Header fitment rant, Doug's

-
Wait, the water pump went on without modification, yet. Haven't checked if the fan and pulley will fit, I won't be surprised when it doesn't... Hahaha

Way more than I bargained for!
 
The engine needs to be shimmed up, the power steering box won't go on, hits the header.

Boy, this is so much fun. Haha

I quit for the day, I've had enough.
 
Did you install the steering chuck on the k-frame while it was out of the car?
 
NO issues.... just installed them on my '76 Duster couple months ago.
 
Did you install the steering chuck on the k-frame while it was out of the car?

No. The nature of the question makes me believe I may need to.



318willrun. I don't care how nice yours went together, it's unrealistic to say they all are that easy.

I suspect quality control on the headers are less than stellar. Can't blame it all on the car.

I need to buy the fasteners for the headers, what is best? Size?

I'm thinking allen head with small flat washer. Don't know. They're just hanging on the studs right now,figured it would give wiggle room on test fitting,which is what I'm doing.
 
318willrun. I don't care how nice yours went together, it's unrealistic to say they all are that easy.

.
I didn't say they are all that easy now did I. Just gave my recent, personal experience with a video on how I did it hoping it might help you. I didn't even put one tiny ding in either. Sorry yours aren't working. I take it you don't want answers or help, so throw more rocks, kick a little and tantrum on my friend!
 
To be fair, the heads are about .095 lower than stock and inboard slightly because of all the milling.
 
Willrun318, you're one of the biggest contributors around and I respect and appreciate that.

Yours going in with no issue's doesn't help me. Maybe I should watch the video you took the time to make and put on line. If you're went on no problem, I didn't see how that would apply. Maybe I'm wrong,wouldn't be the first time.

The frustration level is very high, I've got a lot of money tied up in this car, a lot of time, and I've not driven it one block. Going on five years, I'm not wealthy.
 
I watched your video, it's not that easy.

You have a mile between your header and steering coupler, I need to dent mine a good 1/2" to keep it from rubbing. Or even just installing it.

All things are not equal.

Come on over, show me how it's done, I'll buy the beer. I'm guessing you'll be saying the same things I am, trying not to cuss too much.
 
Doug's support was of no help.

Back to square one.

If I didn't have so much time and money in this car I would **** can it and start with something else.

Not the cars fault, my expectations were too high.
 
Ok I purchased these in Aus so I didn't have to pay on the shipping still $650 large as you can see on the pics no matter what I did raise drivers side mount pull steering column away it just didn't cut it, and the amount of area which needed massaging just was an eye sore and I was sick in the stomach with every hit I made. So after looking at a way I could get around this with my work mate we marked out where it needed cutting as I already took measurements on how much clearance was needed. I took it to a friends who runs an exhaust shop and he made the cuts and swapped header tubes 5 and 7 over and brought in the new 7 tube a little closer cut more of the radius & fitted a bung for the 02 sensor $150 dollars for that than took them it for recoating $475.00. Bottom dimples on headers was to provide clearance for the 103 bars. Looks worse in the photos than what they are. Bottom line they fit really well now these mods were made and slide in and out without any issues BUT I needed to pay double to make them work. Every car is different and they weren't the best when manufacted and tolerance's varied from vehicle to vehicle some people have no issues and they fit like a glove some need to make some adjustments for fitment .

IMG_2943.JPG


IMG_2944.JPG


IMG_2945.JPG


IMG_2960.JPG


IMG_3072 (1).JPG


IMG_3075 (1).JPG


IMG_3077 (1).JPG
 
That's an unfortunate truth. BUT, the torsion bar suspension AIN'T nuthin new. It's been around since what........58....59? HELLO? Plenty of individuals have made nice custom headers on their own. It'd be nice if a header company could do it.

The problem is, if I made a nice set of custom headers to fit MY car, it wouldn't necessarily fit YOUR car. The headers have to run through an area where 1/4" clearances are generous, on cars that have factory body tolerances of a 1/4" (or more in some places).

Doug's and TTI's both fit some of these cars without modification. There's no way to make a header that will fit ALL of these cars without modification, the production tolerances are just too big.

At this point, this car just makes me laugh.

Absolutely nothing has gone together without modifying it, nothing. ie, everything about this car is a pain in the ***. Hahahaha

It's not just yours...

Exactly. As soon as you start mixing factory with aftermarket you're going to start needing to make modifications. The more you mix factory and aftermarket, and different brands of aftermarket components, the more modifications you're going to have to make to get it all to work together.

318willrun. I don't care how nice yours went together, it's unrealistic to say they all are that easy.
Kinda like how it's unrealistic to say they'll all be as hard as yours.

I suspect quality control on the headers are less than stellar. Can't blame it all on the car.

Uh, the quality control on those Doug's is way better than the tolerances on these cars.
 
The problem is, if I made a nice set of custom headers to fit MY car, it wouldn't necessarily fit YOUR car. The headers have to run through an area where 1/4" clearances are generous, on cars that have factory body tolerances of a 1/4" (or more in some places).

Doug's and TTI's both fit some of these cars without modification. There's no way to make a header that will fit ALL of these cars without modification, the production tolerances are just too big.





