Worth the headache?

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Shamrock--WV2NC

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Hey all. I have a 74 Dart with a 318. It has ps, pb, and a/c. The only mods I have planned are dual exhaust, eddy performer intake, and eddy 600 carb. With that combo what kind of horsepower would putting on some headers add? I'm trying to decide if it is worth the headache or the cash to get them installed at a shop. Lol. Thanks
 
Sounds like you have a car with all the creature comforts of a daily driver and you want to add a little more power. Okay. Adding headers has ALWAYS been a very cost effective way of doing that.

Back in 1969 I had a 68 Roadrunner with PS, PB, and A/C and wanted to do the same thing so I added headers. However the headers produced a very tinny sound inside the car. I've never heard anybody on this site mention this. This was not a second car, it was my only car so I had to live with this all the time. Because of the tinny sound, I removed them within a year.

This noise may not bother others and there is a thermal wrap that might help. So my advice is to be sure to ride in a car with headers to see if this noise bothers you.
 
headers will free up some ponies - how much on a 318 is debatable.. with that said, I'd do it - I love the noise and it's only $$, you'll make more.. :D
 
Headers have always been a headache for me, yet I still put them on my Duster. It's a higher performance build than yours, so maybe that money would be better spent elsewhere? Like a rear end if yours is a peg leg. Or beer.
 
Usually the first modification I make on a mainly stock car is a set of headers. No better way to increase horsepower and fuel economy for the money!
Headers today are better than the ones that they sold back in the day. They fit better and seal better and if you spend a little more they may even perform better. I'd do it without a doubt.
Without a good free flowing exhaust system you'll never get the benefit of the manifold and carb upgrades. The stock manifolds are just too restrictive. Years ago I had nearly the same combination that you are describing in my 67 Barracuda and loved it until I wanted to go faster. Later we did a similar combo in a friend's Duster and another in my brother's Dart. Definitely go with the headers. Like I said I'd probably do it 1st.
 
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If you buy a quality set, like Doug's or TTIs, then they are definitely worth it...more power AND fuel economy, thats a win-win!!!
 
Usually the first modification I make on a mainly stock car is a set of headers. No better way to increase horsepower and fuel economy for the money!
Headers today are better than the ones that they sold back in the day. They fit better and seal better and if you spend a little more they may even perform better. I'd do it without a doubt.

That's probably my problem. I'm broke so I tend to use swap meet headers.
 
If you buy headers buy a good quality brand Tti's or Dougs expensive but worth every penny..with that combo your lucky if your putting out 180 h.p...
 
Joe;
I have a '75 More Door Dart.
318, Eddy Air Gap intake and an Eddy 1405.
A cam and some other things...
As it relates to you, I have a these Hookers.
Hookers
pushed thru some 40 series.
I agree with some of the above, without the headers, you will not get the benefits of the intake and carb.
Past that, if you ever put in a cam (XE268 is mine) you won't see that benefit either.
Keep an eye out, you can find headers cheaper that that list price. I paid $100 at the swap meet and they were near new with gaskets.

Not sure about the horse power guestimate above. I have no idea how much HP I have. I do know it will light up the tires anytime I want with the 3.55 Sure Grip and finish the quarter mile in 13.7 at 98.9mph.
And that is good with me and still fun to take to the cruise night or the grocery store.
 
I vote yes. You have made mods for more air in and I wouldn't want to squeeze things right at the heads.

I have had several sets of TTI's. Expensive but quality.
 
At 155hp & 255kbs. Of Tq. that was stock for the '74 model year, I'd be hard pressed to actually disagree with the boards most famous 318 Na-sayer from Mass.

I normally agree with headers for mileage and power gains but on your year 318, I'd leave the stock exhaust manifolds on there and opt. instead for a full exhaust manifold back exhaust system from TTI.
 
I can't tolerate the pingy sound of headers.
If you are going to "motor about" more than race, stick with manifolds.
You can make a 318 fast without headers.
Some 340 exhaust manifolds and dual exhaust will be an improvement that still lets you use stock exhaust pipes, run quiet, and go faster.
 
I had a bone stock 318 in my car when I got it and just started collecting things to put on now that would also work on a bigger small block.
First thing I did was upgrade the ignition.
Then carb and intake
Then oversized the cooling system
Then Headers and dual exhaust

A little patience and time and I was able to get all of it for WAY less than half price from craigslist and from here.
One day a nice magnum motor came along and I dropped in in with everything I was already driving the 318 with.

As far as being worth the headache, yes it was worth it, but some of the prices I have seen posted for shops to do it were just frikkin ridiculous.
My Brother and I installed my entire system in a weekend.
(Headers, dual 2.5 inch with Flowmasters and all the hangers system)
 
I'd save your money, get the distributor properly curved and start buying some basic shop tools such as a floor jack, jack stands, hand tools and an air compressor.

If you want to have more power later down the road, you'll be able to spend you money on parts and save the labor cost for installing them. Its usually about a 2 to 1 ratio, labor to parts. You will still have to sub out some work, but having a decent set of shop tools will always pay for itself in the long run.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I don't mind the loudness of an exhaust system. You ought to hear my truck. Lol. Anyways, some say get the headers, others say not. What about shorty headers? Would that be a good compromise?
 
I'm going through the install of a new 2.5" exhaust system with Dougs headers, X-pipe and tailpipes and Borla mufflers.
Had ordered Schumacher shorty's at first, but they were in backorder for ages so I went for the full length Dougs. Now during installation I learned I probably should've waited longer for the shorty's.
 
Well, when it comes to A-body engine-bays, everything wants to share some of its neighbors space.

I had to reposition the engine 3 times. Which ofcourse is evne more fun when you can hardly reach the pass.side engine mount bolt/nut, which will only turn on click at a time on the ratchet. Had to change to smaller washers and enginemount bolts to get more 'nudge-room' on the engine.
Needed to shift/rotate the steeringbox 2 times. Along with moving over steeringcolumn.
Still the headers are 1/8" from the torsionbar on the right side, and just touching the t-bar on the left side.
Also the cyl. no. 7 tube hits the steering coupler. Hope I can 'flex' away the header a bit when I hook up the X-pipe downstream, and make the header clear everything.
Had to reroute the transmission cooler lines, which at first got stuck behind the left header after I had wrestled it in place.
Had to remove the oilfilter and 90deg adapter. Ofcourse the 30 year old gasket didn't survive. The transmission also oil-dipstick had to be removed temporarly.

I've already spent over 5 evenings/days on this header/exhaustsystem installation and I'm still only at positioning/mounting the X-pipe now. I rather would have spent my time on other things...

IMG_4865.jpg
 
Imho headers are absolutly worth instaling, headers,exhaust and intake tend to all be nice improvements on a low hp stock type engine for a reasonable amount of money and time to install them and they all give a nice little boost in performance and toghether that little boost adds into a slightly larger little extra:)
 
I'm trying to decide if it is worth the headache or the cash to get them installed at a shop. Lol. Thanks

I have run headers on every daily driver and hot rod I've owned. Some of the stuff I've had, newer stuff, has come with factory installed headers. If you run quality gaskets and stage 8 bolts you'll have years of maintenance free enjoyment.

In regards to noise. If you have sound deadening it isn't an issue.
 
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