jhm Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 Folks- Just bought some block huggers for my SBC 260Z, and I'm having clearance issues with the driver's side header -- there's insufficient clearance between the collector flange and the steering shaft. And yes, I've searched the forums, but could not find a discussion that answered my specific questions. It appears that I could solve my problem by making the header "hug" the block a little tighter. Does anyone have any tips or techniques for tweaking the headers inward (i.e. closer to the block)? Can I just heat 'em up and bend them inward with a big rod, or do I risk breaking the welds at the main flange? I should mention that they're ceramic-coated. I see two potential issues with this: 1) will the coating prevent me from heating them sufficiently to bend the headers tubes? 2) will I damage the ceramic coating if I slightly bend the tubes? Thx in advance for any assistance y'all can offer, and happy motoring. jhm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Juday Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 Don't beat them up, exchange them. If you gave us the maker and part number that would help. There are several out there that fit. In general there are two types of block huggers, inner tubes near the block and outer tubes near the block. In general (but not always) the ones with the outer tubes near the block, #1/#7 and #2/#8, will clear the steering shaft while the other type will not. Sanderson makes a nice set that is reversed from what I said but fit great because they are made for this swap. I know pics would be more helpfull, sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhm Posted June 12, 2009 Author Share Posted June 12, 2009 Dan- Thx for your quick reply, and sorry for not providing sufficient info. The headers are generic SBC block huggers from KMJ: http://www.kmjent.com/cart/product.php?productid=563&cat=4210382&page=1 $164 (with free shipping) for ceramic-coated headers is hard to beat. I really don't think that the headers are the problem. I think my problem stems from the unconventional mounting position chosen by the previous owner that did the conversion -- the motor is actually an inch or two forward of a standard Scarab-type mount. You can see what I'm talking about from the attached pix. The pic that illustrates the clearance issue was taken from the floor looking up, from the rear looking forward. The passenger-side header fits fine. And I think the driver's-side header will also fit fine, provided I'm able to tweak it about 1/2" inboard closer to the block. Again, thx for your reply. jhm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Juday Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 If the motor is that far forward you can use long tube headers. Have you considered just buying a JTR kit and setting it back? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1 Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 That's a very far forward engine mounting position. IMO to tweak those headers that much, you're going to have to notch the tubes and bend them in, and then you're going to wind up with the flange at a big angle. Heating or welding the tubes will destroy the ceramic coating. The Hookers may work, they're made for the scarab mounting position. Like Dan says, I would give converting it to the JTR setup some thought. It has a lot of advantages. jt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhm Posted June 14, 2009 Author Share Posted June 14, 2009 jt1- Actually, I only need to move the collector flange about a 1/2" inch inboard. I'm thinking that I should be able to do that without messing up the overall header geometry. Relocating the engine/tranny to a more rearward location is a possibility in the future, but for now I'm leaving it where it is. Thx for your reply. Again, open to suggestions on best way to tweak the header to clear the steering shaft. If anyone's had any experience tweaking ceramic-coated headers, I'd love to hear from you. jhm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nullbound Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 Here's what I did when I was running the hooker/scarab kit: I've since changed to the JTR setup and s&s longtubes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhm Posted June 14, 2009 Author Share Posted June 14, 2009 nullbound- Were those Hooker headers you were running with the Scarab setup, and if so, what model? They're obviously not standard block huggers....appear to be more of a shorty J-header. (Perhaps you did some custom fab work on a set of Hooker block huggers?) Thx for the reply! jhm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nullbound Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 They were block huggers for angled-plug heads. The collector on the driver's side was cut off and a small section of pipe bent and welded on to clear the steering arm. Any exhaust shop can do this easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhm Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 That's what I figured -- thx, Ryan. On a completely different subject, what kind of air dam are you using? Looks nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nullbound Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 No prob. The air dam is a kaminari. MSA sells them, or used to... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhm Posted July 22, 2009 Author Share Posted July 22, 2009 For anyone that's interested, here's an update.... Rather than attempting to bend/reshape the header, I decided to shorten the collector and move the collector flange a little higher up (away from the steering shaft). With that done, it was a simple matter to route the downtube between the block and the steering shaft. Final result works and fits pretty well -- two 2.5" tubes into a single 3" tube. Thx to all that provided info and advice. jhm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Good solution, that looks nice. jt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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