I am putting a 350 in my CJ5 and was wondering what everybody was using for headers. I want some that will give me good low rpm performance and torque but also would like to keep them inside the frame rails. I've heard tri-y's are good for what I want but am unsure if I could fit a set inside the frame.

J. J.

Do not use hedmans in frame headers . THey will roach the # 5 plug wire in 100 miles . Call em and they will tell you its a performance item . Morons! I am running 69 Chevelle Headers which clear nicley and are long which in theory means more torque. Be forwarned if you choose this route you will have to move the proportioning valve .No biggy ,just thought I would mention it . If you want the part number email me at jeepparts@hotmail . I think they were 80 $ . Good luck.

im using hedman chevy 350 to yj headers in my yj. dont know if they are diff than the ones for a cj that he had a prob with but i cant see any flaws with mine.they should work for a cj also. i used tie straps to get the plug wires were i want them. best of all there only 100 bucks from summit. i also had mine coated.

I agree go with the Hedmans inside the frame. I put them on my CJ7 and they are sweet.:p

there was a guy a few days ago that posted some conversion hedders for sale...his name is John, he had a bunch of CJ stuff for sale! Search! I looked at them while checking out some of his other stuff, they are in good shape!
I use the Hedmans inside the frame, the other guy is right about burning up plug wires though, get REAL high temp plug wires and run them well.

I am glad you guys are having better luck than I did with Hedman . Mine came from 4wd hardware and were nothing but grief. I tried everything . Racing wrap on the wires , DEI boot socks and I even wrapped the header . After a 100 miles or so it would roach the wire .So I switched to Chevelle headers that were 69.99 at Advance( I looked in the jeep receipts) and I havent had any more plug wire problems . Its crazy how some stuff they made works fine but the headers I bought were utter crap .

I was told by my buddy who is a 350 expert that just about any headers will burn up plug wires. He says that the only wires he's ever used that can stand up to the heat and more are the MSD's. I need to change my wires anyway, so i figure I might as well go MSD.

J. J.

Well my family has done 3 SBC engine swaps into CJ's. All Inside the frame.

On one jeep we used the stock exhuast manifold.

On another we used block hugger headers -- this required the passenger side exhuast pipe to make a funny bend around the starter.

On my current Jeep (was my dad's) my dad used Camaro headers, but this required messing with the steering column to lower the steering shaft. The steering column was tilted more vertically so that the shaft ran lower.

The YJ headers probably won't work. YJ Frames are about 3" wider inside the frame rails. Find someone with a YJ and see how close they come to the frame rail.

- Mike

I'm doing this in a couple of weeks as well on my 84 CJ7. So is it fine to use the stock exhaust manifolds, or is the point to all this to put some headers on while you've got such great access? I'm just looking to get it in and running so that I can get back on the trail and road.

I've seen two cj's that ran the camaro header that ends at the bellhousing area. I don't know what make they were but the tubes ran on an angle worked and looked really good. I ran a set of headers off an old round track car on my cj I think they were thorley headers for a nova/camaro type front clip. I had to put collector flanges on them but they worked for about ten years or so. I put a set of vette rams horn manifolds back on the last engine swap.

I put the headman in-frame header on my Chevy 350 in a CJ-5. They burnt my wires up also. The CJ and the YJ headers are different.

Wish I would have on the board before I got mine so I could find out what works. I will have to check out the Chevelle headers because I'm going to replace the Headmans.:mad:

Here is what I am planning on running:

FlowTech Afterburners (http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=BIG%2D49100)

I cannot say if they will fit in your frame though.

Doesn't anyone use the stock chevy manifold? I guess I'll go ahead and look for those camaro headers as well. Thanks.

Any block hugger style should work. I use the ones from Advance Adapters. Earlier(1960's) stock "ram horn" style will work too.

I have a friend that is running stock headers in his CJ7, In my cj5 I didnt have room so I had those nasty rock grabbing ones that go outside the frame. Now iI am using headmans in my YJ and I am very happy with them. I can definatelly say that you cant use those for a CJ, mine bearly fit. For what ever that helps.
Josh-

I have those headman headers and they are shit. I melted my plug wires on my first wheelin trip. I had to buy Accel header plugs (they are shorter) and put on plug wire heat resistant socks. Not to mention the headers point right at my slave cylinder so there is only a 3/16" gap between the exhaust pipe and the SS line that goes to the slave cylinder. I wrapped everything really good with heat tape. Oh ya the plastic on my speedo cable even melted from the heat.



I recommend some block hugger headers designed for street rods if you want headers.


If I had to do it over again I would just run stock exhaust manifolds since they seem to help with lowering under the hood temps.

I got those shitty Heddman headers in my CJ and needless to say they suck ass. I have the same problem everyone else has with heat but I had to modify the passenger side, I had to notch the header bend it back together and TIG the POS so it would clear the frame! I only have about a 1/2 inch clearance between the frame and the starter. In fact I was just out in the garage trying to replace the collector gaskets with copper ones and noticed that the fucker is now rubbin the starter :rolleyes: I have had enough those freakin things are garbage.

I've been looking for "GOOD" inside frame headers for a few years. My personal opinion is that there a no in-frame, mass-produced headers made with long tubes, which is what you want for good low end torque, for the SBC in a jeep. What you want is something that looks like the tri-y's pictured below if you really want torque. Notice how long the primaries and secondaries are - unlike those of Thorely's. Better than Thorely's tri-y's are 4 into 1 with really long primaries which will give you better low-end torque if you keep the primaries small. I would really recommend 1.5" dia. or a stepped 1.5" to 1.625". The best thing to do is build you on custom made headers.

http://www.burnsstainless.com/Xdesign/4-2-1_wcutaway.jpg

http://www.secureperformanceorder.com/cat_images/11830301715.jpg



Some sources of info on headers:

http://www.burnsstainless.com/TechArticles/techarticles.html

http://www.n2performance.com/lectures/exhaustsystems.pdf

http://www.cafefoundation.org/aprs/epg.pdf

http://victorylibrary.com/mopar/header-tech-c.htm

http://www.kookscustomheaders.com/articles.htm

http://www.headersbyed.com/

http://www.stahlheaders.com/