Exhaust Headers Suck, Well... The Cheaper Ones Do

[Ant]

My daily beater truck is out of commission right now because of its rotted out exhaust falling apart by the headers. While inspecting the system to come up with a lazy and cheap fix, I noticed that the passenger side exhaust header is rotted out too. I've replaced cheap headers to many times now and now again these things are garbage. If the options was available at the time, I would have gotten better headers for this truck, but it's like everything is junk. You get them new, clean and paint them, then they rot out in 2 years. Welds, flange flatness, metal quality, it's all dog ****.

It's mostly my stupidity here, I have fallen for the cheap performance parts trap. Now I need to redo the entire exhaust system... again. Unfortunately going back to stock is not a practical option right now and I don't want to spend a boat load of time and money to downgrade the performance. So new headers it is again, and then a trip to the exhaust shop to weld everything up properly this time.

This rusty POS truck gets more than it deserves and within the next two years I plan on finding its replacement. Meh, what can I do? I need it for winter and snow plowing, so two more years and I'm done with it.

Anyway, Hedman headers gets -2 out of 5 stars, because the headers are dog **** quality with bugger welds, flanges that don't sit flat, ill fit and metal that rusts from the inside out. Also, Flowtech headers are dog **** too, I'm never buying them again, -2 out of 5 stars they get, that's a Holley product but with the same issues. Yes I'm giving negative stars, they deserve it, and I wish I had pictures of the crap I had to deal with multiple times.

Anyway, feel free to post your rant about headers.

 

[318willrun]

I'll just say, I've had excellent results with Hedman headers. I have them on both vans, and on our truck. I've ran them on other vehicles as well. The ones on our truck have been on about 4 years and are rock solid. I expect to get another 10 years out of them. The ones on our '89 van have been on about 6 years and never painted. Still working great. The '77 van about 2.5 years and look like new. As easy as it is to pull the headers out of a truck (or van), you can take them out about every 3-4 years and paint them with VHT.


However, I don't drive these vehicles over the salt roads or plow with them. I'd have manifolds for that.

 

[Dan the man]

I'm not speaking from experience, only by what I've heard and read. But from what I've heard folks say is that ceramic coated headers last for years and I heard something about jet coated headers, again I'm not speaking from experience, I wouldn't think that painted headers would be any good in the winter time. But I do know that a quality product is not going to be cheap. I'm not giving any advice on the topic at hand just passing on information that I've heard about. Hope you get the problem resolved.

 

[diymirage]

I put ARH headers on my daily, Great quality, which almost matches the $2500 price tag

 

[Dan the man]

I put ARH headers on my daily, Great quality, which almost matches the $2500 price tag

Why are they so expensive? What about the way they fit?

 

[junkyardhero]

Why are they so expensive? What about the way they fit?

they're stainless, hand made here in the states, and come with a killer warranty.

 

[Dan the man]

they're stainless, hand made here in the states, and come with a killer warranty.

That's awesome.

 

[abdywgn]

I've only bought one set of headers new and they were Hooker headers. At the time, they were three times as much as the Appliance brand but they lasted a long time. Crackedback may still be using them.

 

[340six]

I'll just say, I've had excellent results with Hedman headers. I have them on both vans, and on our truck. I've ran them on other vehicles as well. The ones on our truck have been on about 4 years and are rock solid. I expect to get another 10 years out of them. The ones on our '89 van have been on about 6 years and never painted. Still working great. The '77 van about 2.5 years and look like new. As easy as it is to pull the headers out of a truck (or van), you can take them out about every 3-4 years and paint them with VHT.


However, I don't drive these vehicles over the salt roads or plow with them. I'd have manifolds for that.

I had a set of Headman Black Jack AK5000 think they were called. In 1982 ish. Steel headers sprayed with aluminum. Had a rough silver finish. No proble.
Have had Hooker coated since 2004 on Dart Sport 340.
One scratch but my wife drove through a drainage ditch at a car show. Some idiot helping at car show said go this way was tall grass so not her fault.
Am putting Doug's in when the 422six finely goes in

 

[318willrun]

I had a set of Headman Black Jack AK5000 think they were called. In 1982 ish. Steel headers sprayed with aluminum. Had a rough silver finish. No proble.
Have had Hooker coated since 2004 on Dart Sport 340.
One scratch but my wife drove through a drainage ditch at a car show. Some idiot helping at car show said go this way was tall grass so not her fault.
Am putting Doug's in when the 422six finely goes in

Dougs have thicker flange and better welds for sure. Dougs are worth it on Dusters IMO, because of fitment.