Exactly. As soon as you start mixing factory with aftermarket you're going to start needing to make modifications. The more you mix factory and aftermarket, and different brands of aftermarket components, the more modifications you're going to have to make to get it all to work together.


Kinda like how it's unrealistic to say they'll all be as hard as yours.



Uh, the quality control on those Doug's is way better than the tolerances on these cars.
I agree with everything 72blu posted here. MOA, I'd like to see some pictures (detailed). I understand the frustration. But the max I've heard with Dougs is a small ding or two. If you were close I'd come over and at least try, for a Root Beer because I don't drink alcohol :D. Yes, maybe I was lucky, but my car has the factory K-frame and replacement mounts from O'reilly's.
 
I'll take that into consideration.

I don't have a photo host or I would of been posting pics a long time ago.

Like I said, I had unreal expectations.

Ya know, like they would fit with no problems.

I'm just pissed off, rant, the journey has been too long.
 
I'll say this....I've seen the cheap Summit, Hedman style headers fit on more stuff without mods. The only thing I ever had to do to those was gently pry the header tubes apart that the torsion bars ran through to keep them from rattling. That was it.
 
Ok I purchased these in Aus so I didn't have to pay on the shipping still $650 large as you can see on the pics no matter what I did raise drivers side mount pull steering column away it just didn't cut it, and the amount of area which needed massaging just was an eye sore and I was sick in the stomach with every hit I made. So after looking at a way I could get around this with my work mate we marked out where it needed cutting as I already took measurements on how much clearance was needed. I took it to a friends who runs an exhaust shop and he made the cuts and swapped header tubes 5 and 7 over and brought in the new 7 tube a little closer cut more of the radius & fitted a bung for the 02 sensor $150 dollars for that than took them it for recoating $475.00. Bottom dimples on headers was to provide clearance for the 103 bars. Looks worse in the photos than what they are. Bottom line they fit really well now these mods were made and slide in and out without any issues BUT I needed to pay double to make them work. Every car is different and they weren't the best when manufacted and tolerance's varied from vehicle to vehicle some people have no issues and they fit like a glove some need to make some adjustments for fitment .

View attachment 1715364557

View attachment 1715364558

View attachment 1715364559

View attachment 1715364561

View attachment 1715364563

View attachment 1715364564

View attachment 1715364565

Holy crap.

You are aware that the later cars have shorter steering column jackets right? As in, just shorten the steering column outer tube and slide the end bearing further up.

This is the stock steering column in my Duster. Nevermind the the different bearing in the end, I didn't change the length of the outer steering column tube.
IMG_1166.jpg


This is yours. See how it's at least twice as long? It's just a hollow tube. There's nothing in there. Shorten the outer tube by 3", slide the end bearing back up into the column tube, and gain and extra inch of clearance. No dimple needed.
IMG_3077 (1).jpg


This is exactly the kind of thing that comes up. The steering columns were not the same 67-76. How do make a header to fit every single factory version, let alone every single car that's been modified?

The only dimples I needed to put in the Doug's on my car were for the 1.12" torsion bars, and I certainly didn't expect Doug's to plan on that.
 
I have personally installed 4 sets on 4 different Abodys, and NONE required so much as a ding to clear. What part number are you installing?
 
I have personally installed 4 sets on 4 different Abodys, and NONE required so much as a ding to clear. What part number are you installing?

Yeah exactly. This is the driver's side from my Duster when I misguidedly decided I wanted to run TTI shorties instead to get better ground clearance (yeah not how that worked). The two red arrows show the only contact points, I dimpled these a little more before reinstalling. But again, that was for the 1.12" bars. No other modifications needed, the passenger side got a matching set for the torsion bar on that side. I have noticed, just in general from reading install threads here, that the biscuit-style engine mount cars seem to do a little better with TTI's, while the spool-style engine mount cars seem to do better with Doug's. But that's just a really basic trend I've noticed. Mine is a '74 so it has the spool style mounts.
IMG_4402.jpeg
 
I was using the biscuit type than switched to the Schumacher poly mounts which are approx 20mm taller. Pass side fitted like a glove cleared everything .
 
I was using the biscuit type than switched to the Schumacher poly mounts which are approx 20mm taller. Pass side fitted like a glove cleared everything .

20mm taller?

Well that could make a difference. Same with the aftermarket heads, shouldn’t be a big difference but it doesn’t take much of a difference.

Yours is a ‘67? I seem to recall that the steering column jacket being longer might have been one of the “one year only” deals with that year. I know a couple guys with ‘67’s contacted me about my lower steering bearing installation with differences they had to address.
 
NO issues.... just installed them on my '76 Duster couple months ago.


LOL! I love your redneck jack and block of wood. I have always put the wood on the other end of the jack so I don't mess up all the old road grease that I've been collecting on the bottom of the engine/car.

:poke:
 
As 72blunblu alluded too, a little creativity goes a long way when building these cars. Bitchin about it on the internet doesn't help solve the problem.

I have personally installed 4 sets on 4 different Abodys, and NONE required so much as a ding to clear. What part number are you installing?

Yup. I'm 2-for-2 so far without modifications. They've only required slight shifting of the engine side to side in the K frame saddle. You just have to be smarter than the parts you're bolting together.
 
-
Back
Top