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cast aluminum headers?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by stainlesssteelrat, Jan 21, 2013.

  1. stainlesssteelrat
    Joined: Nov 23, 2010
    Posts: 583

    stainlesssteelrat
    Member
    from ms

    Has anyone made or used em, I'm not talking
    About thin walled crap I'm talking heavy cast
    Headers that won't ...or shouldn't be bothered by the heat.
     
  2. Boat headers are aluminum. They get used, most are water cooled but that can be overcome with a little ingenuity.
     
  3. I'd think they would not take the 12-1300 degree heat,and would fail on a car engine....
     
  4. Don's Hot Rods
    Joined: Oct 7, 2005
    Posts: 8,319

    Don's Hot Rods
    Member
    from florida

    That has always been my assumption too, that they wouldn't stand up to the heat unless water cooled, like a boat engine is. But I have no rear world experience to back that up.

    Don
     

  5. FrozenMerc
    Joined: Sep 4, 2009
    Posts: 3,093

    FrozenMerc
    Member

    You would need a very effective way of cooling the header, water or air. This may be a good place for lots of fins. A356 (very common sand cast aluminum) melts at 1140 deg. F. Most Exhaust gas temps range from 1300 to 1600 deg. F. so you would have to figure out a good way of pulling a bunch of heat from the headers.
     
  6. DD COOPMAN
    Joined: Jul 25, 2009
    Posts: 1,122

    DD COOPMAN
    Member

    Most aluminums start getting kind of "gooey" around 1300 degrees. DD
     
  7. LAK
    Joined: Nov 28, 2012
    Posts: 3

    LAK
    Member
    from Nebraska

    1963 Catalina 421 Super Duty could be ordered with factory aluminum headers. You could burn up a set of headers and a pair of tires in a quarter mile.
     
  8. Dane
    Joined: May 6, 2010
    Posts: 1,351

    Dane
    Member
    from Soquel, CA

    Steel would be easier, cheaper, lighter and more sturdy. Are steel headers not considered "nostalgic" anymore? :confused: As the smarter than I guys said, keeping cast aluminum from cracking without water is probably near impossible with any serious go pedal time.
     
  9. stainlesssteelrat
    Joined: Nov 23, 2010
    Posts: 583

    stainlesssteelrat
    Member
    from ms

    Perhaps a water jacket and fins would be in order.

    Yea, steel is easy..i make steel headers all the damn time.. I've even cast some iron headers, not looking to be different or wow people..it's just for me.
     
  10. When I first got on the HAMB someone was always selling some boat headers. Some of them actually got used.

    Most boat headers are constant loss on the coolant. But you could build a block off plate for the rear of the header with a nipple and plumb the water back into the cooling system.

    Something else that can be done is to run it fat and lots of spark advance, we used to do that with cars and bikes that ran chromed pipes to keep them from blueing.
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2013
  11. jesse1980
    Joined: Aug 25, 2010
    Posts: 1,355

    jesse1980
    Member

    I don't think it's possible. Try it though and let us know what happens. Be interesting to talk about for sure.
     
  12. stainlesssteelrat
    Joined: Nov 23, 2010
    Posts: 583

    stainlesssteelrat
    Member
    from ms

    Hey..if they slag down they slag down ..what the hell else was I going to do with my time? Pay my speeding tickets ? Pfff.
     
  13. Mike VV
    Joined: Sep 28, 2010
    Posts: 3,029

    Mike VV
    Member
    from SoCal

    Be carefull even with properly plummed boat alum. header.
    A blown big block Chevy blew thru 5 of the 8 holes in a 15 minute boat ride...the other three holes..almost burned thru.

    If you've just got a mild combination. plummed properly, sure. But why ?
    Big, ugly, heavy (yea, even being aluminum..!).

    Mike
     
  14. Kerrynzl
    Joined: Jun 20, 2010
    Posts: 2,906

    Kerrynzl
    Member

    That's the same reason why aluminum heads don't work on the street [ blobs of exhaust port material plug up the mufflers ]:D
     
  15. stainlesssteelrat
    Joined: Nov 23, 2010
    Posts: 583

    stainlesssteelrat
    Member
    from ms

    What are these muffler things you talk about ?
     
  16. Well you are doing some use of your time on a subject that is not really feasible..LOL
     
  17. HEATHEN
    Joined: Nov 22, 2005
    Posts: 8,564

    HEATHEN
    Member
    from SIDNEY, NY

    In the early '60s, someone (maybe the original Eelco) made cast aluminum headers for Corvairs. Not sure how well they held up.
     
  18. Relic Stew
    Joined: Apr 17, 2005
    Posts: 1,208

    Relic Stew
    Member
    from Wisconsin

    Attached Files:

  19. Rocket88
    Joined: Jul 11, 2001
    Posts: 912

    Rocket88
    Member

    Apparently the new 2014 Corvettes are going to come with cast aluminum exhaust manifolds.
     
  20. Yeah right-a head is a bit thicker aluminum my friend.......if aluminum will work on a header why dont the big automakers use it instead of stainless alloys?
    It has to cost less than the other alloys they actually use, so that settles it for me.

     
  21. As stated, alum melts at temps that an exhaust system can reach under full throttle for extended periods. Like steel, alum also loses strength when it gets hot. Alum does not turn color, it will just fall away.

    If you could keep the exhaust well cooled it could work, but going to need water or lot of air. Plus a light foot..........
     
  22. 296 V8
    Joined: Sep 17, 2003
    Posts: 4,666

    296 V8
    BANNED
    from Nor~Cal

    Like already said already Pontiac did it …. worked fine on ¼ cars and failed on stock cars
     
  23. Halfdozen
    Joined: Mar 8, 2008
    Posts: 632

    Halfdozen
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Aluminum heads are water cooled.
     
  24. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 23,757

    Deuces

  25. Kerrynzl
    Joined: Jun 20, 2010
    Posts: 2,906

    Kerrynzl
    Member



    Not at the surface of the ports or on some motorcycle engines


    The piston crowns aint water cooled either :D
     
  26. interesting.
    what is the advantage you are going for? they won't be lighter, especially if they are water cooled, they would be too big to fit in many cars, and they couldn't be cheap to make than tube headers/manifolds.
     
  27. petritl
    Joined: Jul 31, 2006
    Posts: 949

    petritl
    Member
    from Marion, TX

    If marine headers are used and plumbed into the car's cooling system it will cause the engine to overheat (exhaust heat transferred to engine coolant) unless changes are made to improve the radiator's abilities.
     
  28. mow too much
    Joined: Nov 20, 2008
    Posts: 906

    mow too much
    Member

    I know Rick Kirk has a set of the long tube FE headers like the heavy cast iron headers that were used on the 62-64 406 and 427 Fords that are made of aluminum.
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2013
  29. paintguy
    Joined: Jan 3, 2010
    Posts: 15

    paintguy
    Member

    Have a set on a superduty bubble top 421 but sent them out and had the inside ceramic coated(they are the reproduction version)drove the car 45 minutes andtook an infared pyrometer to them and were only around 650 degrees
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2013
  30. wsdad
    Joined: Dec 31, 2005
    Posts: 1,259

    wsdad
    Member


    Brilliant!!!!!

    Advantages:
    1. Light weight
    2. Durable
    3. Cheap: Can be cast at home from scrap rims and charcoal.
    4. Possibilities: Can be made into any shape or take any route you can dream up.
    5. Traditional: You can cast the word, "H.A.M.B." into them so people will think they were made before the early 60's.
     

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