Joined: Wed Dec 21 2005, 07:34AM
Location: indiana
Posts: 791
Hedman shorty header review:
I described the remainder of my exhaust system in another post, here�s the skinny on the Hedman shorties. Installation is in a 68 Fury with a 440 and automatic. Brian (aka 66 Furious) helped a bunch. Thanks, Brian!!!
The price is $135 from Summit, fit and quality were excellent, header is heavier than it looks so the tubing size might be 16 ga. The flange thickness is listed as .3�, which is almost 5/16�, and thicker than the �� that I�ve seen advertised for them. These headers are available coated but are $380, more than I wanted to pay at this point.
I�ve heard that these headers make for a small interference on a driver-side motor mount boss on a B engine (supposedly can be fixed with a little grinding), I installed on an RB and didn�t see this problem.
I believe these headers would work with a manual trans also, everything is quite clear of the area where a Z-bar would cross to the bellhousing.
Mini-starter is reported to be mandatory so I didn�t even try with the OEM bigboy. The mini spins this engine over so much faster that I�ll never use a big starter again except for a restoration. Header and starter had to be juggled into place before either could be fastened.
Installation time for them isn�t the 1-hr job the magazines advertise but it was pretty simple work.
The headers have some kinda funny exit angles that might be more suitable for B and E bodies. However, the 45degree angle 2 �� pipes I on-hand had actually worked out nicely, so any muffler shop ought to be able to get 2 �� pipe in easily, more easily than with manifolds. The headers allow/require the pipes to run underneath the T-bars and don�t have to squeak beside them at all. Overall ground clearance is still good.
Passenger side header really does drop right in after the sparkplugs are removed. Driver side required the PS pressure hose to be removed temporarily (the hose fitting just barely blocked the header) and the dipstick had to be removed. After that, this header fell in, no motor mount removal or engine jacking! The dipstick tab to the motor mount no longer worked, the tab would have pushed the tube outward onto the header. I loosened the original tab, let it slide down, hand-bent the dipstick tube slightly closer to the engine, and made a new clamp that went to a valve cover bolt.
Had to change some sparkplug wires from 90 boots to straight boots. Center plugs need straight boots, end plugs are best with 90 degree boots.
Complaints (very minor): The collectors that are supplied are for 2 �� pipe, which is kinda silly considering the activity is putting headers on a bigblock. I used the collector flange and butt-welded 2 �� pipe to it, which worked fine. The header flange/port size looks like it might be a little smaller than the ports in a few spots, I think somebody could clean them out with a diegrinder to get some flow improvement. These spots are only 1/16 or smaller and not worth pursuing except on a high-HP application (in which case longtube headers would be more appropriate anyway). No other complaints!
Joined: Sun Sep 24 2006, 10:33PM
Location: Lisle, Ill.
Posts: 168
Cool, I just bought the same headers from Summit, and was also admiring the quality for the price. I have yet to install them, and was kinda concerned about the exit angles, but it sounds like it shouldn't be a problem. Thanks for the review!
Joined: Wed Dec 21 2005, 07:34AM
Location: indiana
Posts: 791
As for pictures, I got some uploaded showing closeups of the header area and also a 65 413 car for comparison of the FU 65 motormount. I'm now at my disk quota, though, so if we have any options for me loading more pics let me know. Maybe I'll set up a Fotki site or something this weekend.
As for the exit angles on the headers, they shouldn't be a problem for any exhasut shop. I got real luck that some of the 45� bends I had fit almost perfectly with very little angle trimming. Got both sides done in only 2 tries!
Joined: Wed Dec 21 2005, 07:34AM
Location: indiana
Posts: 791
1965Windsor361 wrote ... WE NEED PICTURES... !hat
I'm really curious if it will cause any problems in my 65 with the wierd drivers side motor mount and power steering ..... I'm running a B engine.
My future plans are to install this whole header/exhaust system into my 300L sometime next year when my 440 Fury undergoes a powerplant transformation (still in the top-secret stage in case I fail ). At that time I will borrow the driverside header and test-fit it in my 65 383 4-spd Fury, at which time we'd then know how well it fit with a mannytranny, too. I do have some concerns that this header will not fit into a 65 as easily...
I took a few pics while we put them in, sorry not the greatest, that show the angle on the drivers side. I am going to put them in the gallery now and you can see them there. The headers went in way to easily compared to what the full length will.
Joined: Sat Aug 19 2006, 05:03PM
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2919
These are the headers with Summit part #HED-78070 at Summit?
Anybody know if they have clearance issues with the angled spark plugs on Edelbrock heads? If not, I'm going to have to get a set of these. E-heads and HP manifolds don't play well together!
). At that time I will borrow the driverside header and test-fit it in my 65 383 4-spd Fury, at which time we'd then know how well it fit with a mannytranny, too. I do have some concerns that this header will not fit into a 65 as easily...
