Header build starts

[Dusty Bradford]

I got a few hours to play with the headers. Material is from SPD and is mild steel with 1 7/8 primaries. I will have them coated inside and out. I had good luck with this set-up last time.

[Dusty Bradford]

Collectors are the cheapest from the SPD catalog. I have seen several sets of the high$$ merge collectors crack so I wasn't going to pay over $200 per collector to have them crack. This has proven to be the best solution. It takes a little extra work to weld a star shaped piece between all 4 tubes when the header is assembled but I have had no cracking issues.

SPD doesn't make a 1 7/8 collector with a 2 1/2 outlet. I bought the collector with the 3 inch outlet and a 3 to 2 1/2 adapter and pieced them together. I now have a 1 7/8 collector with 2 1/2 outlet and it's short enough to fit where I want it.

[idaho gn]

hey dusty do they make those in ss? and what was the reasoning to go with 1-7/8 primary's and a 2-1/2 outlet on your heads again? (im at this point in my project also and am just wondering) is it to get velocity up so it spools quicker? is it a space issue? im lookg to see what would be the optimal way of going....(i only want to do this once if i can help it).....i was thinking about using 321 for my header tubes. are 1/2 inch thick flanges to thick (over kill) schoenfeld has the drawings for the flanges so i was going to have my own cut out of 304 or 316 (cant rembember the material that i have)

[PaCemkr86]

jesus that turbo is HUGE

[John Wilde]

Jig it up so you can send me a set!!! =)
Nice work my southern brotha!!!

[Dusty Bradford]

Originally Posted by idaho gn

hey dusty do they make those in ss? and what was the reasoning to go with 1-7/8 primary's and a 2-1/2 outlet on your heads again? (im at this point in my project also and am just wondering) is it to get velocity up so it spools quicker? is it a space issue? im lookg to see what would be the optimal way of going....(i only want to do this once if i can help it).....i was thinking about using 321 for my header tubes. are 1/2 inch thick flanges to thick (over kill) schoenfeld has the drawings for the flanges so i was going to have my own cut out of 304 or 316 (cant rembember the material that i have)

I need at least 1 7/8 primary due to my port on the heads, that's as small as I could go. Personally I see no need in a 3 inch crossover. I'd rather keep velocity up and save the space with the smaller 2 1/2 crossover. I have seen people use 3" as a crossover but you have to cut that size pipe way down to fit it to a T6 flange. 2 of the 2 1/2 pipes fit nicely to the T5 flange so I can't see the bigger pipe as a gain when the restriction is the turbine inlet.

My head flanges are 1/2 thick and work great. You don't have to use a gasket and they seal without warping.

[Dusty Bradford]

Originally Posted by John Wilde

Jig it up so you can send me a set!!! =)
Nice work my southern brotha!!!

I have thought about jigging them. If this set-up works I'll probably go stainless down the road.

[INTHEEIGHTS]

Nice start on the headers dusty looks good. Keep up the good the work .........

[fvcwe4]

Looks Awesome

[idaho gn]

Originally Posted by Dusty Bradford

I need at least 1 7/8 primary due to my port on the heads, that's as small as I could go. Personally I see no need in a 3 inch crossover. I'd rather keep velocity up and save the space with the smaller 2 1/2 crossover. I have seen people use 3" as a crossover but you have to cut that size pipe way down to fit it to a T6 flange. 2 of the 2 1/2 pipes fit nicely to the T5 flange so I can't see the bigger pipe as a gain when the restriction is the turbine inlet.

My head flanges are 1/2 thick and work great. You don't have to use a gasket and they seal without warping.

gee what a coincidence i am in the EXACT same boat!!!! hence the questions!!!! i appriciate all of the info.....im in the middle of discussions with my guy that is going to build my headers and ic piping and he wants me to buy 400 dollar apiece collectors cause he wants to make his part easier! i on the other hand dont think that they are really needed in a turbo app.

[Dusty Bradford]

Originally Posted by idaho gn

gee what a coincidence i am in the EXACT same boat!!!! hence the questions!!!! i appriciate all of the info.....im in the middle of discussions with my guy that is going to build my headers and ic piping and he wants me to buy 400 dollar apiece collectors cause he wants to make his part easier! i on the other hand dont think that they are really needed in a turbo app.

I had a set of 304 headers for a while for a SB2 set-up that a guy let me take home to look at and see if they would fit. They came off a F-body and were a great price. They had those $400 welded merge collectors from SPD and I was looking at $600 to buy them. I was going to cut them apart and piece them back together for my car. Those collectors were junk. They look great but the welds are so thin where the pipes are merged together that the collector will crack. There is no way to repair them without hacking up a high $$ collector. After talking with a couple guys who tried the merge collectors they talked me out of them. Everyone of them had cracking issues with the stainless merge collectors in turbo applications. They recommend the formed collectors like mine.

[idaho gn]

perfect!

[Dusty Bradford]

passenger side is done

[John Wilde]

Work of art my friend.
I can not wait until you are back out there.

[chasmat2316]

Real nice work!

[Dusty Bradford]

There was only one way to build them with room for the 5" downpipe and still have spark plug access...fit is tight.