i bought a set from MotherTrucker here on the HAMB, transaction went great, had the headers a couple of days after they shipped. but i had a question about the connection to the pipes. do the headers need to be beveled to allow for a donut gasket or do they just get the flat gasket. i am thinking the donut gasket just because it will give the header/pipe connection some wiggle room. but the headers didnt come with a bevel cut, so here i am.
Original Fenton headers for the early chev6s had a bevel on the rear header, so the original exhaust pipe and donut gasket could be re-used. A second new pipe was connected to the front header, which had a flat surface, to be used with a flat gasket. Earlier header flanges went straight down, for engines with front motor mounts. Later they were angled towards the rear, just like the original cast iron manifolds changed, because of the introduction of side motor mounts. Current reproductions have the later angled flanges, which work with either style motor mounts. I guess these days the foundry is saving the beveling step on the rear header flange. But at least the rear flange has enough casting, if you want it beveled like the original ones.
Right. There were four different styles of Fenton headers: both straight down for '37-'48, straight down front and angled rear for '49-'51, kicked outward front and angled rear for '52 and newer (this is the set that is reproduced), and the same style outlets, but with a heat riser integrally cast into the rear header (final design, came out in the late '50s).
I just bought a set from them too got them they look and sound awesome! I went with the flat as well. No problems here at all.
Well, there is no mention of them in my 1956 Fenton catalog, but they are pictured in my 1959 Fenton catalog, so..........
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