I realy dont have any option at this point but to use my
new hooker darksider headers to break in my 403 rebuild.
anyone have any idea how bad the this will screw them up,
if any. Anyone ever done this with new headers and had them
survive intact? I really dont want to spend 170 bucks on a cheap
set of painted headers that i will only use once hopefully

thanks,
gary

 

Why would it screw them up?

 

You could just fire it up with manifolds. I'm pretty sure they will get beat up while being installed vs just on a running engine on a stand

 

My bad guys, I shoulda been more specific, I was under the
impression from the instruction booklet that ifyou break an engine
with new ceramic headers it would discolor them and make them
peel and flake. I have plenty of room for the install i just don't want them
to flake or peel. i dont understand why they wouldnt bake them at the
factory.


Gary

 

The header and coating companies advise against using coated headers for engine break-in. If the carb jetting is not right, running rich or lean can cause excessive heating that can discolor the ceramic coating. If your carb is running OK then you probably wouldn't have any issues, but how do you know before you fire the engine if it's OK?

 

True, just had the carb rebuilt.so hopefully it wont
do any damage.

gary

 

Give it a lot of timing and keep a fan on them. That will be your best chance to keep the ceramic on them during break in. Set it to 36 degrees at 2500 this will keep the exhaust temp down some.

 

You gonna have them peel and flake no matter what you do if you fire the engine up and break in the cam with them installed. Hookers ceramic coating is marginal at best under any circumstance. While they do bake it on it takes more than one heat cycle to fully cure and adhere the ceramic. Get them to hot, which will happen if your breaking in the cam with them on, and the adhesion started in the factory bake is screwed up.