Looking for pics and ideas for building a set of log headers.

Due to the tight shock towers in my classic, the 351W, and lack of any aftermarket pre-fabbed headers being available, its looking like I will have to make my own log style turbo headers.

Id love to see some information and pics for people who have built their own.

I did some research and it looks like it will be easier and cheaper to buy a set of cheap shorty ebay headers and chop them up rather than buy the flanges etc.

 

70,
Cheapy headers will have thin flanges. Imo, 3/8" flanges would be worth the money. Cheapy headers will also have thin tube [16 or even 18ga?]

Experts may say that a log with all tubes curved toward turbo is better. I made my manifolds with only the rear tube curved. Not a Ford, but some pics below that might gove you ideas.

I used 14ga carbon steel bends from Allied Exhaust for mine. The middlke section straight tube is common cheap exhaust "pipe", which is sold as 14ga.

My tubes are 2" o.d. from the ports. Log steps from 2" [from rear port] to 2.25" to 2.5" bend to the turbo. Those sizes are too large for a 351 [maybe too large for my 512"?]. You could use say 1.625", 1.875" and 2.25" for the log.

Dave

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Those look great Dave.

I was planning on adding some brackets to take most of the weight off the headers. You think the cheapy ebay headers arn't worth it hey? I was thinking of using something like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SB-F...3QQihZ007QQcategoryZ33631QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
3/8" flanges and only $85
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So when you buy header flanges that have a rectangular port opening... how do you weld up a round tube? If I buy a tube that is large enough to be "squared" to fit, I'm worried I'll have primaries that are way too large.

Also.. I've seen a few times here that people are using a stepped design. What is the purpose of this? Is it just for the extra little bit of room?

 

BottleFed70,

Thanks for the kind words.


It's not hard to form a smaller round tube to a larger square opening. Tack 4 places, and heat the tube and stretch to fit with a small ballpeen or pointed end of a body hammer. That's even more reason to use a thicker gauge tubing, as when you stretch it, it gets thinner. Fyi, www.headersbyed has a nice header building guide that well worth the few bucks it costs. Geared to the N/A'd header builder but still very helpful, esp to the novice header builder.

A stepped primary header design is promoted to make more power by some. It also makes it somewhat easier to build, as some of the joints are a slip fit [18ga tube 1/8" increments]. Fwiw, I would not build a stepped primary 4 into 1 collectored turbo header. My logs are stepped, most true logs manifolds aren't.

Personally, if they will not fit flipped, and you have to cut/hack/weld, I'd build something use at least 16ga tubing. They may be 16, but they could be 18. Seems a shame to do that much work and have light tube that might give you fits later.

Some ford guys might be able to give input as far as those fitting flipped. I've seen Fords with such a header flipped, with the end modified and extended for turbo use.

Dave


link=topic=77835.msg816488#msg816488 date=1170719076]
Those look great Dave.

I was planning on adding some brackets to take most of the weight off the headers. You think the cheapy ebay headers arn't worth it hey? I was thinking of using something like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SB-F...3QQihZ007QQcategoryZ33631QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
3/8" flanges and only $85
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So when you buy header flanges that have a rectangular port opening... how do you weld up a round tube? If I buy a tube that is large enough to be "squared" to fit, I'm worried I'll have primaries that are way too large.

Also.. I've seen a few times here that people are using a stepped design. What is the purpose of this? Is it just for the extra little bit of room?
[/quote]

 

http://www.jgstools.com/turbo/index2.html
click on "turbo header parts"

If I ever go with logs I'm going to use something similar to these designs, nice and beefy and should do the trick. (click on turbo header kits to get an idea of what I'm talking about)

FYI you can get most of the elbows and tees pretty much anywhere that sells pipe. Just get the butt weld joint pipe.

I believe mkoebra95 was doing a setup similar to these headers.

 

thanks for that link, those look like a nice cheap starting point for the DIY guy.

-Brian

 

FLANGES:

https://www.theturboforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=60998.0

https://www.theturboforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=60049.0

 

Thanks for the link.

That's a great solution for the 4cyln guys, but I don't see anything that looks like it was designed for a V8. There only seems to be flanges for the 4cyln's, and the 1.610" ID of the log makes me worry about the flow. Not bad if you are mounting the turbo off the middle of the log, but I think they would be a big restriction for us V8 guys who generally mount the turbo at the end of the log.

 

Yeah I don't think there are any of the kits for V8's, but it gives you an idea of what you can do for cheap. Also they make pipe in different sizes (which is what all those fittings are) so you can make the headers pretty much any ID you want.

Just giving you an idea to go off of.

 

here are a couple pics of mine.i just did one turbo but you get the idea.i went with 3/8 flanges,the primarys are 14 gauge 1 3/4 and the log is 2 1/2 14 gauge.
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copy the hellion kit?..ive thought about doing that....is yours a passenger or driver side mount?

 

I made a set of step tube log headers for my 351w Fox body.. coudln't find any headers that I liked that would work for my Holset HE351s, so I just made 'em exactly how I needed them to fit. Worked out great. Check out all the pictures at http://www.binaryweb.com/scrapbook/012206_exhaust_logs/

 

Those look great! Nice and strong.

So what was your reasoning for going with stepped headers? I was thinking a full 2.5" tube would be easiest.
Is it because you are looking for less exhaust volume?

 

here's some pics of my log headers: http://home.neo.rr.com/turbo68/eng/

 

twofast,

Nice job!

Dave

 

Here are my LS1 Camaro headers-

http://www.ls1speed.com/artwork/intmd8-2/jm0003.jpg
http://www.ls1speed.com/pictures/TT007.jpg
http://www.ls1speed.com/pictures/TT008.jpg
http://www.ls1speed.com/pictures/TT010.jpg

 

Amazing job! Those look great, and look like they will flow really well! And not the average tubo location.

If I end up building mine, I can only hope they look that good. Thanks for the pics.

 

Thanks. I am trying to keep exhaust velocity up. One cylinder doesn't need as much volume as where all 4 come together. When the diameter increases, velocity will decrease unless there sufficient volume of air to fill the space. I have no idea how well my headers work, but in theory, the should be pretty decent

 

For two fast and INTMD8,

Very nice, both of you.

Where do you get the tapered section? What gauge is it? What gauge straight tubing and bends?

Thanks.
Dave

 

i got the tapered section at spdexhaust.com. everything is 16ga.