One race and i'm done for the season.

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C

Cudafever

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7 gal of 112 racing fuel left. Poor boy can't afford a new drum of racing fuel..........But that is not what sidelined me.

The end of last year i started to get a bad, back fire when i would let off the gas/decelerate. found that the passenger side head gasket was blown causing the back fire.
Forgot about it, and loaded it on the trailer for the first race of the season. as i was warming up my car i wacked the throttle a few time and the back fire reminded me that i hadn't fix last years problem.

Said" F" it, and raced it the hole day

Went out to replace my header gaskets today. Drained the fluid out of the radiator and started undoing header bolts. i only got 3 of them out before i stopped.
 
These Super Comp Header have lived through 3 motors in the past 20+ years. and i can't fault the headers as it was my dumb *** that keep causing the banging........until it said enough.

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Dana67Dart said:
Weld it up and run it!
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That is what i was think about. after i got over my poor me. I don't weld, but have bought a 110v mig welder and want to start learning. But not on this. I have a buddy that is a good welder and could probably fix me up. but he is on a hunt and won't be back for 2 weeks. I guess that plenty of time to get the header off, remove header Wrap and see if there is any more tubes that need some work.
 
Cudafever said:
These Super Comp Header have lived through 3 motors in the past 20+ years. and i can't fault the headers as it was my dumb *** that keep causing the banging........until it said enough.

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Cudafever said:
That is what i was think about. after i got over my poor me. I don't weld, but have bought a 110v mig welder and want to start learning. But not on this. I have a buddy that is a good welder and could probably fix me up. but he is on a hunt and won't be back for 2 weeks. I guess that plenty of time to get the header off, remove header Wrap and see if there is any more tubes that need some work.
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Leave the header on wire wheel around the crack get a piece of exhaust pipe and cut a little square off and use it as a patch and then spot with each corner and then spot well in between until it's all sealed up turn your Mig ' Lincoln?' Wire speed to just at/under 1 or about ..and amp to C
 
I just removed my hooker super comp’s last night. Looked at it for about 45 minutes thinking about all the BS I’d have to go through to take them off and then made a good decision, - Sawzall ! Done in 20 minutes flat. Didn’t even have to remove the steering linkage . LOL

which leads me to my offer right now - pay the shipping and I’ll give what ever parts you want from them FREE….

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MOPAROFFICIAL said:
Leave the header on wire wheel around the crack get a piece of exhaust pipe and cut a little square off and use it as a patch and then spot with each corner and then spot well in between until it's all sealed up turn your Mig ' Lincoln?' Wire speed to just at/under 1 or about ..and amp to C
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That is a good idea but i have to replace the gasket which was the original problem so it need to come off anyway.
They both need to come off and get fresh gaskets anyways.

drivers side suck even more to take off. but there will be no Sawzall in my near future. $800.00 for a painted set and $1042.00 for a coated one. No i will leave my Sawzall on the shelf were it belongs.

I like the idea of a patch panel.
 
Cudafever said:
That is a good idea but i have to replace the gasket which was the original problem so it need to come off anyway.
They both need to come off and get fresh gaskets anyways.

drivers side suck even more to take off. but there will be no Sawzall in my near future. $800.00 for a painted set and $1042.00 for a coated one. No i will leave my Sawzall on the shelf were it belongs.

I like the idea of a patch panel.
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Yeah last set of ttis I bought was 780 bucks ..and raw. I sprayed them with brake clean and painted them a couple coats ran a torch over it I don't think any of the paint really stayed on LOL so I just hit it up here and there to keep the surface rust at bay. They'll last long enough is how I see it. I've had those shitty ground dragging headers 'which work better than manifolds I'm not bashing them power wise' but I've had them last well over a decade I've seen them last 20-30 years on other cars.
 
I bought a pair of headers at the OCIR swap meet, if that tells you how long ago. Hooker super comp adjustables. Paid $75.
When they finally broke after who know how many years, and I found out how much a new set cost. I had em welded up. They come off the motor in four pieces. Easiest header to get,on and off I've ever had. (Except for the full fenderwell header car, the one with no inner fenders at all.)
Just used a patch panel. After the repair, I sent em out to be coated. I should have had it done rwenty years ago.
 
My buddy hated how his Hedmen headers hit his Milidon oil pan so he drove it over to Minekie Muffler and had them weld a piece in to move it out. Pretty??? Hell no. But he still has them. Lol
 
Cudafever said:
That is a good idea but i have to replace the gasket which was the original problem so it need to come off anyway.
They both need to come off and get fresh gaskets anyways.

drivers side suck even more to take off. but there will be no Sawzall in my near future. $800.00 for a painted set and $1042.00 for a coated one. No i will leave my Sawzall on the shelf were it belongs.

