[klutchmaster427]

I'm building a 350 for my truck and I'm wondering which headers will be best. my goal for the build is about 300hp and 350ft./lb. it will be mainly a daily driver but id like the off the line kick as well as decent towing power. Theres two headers that I'm looking at and would like to know which ones would be best for the application:

1) JEGS Tubular Headers part # 555-30055
2) DynoMax Black Jack part # 289-85003

Maybe someone has a better suggestion than these? I'm hoping to stay in the $100-150 range. Thanks!

 

[ericnova72]

There won't be a pinch of difference between the two, they are virtually the same.

 

[klutchmaster427]

might as well go with the jegs since its 30 bucks less than huh? lol

 

[techinspector1]

You're young and lack experience in these things, but I can tell you for sure that those thin flanges will warp and you'll have header leaks until you decide to take 'em off and sling 'em in the back 40 somewhere.

Spend a little more money and get some quality headers with a 3/8" flanges and 16 gauge tubes. They'll outlast those cheapies 3 to 1.

 

[cobalt327]

This isn't meant to contradict what TI just said- what he said is true.

The only way I know of to get away w/thin flanged headers, is to cut the flanges so the stresses caused by heat cycling doesn't affect the entire header flange.

If this is done before the headers are loosely bolted up, they can deflect quite a bit from the stresses already on the pipes from when they were originally welded up. This can make installation a chore.

And cutting the flange will obviously do nothing for the thin pipes themselves.

 

[[email protected]]

3/8" flanges, 16 ga tubes and by all means have them ceramic metallic coated. These will outlast the car.

The Jegs ones you cite give some lip service to tuning but the tubes are all quite different lengths so each cylinder will be tuned to a different RPM. Not a biggie for street duty but it bugs me when those commercial headers are pumped as the best thing since sliced bread and are obviously not engineered.

The Dynomax block huggers are not headers. They are tubular exhaust manifolds. They get the gas out of the cylinder effectively but they have zero performance benefits other than a little lighter than their cast iron counterparts.

 

[klutchmaster427]

I'll make sure to swing the extra cash. no point in getting bad parts. Id like to save as much as possible, but I also want a decent quality engine. And willys, the dynomax's that I'm looking at are actually the black jack headers, not the block huggers. I don't think they're ceramic coated though....just says theyre painted. Anyone have any suggestions? I assume these Hedman Elites would be a good choice. Theyre almost $300 but they have 14ga pipes and 3/8" flange.

 

[cobalt327]

I would never spend needlessly on car parts, but I will say that the additional money spent on Headman headers through the years has rewarded me w/zero problems w/fit or function from them.

I've never bought any w/the ceramic coating, though, so have no input as to how it holds up, etc. But the headers themselves have served me well.

They even sealed on three different Pontiac D-port heads (2 400's and a 455) and they have a very closely spaced pair of center ports that will leak on lesser headers. Some headers even run 3 pipes on the Pontiac D-port's- the center tube is larger and runs both the center head ports into one header tube. Not a good thing. :evil:

 

[FmrStrtracer]

When it comes to headers, you get what you pay for. If you buy the cheapest, expect them to perform and fit just like a cheap part should. Poorly

 

[[email protected]]

I built a set for my Willys at least 15 years ago and had them ceramic coated. They still look brand new. I can't recommend this stuff highly enuf!! Coat the headers and they will literally last a lifetime.

 

[klutchmaster427]

I built a set for my Willys at least 15 years ago and had them ceramic coated. They still look brand new. I can't recommend this stuff highly enuf!! Coat the headers and they will literally last a lifetime.

NOTED. I will definitely go that route. Thanks!

 

[ericnova72]

While I love Hedman for their fit, and they are what I always look to buy, check out first who does their coating. The last set I bought pre-coated from Hedman listed them as HPC thermal barrier coated--High Performance Coated--looked excellent coming out of the box like Jet Hot but they started to rust within a year and a half, this coating isn't even close to being on the same planet as Jet Hot or NitroPlate. Hedmans warranty at the time basically gauranteed them not to rust as long as they were un-installed and still in the box, but not on the car!!

This was 12 years ago and Jet Hot or NitroPlate do my coating now, maybe Hedman has there act together on coating now, but I would check. I buy them bare and send them out, IMO Hedmans fit better than any others I have tried.

Check Jet Hot's web site, you can buy coated new headers direct from them in several brands.

 

[[email protected]]

Also check your phone book. We had a guy here in Bakersfield that sprayed on a mean ceramic coating, right up there w/ Jet hot. There is an outfit in Fresno, Kalifornia, 90 miles up the road that attends all the nostalgia drag races and street rod events around the Central Valley and does heavy advertising of their coating shop. Never tried them but their demo parts look top notch. The coating in general has improved immensely over the years. Used to look like bright aluminum, now approaches polished aluminum or even chrome.