Building a header

I just bought an ebay header flange for an inline 6 chevy and wanted to know where i can find other parts such as a 3 to 1 collector all i see is 4 to 1 's in all different sizes. I figure i need two 3-1 and a 2-1

Can anyone tell me what size the primary tubes need to be?? Where can i find some tubing

 

Headers by Ed

 

oh at first I thought you said heaTer.

http://www.coneeng.com/index.html
havent bought from them yet so i cant vouch for their quality or customer service, but I think they are an alliance member

 

Also check Schoenfeld (sp?)

You might end up making the collectors - it'd be a nice project - they're not all that hard to make - the collectors that is. ;-)

My first set of headers I cut out of Ubends using a hack saw (my elbow hurt for a week)

My second set I used a SAZALL ...

Third set I used a Bandsaw.


They got substantially easier every time!!! Have fun!!!

 

Ya i may be helpless cause I cant find the collector i need , I think it'd be very hard to make one

 

well I looked at the header for sale that i want to build it uses a 1.5" to 2.5" 3-1 collector. Would be safe to use a 1.5" to 2" or should i keep looking

 

http://www.spdexhaust.com/index.html

 

+1 for SPD great people to work with! Excellent quality for the price!

 

http://www.spdexhaust.com/index.html

Yeah...these guys have the BEST selection! and the prices are pretty good, too.
Different radiuses for each size of U bend, crazy selection of transitions, collectors, header flanges.

 

Listen, when it comes to primary tubes , bigger is not always better....inch and a half is large enough for that engine. I can supply mandrel bends of any size from 1 1/2 to 5 inch. But there has to be somewhere closer to you that can do the same. Building a header isn't that hard...it's just a lot of work. Set the collector where you want to to be and one by one build the tubes, less angles can be cut from greater angles due to the mandrel bend being the same diam. as the base tubing. make all cuts square to the tube. Its not a race so if it takes all week to do it..in the end it'll look great.

 

No way man!! Don't under estimate yourself. If you can fab the headers you can fab the collectors. Somethings APPEAR more difficult than they really are. Besides you got nothing to lose by trying your hand at fabbing those collectors.

I think Ron Fournier's (sp?) sheetmetal Fabrication book has a section devoted on fabbing headers INCLUDING the collectors. Let me know if you don't have access to it - I'm sure we could email you a scan of the page or something. If you are gonna do ANY sheetmetal work - you ought to get a copy of this book anyway. IMHO

 

If you can't find the collector, then take a "swaged open" end from a large exhaust adaptor piece, and use a torch to form the three (in your case) 1.5 dia receivers for the individual tubes.(use a solid rod/socket, etc as a mandrel, heat and beat!) Second step is where the tubes end, (lets go over to the actual tubes now) weld a filler "star" or triangle in the center opening, fill the outer gaps between the tubes, then slide your new collector on and weld the outside perimeter.
BTW, OnlyChevs is right, the diameter should only be big enough for the motor to generate max torque and midrange for street. Any larger and you'll sacrifice low end power.

 

see...he knows it's not Rocket surgery... read a little , weld alot.