Naptown Dave Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 I am probably months from from needing to get my exhaust system started but while I am away from my project I'm doing all the 'bench building' I can. While ordering my clutch bleeder from Speedway Motors I noticed they offer a 1.75" LS header kit. http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Chevy-LS1-Header-Kit-1-3-4-Round-Port-3-Inch-Collector,33271.html I was wondering if anyone has tried this kit on their S30. I think my other option would be to find some F-body longtubes on craigslist and cut and weld to fit. I have worked for many years as a pipefitter/welder so any fabrication is not really a concern but by the time I'm working on the headers I should be close to finishing the build and probably will want to get 'em done asap. I am leaning toward the Speedway kit, if for nothing else than the builders pride, unless someone says 'yeah that kit is junk'. If anybody has any thoughts on the F body modded vs. the Speedway header kit let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Domzs Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 Are you planning on longtubes or shorties ? What type of transmission are you running ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naptown Dave Posted June 8, 2013 Author Share Posted June 8, 2013 I would like to do longtubes. T56 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naptown Dave Posted June 8, 2013 Author Share Posted June 8, 2013 I plan on building my engine/trans mounts as well so that may help with space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 With pre-bent tubes that header is going to come out a certain way. Looks like it's intended for a "classic truck" so I would expect that if you just welded it up you'd have the collectors scraping on the ground. I think if you're going to do a longtube header you're going to have to make it fit a Z, not use a kit (unless the kit is for a Z). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naptown Dave Posted June 8, 2013 Author Share Posted June 8, 2013 Yeah, I assumed I would have to cut some of the height out of the tubes in order to tuck the collectors up as tight as possible. My thought is at 200 bucks it's a pretty good start even if I have to buy some additional bends to fit. I have a mig welder and metal cutting bandsaw at the house and easy access to a tig welder and a non mandrel tube bender as well as other pipe fabrication tools. Are you guys running shorties or are there LT's avaliable? I'm trying to manage my costs on the things I can build so I can send more money to Texas Speed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Domzs Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 I'm running shorties , JTR ( Sanderson ) . There's a thread on group buy somewhere on here related to longtubes . If you have the equipment and the know how , you can just purchase LS1 flanges and mandrel bend tubes and build your own . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naptown Dave Posted June 8, 2013 Author Share Posted June 8, 2013 I think I'm going to give them a shot, what's the worse that could happen I have like 100 welds in a 3 foot space? If they come out clean I may have to build a couple fixtures in case some other LS guys are interested... I'll definatlely post some pics and description once I start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Domzs Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 (edited) Good luck and do post plenty of pictures . I'd like to see how they turn out . Edited June 8, 2013 by Domzs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naptown Dave Posted July 8, 2013 Author Share Posted July 8, 2013 I got to a point where I can get started on my headers. I wanted to have all day Sunday to fit the passengers side so I could take them into work to tig weld this week but the wife and the lawn intervened. I started on the passengers side because I thought it would be best to do the easiest side. I spent about an hour figuring out a plan of attack and then started to cut the flange ends of the individual pipes to allow me to at least place then close to their final position. It looks like I will have to lengthen (vertically) the back two about .75" to clear the starter and lengthen the front two 2.75" to clear the back two. Three of the four will have to be miter cut at the bends to clear either the starter or motor mount. Other than that it looks like they will work, and the drivers side is starting to look possible as well. This is anything but a bolt in operation but for $200 with bolts, gaskets and O2 bungs I think the labor may pay off. 2013-07-02_00-16-57_317.pdf 2013-07-02_02-10-47_403.pdf 2013-07-07_21-05-07_102.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naptown Dave Posted July 11, 2013 Author Share Posted July 11, 2013 Made a little progress last night. I need to grab a tig machine from work for the weekend and hopefully finish. I don't think I will have to worry about my starter getting cold, there is about 5/8" clearance from the back two tubes. I hadn't planned on wrapping these but I think it's going to have to happen. Before you ask that is nascar certified header fit up tape, you can get it at Lowes for about five bucks. The toughest part of this is trying to hold the tubes while measuring or tacking, I need to come up with some kind of magnetic clamp or something. 2013-07-10_22-09-07_885.pdf 2013-07-10_22-09-28_515.pdf 2013-07-10_22-10-10_754.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUNNY Z Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 Any way you could host those pictures either on here or photobucket? Its a PITA to download and view them each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattd428 Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 Skip the headers and do a turbo. Looks like selling my 98 trans am is going to fund my turbo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naptown Dave Posted July 11, 2013 Author Share Posted July 11, 2013 Sunny, I've only posted pics a couple times and before they always came up as thumbnails on the site that didn't need to be downloaded. I don't know what has changed. Can I get some tech help from someone? Matt, I've always said I was gonna stay n/a but I did put on a boost referencing fpr... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrayZ Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 I may be in the market for a set of bolt on long tubes.. PM me a price if you get this to work out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrayZ Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 Edit: just realized you where building your own mounts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naptown Dave Posted July 12, 2013 Author Share Posted July 12, 2013 CrayZ , yeah I built my own mounts. They are about 3" at the widest point. I don't know what the JCI mounts look like send me a couple pics with an overhead and profile view. I have my engine with the heads about 2 1/2" from the firewall and offset 3/4" to the passengers side. Let me know where your engine is placed. Did your car come out of Indiana? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrayZ Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 (edited) Ill be messing around with it this weekend so ill get picks Saturday morning. Yes the car came from a young kid out of Indiana. Many, many, many things have changed since then about the only thing that is the same is the way it looks. I've been working on this thing in the shadows, no build thread etc. ill post up results and updated pictures when I get through. Edited July 12, 2013 by CrayZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naptown Dave Posted July 12, 2013 Author Share Posted July 12, 2013 I thought it looked familiar! That car came up for sale about two months after I bought mine and it sold before I saw it. I was pissed that I missed it. I bought a thousand dollar basket case (its not that bad) and your car looked like a really good start towards where I wanted to be for less than I could build it, and about an hour from my house! Send me some or post some pics of your mounts maybe even with a tape measure to show size & location. I wouldnt mind selling some economy versions of the stainless longtube thread headers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrayZ Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 (edited) I thought it looked familiar! That car came up for sale about two months after I bought mine and it sold before I saw it. I was pissed that I missed it. I bought a thousand dollar basket case (its not that bad) and your car looked like a really good start towards where I wanted to be for less than I could build it, and about an hour from my house! Send me some or post some pics of your mounts maybe even with a tape measure to show size & location. I wouldnt mind selling some economy versions of the stainless longtube thread headers. Yeah I bought it 18hrs after it went up for sale lol probably one of the better deals this site has ever seen. Granted there was alot of work to be done but the basics had been done and it was a great platform. I will defienetly PM you some pictures. I am planning to build my exhuast system in the next 2-3 weeks. I have shorties right now so obviously long tubes would change my system. If we got everything lined up how long would it take you to get a set finished? I'm itching to get back on the road and my exhuast system is the last major hurdle so I'm looking to get it done quickly.. A set of longtubes will make building the rest of the system alot easier on me Edited July 12, 2013 by CrayZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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