TTI coated headers for a small block

[HemiEd]

Sorry if this has been covered before, if so I missed it.

I have had the coated TTI's on for almost two years now. I noticed when I pulled my stroker motor last month, and replaced it with the 318, I couldn't get the #7 tube to budge. I whacked the flange with the plastic mallet a few times, it was rock solid.

I didn't want to destroy it, so I ended up leaving it. I soaked it in "knocker's loose" for a couple days, and it wouldn't budge. At installation, I had added anti seize compound to both surfaces.

It would seem that now, I will have to pull the drivers side torsion bar, to remove the header. Anyone else have this problem? Suggestions?

 

[CUDA69]

Mine was tight the last time I pulled it, and I used the antiseize too. Maybe TTI has a technique. You could try their website TTIexhaust.com.

 

[HemiEd]

Mine was tight the last time I pulled it, and I used the antiseize too. Maybe TTI has a technique. You could try their website TTIexhaust.com.

Thanks for the post, I will try that.

Is that your vert in your avatar? I need to see more pictures!

Just called them, and they have "never heard of this problem." I hate that answer, even if it is true, which I doubt.

 

[crackedback]

Just called them, and they have "never heard of this problem." I hate that answer, even if it is true, which I doubt.

I could have told you that and saved you a phone call. Std answer for them! Just like the SB A body z bar issue, never heard of it last year even though I spoke with them 5+ years ago about it.

I use a rubber mallet on the bottom side of the tube and pound the crap out of it. Helps if you can get it to rotate slightly first. Easier to do if the remaining flange is still attached to the head. Release the rear and twist it away from the head.

 

[CUDA69]

Here's a shot with the street tires.

 

[HemiEd]

I could have told you that and saved you a phone call. Std answer for them! Just like the SB A body z bar issue, never heard of it last year even though I spoke with them 5+ years ago about it.

I use a rubber mallet on the bottom side of the tube and pound the crap out of it. Helps if you can get it to rotate slightly first. Easier to do if the remaining flange is still attached to the head. Release the rear and twist it away from the head.

Thanks for your input here crackedback, truly appreciated.

I tried rotating slightly, as much as I dared, with a closed crescent on the #7 flange, but no slop at all, but of course the remaining flange was not still attached.
I honestly thought I had pushed each effort, to the brink of damaging them. So next time I will pursue it further, since I am not the first to have this issue.

I suspected this might be a problem when I un-boxed them and saw the "slip tube" arrangement. It was only the second set of "new" headers I had ever purchased, the first coated ones, and the excitement was hard to contain, but the slip tube bothered me.

 

[duster340]

most exhaust slipjoints will let go if you can just get it to rotate alitle and maybe get the tube to wiggle alitle, by basicly bend it back and forth some,this could however loosen up the slipjoint alitle more than what is good for reinstaling it without a clamp of some sort, i would give it a try,would proably have been alot easier if the rest of the flange was still bolted to the head or if the engine was out of the car and you could stand in the enginecompartment and be able to use alitle more strength
my TTIs were on the car for about 5years and where alitle hard to get apart but i got the sliptube loose fairly quick.
another good thing to think about is that you want the slipjoint to slide out straight if the force is apliaed in a way that makes the tube go just alitle out of line it will stick until you get the slipjoint straight again

 

[HemiEd]

most exhaust slipjoints will let go if you can just get it to rotate alitle and maybe get the tube to wiggle alitle, by basicly bend it back and forth some,this could however loosen up the slipjoint alitle more than what is good for reinstaling it without a clamp of some sort, i would give it a try,would proably have been alot easier if the rest of the flange was still bolted to the head or if the engine was out of the car and you could stand in the enginecompartment and be able to use alitle more strength
my TTIs were on the car for about 5years and where alitle hard to get apart but i got the sliptube loose fairly quick.
another good thing to think about is that you want the slipjoint to slide out straight if the force is apliaed in a way that makes the tube go just alitle out of line it will stick until you get the slipjoint straight again

Thanks a lot for your post duster340!

I did actually have the engine out, and had been waiting to do this, until the swap. Part of the reason I wanted to remove it, was to push a fresh coating of anti-seeze on it.

I will probably be throwing the 340 stroker back in it soon, haven't decided when, but will give it another shot then. I will probably just pull the torsion bar, and drop the header out as a complete unit, so I can work on it on the bench.

 

[damnimcooltom]

In my experience, a call to TTI is worthless. I paid a lot of money for one of their exhaust kits in 2006, and when I bolted the headpipe to the stock 340 manifold, it hit the transmission. They claimed I wasn't using it in the correct body type, or I had th wrong manifold. The body type makes no difference if you bolt the headpipe to the manifold and it hits the transmission. It would do that if not installed in a car at all. And I also know what a 68-70 340 manifold looks like. They screwed up when making the pipe, and didn't feel like dealing with it. They claimed that their jig would not allow them to ever make an incorrect pipe, and I was lying to them.

I'm embarrassed to say that I'm working on a Mustang for my wife, and when I received a set of JBA headers from a vendor, it was missing the hardware and gaskets. The box had been opened before, and the vendor had probably stolen them out of the box. I called JBA for advice on what gaskets to use, and they told me that they would send me the hardware and gaskets free of charge. I didn't expect that, but it sure makes me want to do more business with them.

I sure as hell won't buy anything from TTI again. All I wanted was for them to replace the headpipe with one that fit the application that I had paid for. Calling me a liar isn't a good way to keep a customer. And the fact that I spread the word doesn't help them gain new customers, either.

 

[HemiEd]

In my experience, a call to TTI is worthless. I paid a lot of money for one of their exhaust kits in 2006, and when I bolted the headpipe to the stock 340 manifold, it hit the transmission. They claimed I wasn't using it in the correct body type, or I had th wrong manifold. The body type makes no difference if you bolt the headpipe to the manifold and it hits the transmission. It would do that if not installed in a car at all. And I also know what a 68-70 340 manifold looks like. They screwed up when making the pipe, and didn't feel like dealing with it. They claimed that their jig would not allow them to ever make an incorrect pipe, and I was lying to them.

I'm embarrassed to say that I'm working on a Mustang for my wife, and when I received a set of JBA headers from a vendor, it was missing the hardware and gaskets. The box had been opened before, and the vendor had probably stolen them out of the box. I called JBA for advice on what gaskets to use, and they told me that they would send me the hardware and gaskets free of charge. I didn't expect that, but it sure makes me want to do more business with them.

I sure as hell won't buy anything from TTI again. All I wanted was for them to replace the headpipe with one that fit the application that I had paid for. Calling me a liar isn't a good way to keep a customer. And the fact that I spread the word doesn't help them gain new customers, either.

I hear ya Tom, each time I have talked to someone there, I always get off the phone and say to myself. "I will never get that part of my life back."
Customer service is everything!

I bought my Harland Sharp rockers this last time, because of how well they treated me, the first time.
When I was racing, I had bought a set advertised in one of the mags, that turned out to be product that wasn't their approved design, and had not flowed through proper channels. I called them about them, and they replaced them, no questions asked. I have never even considered someone else's product since then, 20 years later, they got another sale because of the great customer service.

I still have a set of those TTI head pipes that mate to the 340 Hp manifolds, if you want them. I just couldn't throw them away when I went to headers, as they were in fairly decent shape and definately fit.

Pay the shipping and they are yours.