issue installation.

 

Try unbolting the motor mounts and jack the engine up.

 

The header needs to go in from the bottom. Lift the front of the car as high as you can get it and set it on jack stands. Take the long bolt out of the motor mount frame bracket and jack the engine up. Be careful not to crush the distributor against the firewall. Then remove/relocate/adjust only the things that get in the way of installing the header.

 

Thanks I'm going to attempt it after work today .

 

Remove anything that is potentially in the way. Shift linkage needs to come out. Starter needs to come out. Dipstick tube needs to come out. Life will be much easier if you remove the steering shaft also. Unbolt the motor mount and lift that side of the engine. You will want to loosely start the header bolts then reinstall the starter then tighten the header. Pay close attention to battery cable routing around the headers.

DO NOT ask me how I know this...

 

If the headers are cheapies check clearance to the starter once you have it all together. If clearance is questionable try to bend it out of the way a little bit. A baseball bat in the collector provides leverage.

 

I didn't think it would be easy wish I would have removed dipstick tube while the engine was on the stand . Guess I should have asked before installing the motor

 

made some progress with the headers got the pass side done and moved some stuff for the drivers side its comes down to either pulling dipstick tube or removing the steering shaft .if the shaft were removed i could slide header down over the dipstick tube into place ,but cant seem to separate the shaft .i got the bolt out and it moves freely back and forth an inch or so but wont pop off the gear.i must be missing something.

 

pretty close to done now. steering colomn was not a factor ,did remove one trans likeage line from colomn the dipstick tube and starter .had to dimple one tube where it was hittng the frame.header bolted right in but not enough clearance to reinnstall starter (will have to go with mini starter)im sure this is a result of going with cheap headers .all in all it was pita but worth it when your done .thanks for the advice of fellow members

 

That's the problem with those headers, what you save in outlay you may spend on starter. You transmission lines look too close. You may want to clamp them further away from the header tubes.

 

That's almost how mine is - it takes some manipulation to get the starter in between the headers and the oil pan, but once the starter is installed there is plenty of clearance. I have to point the drive end of the starter up, insert it in front of the headers, then as I move it backwards and upwards lay it horizontally. I kinda like it as when I remove the bolts and let the starter drop straight down, it gets trapped by the headers so it doesn't fall to the ground.

 

Also you might try leaving the headers loose so they can swing and then install the starter.

 

trans lines arent connected yet but i will make sure there is plenty of clearance.i will give it one more gallant effort with the starter before buying a new one .although summit has them reasoably priced .even with the header bolts barely started there isn't much wiggle room but maybe enough

 

nothing doing on the factory starter by the time i got the bolts started the header was tight against the starter so it would be just a matter of time before cooking it .i went ahead and bought the powermaster mini and installed it with no issues. did have to buy optional r wire kit since im still running points. maybe put some fluids in her and see if itll fire up tonight

 

R wire kit as in a diode?

 

yes apparently the diode act as a check valve allowing a full 12 volts to the coil during start up then the resistor wire takes over while its running got it to fire but not running yet

 

I've always been afraid of a diode short so I never go that route.

 

i will probly change to a petronixs system at some point and wont need it .did get it running last night sounded great ,then noticed antifreeze blowing out near the water pump so i tore it all down and found that the gasket wasn't sealing properly .maed the repair and put it all back together .long night, gonna be a rough day at wok today

 

Getting back to these headers I've finally got the exhaust complete and ran the engine for a short time and it seemed to be running pretty hot considering I only idled it for ten minutes or so and I noticed these headers are literally red hot I'm sure that's not normal I don't have a temp gauge yet so I'm not sure what the temp actually is . I'm really regretting buying these cheap headers .i installed a new 190 thermostat when I put the motor together is it possible I got a bad one?

 

Buy a fail safe thermostat , if it fails, it will stay open. I use them when I work on anything to do with cooling system.

 

The thermostat will NOT cause the headers to be "red hot". That is usually the result of mixture problems. A lean mixture can cause overheating, but a stuck thermostat will not cause an overheated exhaust.

 

X2 What Joe Padavano said.

 

i rebuilt the original quadra jet and things ran perfect before i took the motor out and cleaned it up.so what your saying is no matter the header manufacturer if its running too lean the headers will get red hot? i did change the timing chain and gear maybe it time to recheck the dwell and set the timing?

 

Wouldn't retarded timing have the possibility of leading to this observation? Of course seeing this in the dark or low light would also lead to the same.

Plus one for a temp gun. Every car guy should own one.

At the least you should be looking at fuel curve and timing.

I like headers, I also dis-like them proportionally.

 

after checking the dwell it was was right at 29 degrees but the timing was retarded at 6 degrees btdc with the vacuum advance plugged so i set timing at twelve btdc and it seemed to help. couldnt run it for too long as i noticed a couple minor leaks ill have to address.time to start working the bugs out now before i move on to the interior. (but thats a whole other thread ) thanks again for the responses

 

Usually after a couple of heat cycles you need to retighten the header bolts.