Im putting a chevy small block gen 1 350 into a 1973 AMC gremlin and was wondering if anyone would have an idea as to what style headers, ( short or long tube), I would need or am I just gonna have to fabricate a custom set myself? thanks for any and all help!
If you're only interested in getting the exhaust gases out of the motor and to the back of the car, use stock cast iron exhaust manifolds or shorty headers. If you are interested in helping the motor to make some power, use equal-length, long-tube headers.
As for myself, I refuse to let anything interfere with a good set of long-tube headers. Whatever is in the way gets excised with a Sawzall or blue-tip wrench.
I've quite a bit of money invested in my engine so I want to be able to breathe as best as possible and make as much power as possible so exhaust manifolds are out of the question.. is there a particular brand of long tubes that are best? ive looked at so many I just don't know which set to buy.. also if I absolutely had to is it feasible to cut the headers and re weld them in a fashion to get them around things that I cannot sawzall? lol
We have a member here that used to have a Gremlin with a SBC in it. Pretty sure he would have had headers on it...Maybe PM him. His name is HemmiGremmie
He was telling you what size pipes and how long they should be to support 500hp. I cant see how it was derogatory at all.......but, who am I to know what people mean. :drunk:
and I don't know if you are trying to be a sarcastic ********* with your remark about my " 500" hp engine but these heads have been on a flow bench and they flow 254 cfm at 500 lift and over 260 cfm and 600 lift... that's enough airflow to support just over 500 hp right out of the box and a decent port job they will flow over 300 cfm at 500 lift... ive seen flow numbers from more than one flow bench so I know they are pretty damn accurate... if you cant help without being a ********** then don't reply to my threads...
I'm not a gearhead for sure, but I also assumed you are going for about 500hp.... anyone seriously considering a cu$tom $et of header$ is also likely to be building up the rest of the engine to do a bit more than the basic 330 that a 350ci offers right out of the crate.
So.... what's the beef with his post? Is his guess that far off, or is his 1.75" x 3' somehow offensive?
Probably isn't an off the shelf header that will fit your application. However; if you have the $, Lemons, Cal Elston, Schoenfeld etc will all make custom headers. Another option is to buy "shorty" or "tight tuck" headers, but these are worthless for a serious performance engine. Your best bet is to buy a U-fab header kit, and spend some time with a computer program called "Pipe Max" to build a set of headers, then send them out for ceramic coating inside and out.
Thanks autogear for the info! I guess thats what i will have to do. Im not rich but money isnt a problem for the sake of doing it right and it being able to breathe...
I guess I might have over reacted a bit... ive just had a lot going on.. my dad is in bad condition and its just been really stressful... I do plan on uploading some videos of it at the drag strip and on the street so stay tuned! for a 2,200 lb car , the kind of power it will make along with some nitrous and the type of suspension setup it has, it should take off like a rocket... but I do appreciate everyones help!
Anything close to 500 n/a would tickle me to death. And i am sorry vinnie i guess i just took it wrong. 450 + hp would be a pretty substantial amount for this car i would imagine .. Would a 150 shot be a better choice? I figure if the car hooks, with nitrous, it should run high 10's. Maybe im over zealous but the only way to find out is to finish this SOB. Ive got just over 6 grand in the motor and with the quality of parts i would think the motor should handle a 150 shot?? But as far as the headers go my old man used a set of long tube truck headers for his gremlin back in the day although he cant remember which ones he used.. Thus the reason for me building this car. Kinda a tribute to him. He wants to see it built especially while he is still here. Granted he used a set of heavily ported 461s on his 350. This shud perform pretty well i wud think. Thanks for the info man.
its not if the engine can take 100 or 350 shot. Nitrous need ignition timing to be late,for every 50 hp the timing is usually set back 2º(total) so if you run 34º total timing at wfo at or above 3,000 rpm? then with a 150 shot your engine will need the timing backed up to 28º max timing.This is an approximation for demonstration purposes. with a 350 shot it is critical that timing is perfect or you will need a big basket for the parts. A 50 hp shot might be just fine at the standard timing setting?
many dangers to consider also,,,like to lean at carb or gas flow solenoid fails,,,,boom! ignition needs to be perfect at a minimum,,,
I was thinking about a 150 or 200 shot MAX... and it would only be used at the strip once I get some runs in N/A form.... not that it will need NOS I just want to see what it will do... lol
I built a 70 Gremlin with a 350 and a turbo 400 as a daily driver about 35 years ago.It was not a race car,just a low budget street car.I used cast iron manifolds on mine so I guess I can't help you.My 350 was bone stock,other than the intake and carb.My 70 had drum brakes,so I got discs from a full sized Matador and put them on the gremlin.I redrilled the rotors an rear axles to chevy bolt pattern and ran corvette rallys on it.
If I were looking for headers for this Schoenfeld would be my first call. Not that the other won't do a great job but custom headers are really pricey. Are yoy adventurous enough to make a set yourself? I don't know if you can weld or not or what equipment you have access to. If you can weld thin tubing the welding isn't that hard. What will trip people up on making their own headers is the amount of time, cutting an fitting it takes.
I have a miller mig and tig welder, oxy acetaline torch and grinders ... And im a pretty good welder. Self taught. And i have nothing but time so i wouldnt mind how long it took. I am building a serious 350 with a turbo 400 and a narrowed 9 inch ford rearend out back with posi trac and 3.70 rear gears. Car has also been tubbed out.
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