I'm currently rebuilding my 77 1-ton chevy. I just rebuilt the 350, bought a Edlebrock performer intake, and 750 cfm edlebrock #1902 Carb. I have a leak in the exhaust and was thinking about getting Hedman Headers and running dual 2 1/2" exhaust through dual flowmasters, is this a good idea or not? Do Headers really boost performance or are they just a hassle? Are Hedman Headers good? Thanks

If I were going to run headers, I'd buy the best quality ones I could find. Look for 1/2" thick flanges. A lot of people make the bigger-is-better mistake on exhaust pipe. 2-1/4" would probably be more appropriate for your engine size. Without adequate backpressure, you may lose HP. Improving your exhaust can have definite improvements on power and headers are one way to upgrade.:D

I bought some thornily full length TRY-Y headers when I rebuilt the motor/trany in my 85 1 ton and noticed it breathed allot better and sounded killer. They were a bit pricy though.

headers do improve performance,(no doubt), and i agree with ccj8008 on the exhaust size. 2 1/2 is a bit big for a small block. i ran 2 1/2 when i was a teenager on my car and it lost a whole lot of bottom end power. stick to the 2 1/4 or 2 inch.
i myself am a personal fan of Hooker super comp headers. they perform well and seem to last longer than Hedman.
i also like the hooker super comp mufflers, those dang flowmasters are pretty loud.

Yes but don't buy the cheap ones.

good headers cost money.. .at least $150. Look for a thick flange and some type of plating is a good idea to prevent rust. Hooker headers are a real good deal..


That being said I bought hedmans for 79.00 :flipoff2:

I agree with 4x4nut on the Tri-Y header style for power and torque improvements (4x4's and trucks need torque) over traditional 4 into 1 header styles. A tri-y style takes into consideration the flows by pairing cyl. firing to keep flow less turbulent to help with the flow of gasses and it matches up the exhuast gas pulses to improve exhaust gas scavening. I would for sure look into having them coated on the inside and out to help reduce temps and add to the longevity of the materials. Now if someone would only make thick wall S.S. headers...and thick wall to help dampen header noise, i am just not a fan of noisy exhaust on a 4x4 in the woods.....we and nature need to to co-exist or we will just have some tree huggers closing more and more land. Just my .02

Alright fellas, where can I get some quality Tri-Y headers for around $200? The hedman headers I was looking at are $104, but I'm sure they're junk. I'm looking for the best sound and performance in this exhaust, so what mufflers should I use behind the headers? I was thinking flowmaster becuase it has a deep tone to it, but am open to others as well. I will go with 2 1/4" pipes like you said. Thanks a lot for the help!

i like hookers but not hooker headers. just buy the cheapos from summit and have a leaky truck so everyone can hear you coming down the trail. on a more serious note, headers are one of the best money to power improvements you can make.

i've ran hedman on my big block for almost ten years. that's long for hedman. they aren't that bad i just think hookers are better.

for muffs there are so many brands out there. you could get a set of thrush turbos for around 13 bucks a piecea fewe years ago from summit.:cool:

Hooker headers cost $400, too rich for my blood. What about shorty headers, will those improve power or not? They would definitely stay up and out of the way. thanks again guys

From my perspective any header is better than an exhaust manifold. If you want something that was engineered for a particular application (read maximum overall performance) call hooker.

Hookers cost from $145-$800+ depending on what you want. Hedman has headers in the same class but almost any cheepo header will free up the exhaust.

If you just want to ditch the cast iron thingies, get what fits your budget.

Look for a thick flange (part that bolts to head) and try to get equal length runners if possible. Tri-y headers are good for low end torque. Shortys are good when space is limited. Individual runner is most common.

BTW: The best el cheepo headers I ever bought was by "Coyote Headers" which was (is?) a value line manufactured by Hooker. For my $99.00 I got an equal length runnersand 3/8 flange. Never leaked, never warped. Still got them 15 years later. Unfortunately I can't find Coyote anywhere or I'd get them for everything I own.