 

[340six]

Dougs have thicker flange and better welds for sure. Dougs are worth it on Dusters IMO, because of fitment.

I agree. Hookers on my 1973 Dart Sport 340 with factory spool mounts. They are advertised and sold as equal length tunes. So tuned exhaust(;welded on Hooker Name Plate says Competition.
The lesser ones are not. I am sure something not really needed for my application.
Just wanted to note.
They are not to be confused with the older Race Competition that are much more superior no longer made. They are infact just better flowing tuned street header application that wouldbe fine for[ street-strip [ /B]
And pictures of the Doug's headers that are going in.
Along with Hooker cut outs, Pypes 2 1/2 X-Pipe and a Pypes pipes and not shown Pypes Street Flo. Maybe I should have gotten Race Pros?

 

[340six]

Car is sitting not all jacked up. you can see passenger header in driveway picture. Fronts are 215?60/15 Rears are 275/60/15

 

[340six]

Here's the Dougs and parts mentioned above. Will be much cleaner and tucked up. I hope

 

[RustyRatRod]

Every cheap set of Hedman and Hedman style headers I've ever used......and I've used a lot, fit great and worked fine. They hang a little low, but if you don't ghetto slam your car, you'll be fine.

 

[toolmanmike]

Every cheap set of Hedman and Hedman style headers I've ever used......and I've used a lot, fit great and worked fine. They hang a little low, but if you don't ghetto slam your car, you'll be fine.

Ghetto slam. Love it.

 

[318willrun]

Every cheap set of Hedman and Hedman style headers I've ever used......and I've used a lot, fit great and worked fine. They hang a little low, but if you don't ghetto slam your car, you'll be fine.

And in the trucks and vans, they are well tucked up, can't even see them. A great option for small blocks in Vans and Trucks. And as you said, fine in cars too.

 

[diymirage]

Why are they so expensive? What about the way they fit?

yup, everything @junkyardhero said, plus they come with a Y pipe and two high flow cats

they fit my '17 ram 2500 perfectly (and if you've ever looked under there, thats a tight fit)

 

[Ant]

However, I don't drive these vehicles over the salt roads or plow with them. I'd have manifolds for that.

Salty roads here eat everything. For my future daily drivers I'm sticking with factory style manifolds and maybe two years later I'll be done with snow plowing.

But from what I've heard folks say is that ceramic coated headers last for years and I heard something about jet coated headers,

That's what I should have done in the past, but I was being cheap and stupid. But hay, my modified truck ran great and pulled strong... until the transmission broke a planet carrier, lol.

 

[318willrun]

Salty roads here eat everything. For my future daily drivers I'm sticking with factory style manifolds and maybe two years later I'll be done with snow plowing.

We have a ton of salt here in the winters, and it's so rough on vehicles. But, I don't drive my classics in that. They sit and wait

 

[Ant]

We have a ton of salt here in the winters, and it's so rough on vehicles. But, I don't drive my classics in that. They sit and wait

I saw this one day. Good old NY rust did a number this guy's truck, and yes, it was driving on the road.

Look very close.

 

[Dartnut]

I saw this one day. Good old NY rust did a number this guy's truck, and yes, it was driving on the road.

View attachment 1716431662
Look very close.

Wow!
Is that wheel ever F'd up!

 

[RustyRatRod]

Ghetto slam. Love it.

That's all I could think of. lol

 

[Dan the man]

I agree. Hookers one 1973 Dart Sport 340 with factory spool mounts.
And pictures of the Doug's headers that are going in.
Along with Hooker cut outs, Pypes 2 1/2 X-Pipe and a Pypes pipes and not shown Pypes Street Flo. Maybe I should have gotten Race Pros?

View attachment 1716431644

View attachment 1716431645

Awesome looking car