I like the idea of a patch panel.
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I meant it, the parts that you have that are screwed are mint on mine, if you want them they are your’s. The whole flange is intact with at least 4" of pipe coming out of each hole…..

just have to pay the shipping from Alberta.
 
Cudafever said:
That is a good idea but i have to replace the gasket which was the original problem so it need to come off anyway.
They both need to come off and get fresh gaskets anyways.

drivers side suck even more to take off. but there will be no Sawzall in my near future. $800.00 for a painted set and $1042.00 for a coated one. No i will leave my Sawzall on the shelf were it belongs.

I like the idea of a patch panel.
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Well the gasket was sealing 100%
My best AssUMe is that it started cracking around the flange, as it cracked most of the way around the flange on the inside(exhaust port/head side). The crack finally found a way out were it could split.

Worried that i my had burnt a Valve or something. I pulled all the plugs and did a compression check. They were all between 210 and 225 except #3 and it was 240. I check it twice and then again after the compression check was done.
Eng is good so that's a plus.

I'm going to bring my 'cheep o' bore scope home, that hooks up to my phone and take a peek down the spark plug holes. Just to see what i see while i have all the spark plugs out.
 
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Don't even get me started on headers LOL, I ran Tubular Automotive headers on my small block 68 Dart for years , when my last set wore out I bought TTIs for over $1100 I never liked them for a variety of reasons the only good thing is not having use a 90 degree oil filter adapter. Last year I purchased a brand new set of Tubular Automotive headers , had them coated all at a cost of around $1500 well they also fit poorly s they hung to low to get the car in my trailer , in the meantime I had sold my TTIs . Don 't know why they didn't fit they always did in the past , I talked to the guys from Tubular they didn't understand why they didn't fit as the knew me and my car as I had been a past customer. I offered to bring the car to them for a fitting but sold the headers and bought the TTIs back from the person I sold them to . I am looking at the American Racing stainless steel headers but they don't currently make them for W2 heads and they aren't cheap at over $2000.

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All though it a different story, mine being a E body and yours an A body. Back in the day i bought Black jacks, hedmens and Hooker comp headers. all had issues but the biggest one was hanging too low to the ground and catching them on everything(was driven on the street at the time).
Finally broke down and Bought the High Dollar Super Comp Headers. They fit, they cleared and you didn't have to remove the draglink and put it through one of the header tubes.
 
pittsburghracer said:
My buddy hated how his Hedmen headers hit his Milidon oil pan so he drove it over to Minekie Muffler and had them weld a piece in to move it out. Pretty??? Hell no. But he still has them. Lol
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Could heated it red hot with a torch and bent it out of the way? Yeah I had Hedmans on my Dart never liked em crushed collectors on passenger side the whole 9. I suppose on a track only car they would be ok I ran them on the street.
 
Mine is a dove tail open trailer. but when i lowered my front end, 2 Inch, I have to drive up on blocks or use my trailer jack to make enough clearance to clear the headers as it come off the trailer.

May also be a contribute to my issue.
 
BVoelzke said:
Don't even get me started on headers LOL, I ran Tubular Automotive headers on my small block 68 Dart for years , when my last set wore out I bought TTIs for over $1100 I never liked them for a variety of reasons the only good thing is not having use a 90 degree oil filter adapter. Last year I purchased a brand new set of Tubular Automotive headers , had them coated all at a cost of around $1500 well they also fit poorly s they hung to low to get the car in my trailer , in the meantime I had sold my TTIs . Don 't know why they didn't fit they always did in the past , I talked to the guys from Tubular they didn't understand why they didn't fit as the knew me and my car as I had been a past customer. I offered to bring the car to them for a fitting but sold the headers and bought the TTIs back from the person I sold them to . I am looking at the American Racing stainless steel headers but they don't currently make them for W2 heads and they aren't cheap at over $2000.

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Honestly, I would be very surprised if ARC ever made headers for small block further than what they now do.
While mine seem to make great power, they have some figment liabilities compared for instance to the Doug’s I took off. The Doug’s fit like a glove compared to these. these are a pain in the arse
 
Headers on these cars is a challenge I hear on the early a bodies also the pre 67 guys have issues also I believe.
 
Cudafever said:
These Super Comp Header have lived through 3 motors in the past 20+ years. and i can't fault the headers as it was my dumb *** that keep causing the banging........until it said enough.

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Just tooting my own horn, took me 3 hours.
With a Dremel(on sale at Harbor freight for $14.95) my little butane torch, screwdriver and a small hammer.
I think the header will live to see another day.
Look so good i was temped to pull out my welder......But i new better. will be welded up Monday.

Decided not to pull the other header as it is sealing completely. No sign of black on top or underneath side of header.



Still need to bring my bore scope home and take a look in side the spark plug holes.......just because i can.
I can take still with it. if i find something interesting.......

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That is such an easy repair.

Get that welder out and get to work. You only learn by doing and your buddy might not be around the next time you need something welded.

Tom
 
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