Another header ? for smallblock

-
smlveightis

smlveightis

Confused in Confusion
Joined
Feb 8, 2010
Messages
3,189
Reaction score
91
Location
Westland-Meechigan
I have Indy/RHS heads on a 73 340, with the W2/standard LA, exhaust bolt patterns. Planning on buying TTI headers, and was wondering if there was an advantage to running the W2 headers, vs. standard LA headers. The cost is the same, tube diameters are also the same. Any and all thoughts welcome.
BTW, 73 340, in a 67 Barracuda FB, 10:1 compression, LD340 intake, Holley 750 w/vac secondaries (will upgrade to a DP), .507I/494E lift, 243I/257E @ .05" duration cam, auto trans w/3000 stall convertor, 3.91:1 rear gears. This is mostly a street car, with an occasional pass at the track to see what it'll do.
Thanks, Steve
 
No other then having a harder time finding the exhaust gasket.
 
1970Duster said:
No other then having a harder time finding the exhaust gasket.
Click to expand...

While the exhaust gasket probably isn't on the shelf, it should not be a problem to get at all.
The advantage would be an easier time tightening down the header bolts. There not stuffed next to the pipe.
 
Thanks foe the replies guys. I hadn't even thought about being able to get to the header bolts! Good thinking!
Just thought that maybe the W2 had some performance advantage over the standard LA type header.
 
The W2 heads/headers have a different port design, D shaped as opposed to rectangle-ish. If you get the W2 headers, are they going to seal? If you have W2 ports and get standard headers, there is a huge step right out of the port that can stall the velocity of the exhaust pulse. Get the one that fits would be my choice unless I missed something. W2 gaskets are not hard to get.
 
The inside bolts on the outer tubes are tight. Standing next to a W2 head, there stuffed into the pipe where as the W2 is surely not!
Port shape is a big difference. Unless you have the port shape of the W2, go standard.
 
I put the standard TTI headers on the Indy/ex-RHS heads and they work fine. There is a very slight overlap (port vs header) and the gasket may have a thin contact area in a couple of places, but I haven't had any problems. It's been a while so I don't recall where the "spots" were, but I believe it was near the floor. Most flow is at the roof.

You probably don't need as much exhaust duration because the exhaust flows so well and the step headers can help scavanging also! It wouldn't hurt to try some different jetting with the new headers. I also ran a little faster with jetting 2 #'s different between the deep plenum half (richer) vs the shallow side (leaner) with a Weiand Stealth and 4-hole tapered spacer. Jet for MPH and pump cams and squirters for 60' - if it hooks consistently.
 
I would use the one that matches the rhs exhaust port ...since the only difference is the flange,,,,and the w2 port is more D shaped..
 
Thank you all for the advice. Going to be ordering LA headers by TTI. Looked at the exhaust port shape, and it's deffinately not W2 shaped! Again, thanks to all who replied! Boy, this site, and more importantly, it's MEMBERS, are the best!
Steve~
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top