Building headers

I'm restoring a 29 model AA truck. I would like to build an intake and exaust header. I have a mill a lathe and a tig welder. Where can I but the 90* elbows?
thanks nick c

 

Summit Racing

 

Have you asked a muffler shop???

Chrome 'n' Flake

 

Another thing I do is look on Craigslist. Someone is always sellig headers to something, $10 to $20 and a bandsaw and you get lots of bends to work with.

 

Don't buy 90 deg bends buy "U" bends. You can do a lot more things with U bends. The other tool that makes headers easy is a good stationary disc grinder like an Apex.

Rex

 

www.spdexhaust.com

They have the highest quality bends out there. 90* 45* 180* and J bends which I prefer because one leg is 6" and the other is 12"

 

http://www.mandrel-bends.com/catalog/

http://www.mandrelbendingsolutions.com/servlet/StoreFront

http://www.magnumforce.com/ubend.asp

 

An exhaust 360* loop, makes (4) 90* els with no crimped portions.

 

And buy at least 16 gauge tube. 18 gauge works but is harder to work with. Don't get aluminum coated unless it's all they have. Does not weld as cleanly as plain steel or stainless.

 

I ordered mine from J.C. Whitney.

 

Search for "exhaust donut".

Real tight bends, will give you 4 x 90 degrees.

 

I while back, I read that someone made a special piece of tube that slid inside and between the joints and had a lip that stuck out between the tubes, when welding, that lip melted and became the filler. Anyone else heard about this?

 

http://www.jegs.com/i/Hooker/520/12101/10002/-1?sendroicid=bbef8492-2d00-41d6-b158-38db0de2603c&sendroikwd={keyword}&gclid=CMib8dW3zLMCFYN_QgodUgMALQ

 

http://secure.chassisshop.com/partlist/6205/

 

Try these guy's [email protected] Columbia river mandrel bends. they bend pipe with water somehow and they are beautiful, no lumps or scratch's. I made two lakester sets out of stainless and they are great. built glass pack mufflers inside and they sound great! Happy motoring, Bruce

 

I have used the rings that kscarguy talked about they work great.Another trick I use is set the ubend on piece of plywood trace it out find the center point of the bend,drive a nail,slip a string over it .If mark all your cuts with this they will always be at 90*.

 

Some inperation

 

I buy the pre bent mandrel tubes from Summit. They are 16 gauge and good quality. The most important tip I can think of is to make sure you cut the bends at exactly 90 degrees to keep the cut pipe round instead of oval. That way two different pieces fit well for welding and can swivel to what ever angle you need. Headers aren't that hard, just think of them as motorhead tinker toys.

 

Many of the better muffler shops have mandrel benders now so if you can't find ready made bends, you can have them do what you want.
For what it's worth, the "W" type header will make more hp on a naturally aspirated flathead.

 

Just for the heck of it take a look at this link.It is a header primary tube length and diameter calculator. Just enter the information and it will tell you what what the best combination is for your particular setup.You will need to know your valve timing specifications but you don't need to enter volumetric efficiency for the calculator to work. If your going to build headers you might as well get the best possible performance form them.

http://www.wallaceracing.com/header_length.php

 

http://www.boyceindustries.com/ will have everything you need and more.

Also, you should know, it is HIGHLY advisable to weld the stubs (the first piece coming off the flange) to the flange with a silicon bronze filler. This allows the joint to move slightly with the vibration of the engine without cracking the weld or material around it.

 

We use these in the class i am taking

http://www.icengineworks.com/

basically you build them out of plastic (like legos) then cut and weld. there is no math no measuring all the guess work is taken out. you save time and money by not wasting material, very simple to use,, although a bit pricey if you are building a set maybe you know someone who will need a pair and you can split it with them or buy use and sell.

im probably going to sell my langdon headers i bought and build my own... for my I6

 

wow, that must be a big cube 12,000 rpm small block chevy! Those are huge short primaries!

 

they are inch and 3/4 OD pipes.. but we just made them to learn how to use the product not for a particular application. we just bolted the collector in place and worked our way to it...

 

Could you get spark plugs in and out with those? And wires on them?
Something many first timers miss

 

nope, nope, yep... We just made them to learn how to use the product.... not for a car..john

 

There’s a there’s a good link to a header calculator here. I may be building a set of headers soon.


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