Manifolds or stay with what I have?

Can't you "get imaginative" with the block huggers? Now I can't SEE them, so this is only "talk"

Maybe different types of bolts, IE allen head, etc, so you can get a wrench on the top? Could you tack weld the bolt heads to the header and still get a socket on the bottoms?

How 'bout "connector nuts" would those get the nuts away from the bell far enough that you could get a socket on?