TTI headers - anyone got them installed?

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lilcuda

lilcuda

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I'm wondering if anyone has TTI headers and has them installed. If so, it would be cool to see photos of the headers & the exhaust. Plus if there are any problems with them, it would be nice to have that info. There was so much buzz about these and now it seems to have died down. I'm still on the fence.
 
I talked to a guy who had them in a 66 Dart the other night. He was very happy with them other then the extra $250 for the starter. He tried a regular mopar mini starter first and said it wasnt even close.
 
lilcuda said:
I'm wondering if anyone has TTI headers and has them installed. If so, it would be cool to see photos of the headers & the exhaust. Plus if there are any problems with them, it would be nice to have that info. There was so much buzz about these and now it seems to have died down. I'm still on the fence.
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My TTI system is in transit as we speak (I hope....). I'm looking forward to seeing (and touching....)them REAL soon. Although I'll probably break in the engine with the old POS Hookers since I don't want to chance burning the finish.

I knew I was buying them for 4 months but it took me forever to write that check. $1,200 for an exhaust system is insane.... but that's the only game in town for quality stuff. You definitely get what you pay for in this situation. Go for it... especially if you love the car and are going to keep it.
 
I have the full system but have not gotten my car back....still. I can hardly wait to get to work on them. Hope by the end of summer to have them installed and plenty of pics will be up. I'm avoiding all the mess with these headers by installing them on the engine first and dropping the body over the drivetrain. Easiest way by far.
 
This is "only" my issues "I think"...69 Valiant Small block. There were times I was wondering if the price was really worth it!!

Just put mine in/on..(twice) Once in, their really nice and do fit well, maybe too well. The down side that I found out was:

#1 Depending on the location of your trans lines you may have to modify new ones just for starters. The tubes are very close to the oil pan and in my car they would have been leaning "tightly" against the lines. I was glad I had the trans and motor out to run the new lines with the headers on as a template. I don't think it's a good idea to try and run new lines under the car!

#2 If you have any lower oil pan leaks at the rear "U" like I did..the engine and headers must be pulled out again. The tubes are so close to the pan's sides that even with the center link off the pan lip will not pass by!! It will only drop about a inch.

#3 I got a mini starter for 40.00 and it work very good.EZ in or out...love it. :thumbup: It was out of a 95 Dakota pick-up (V6 up). The downfall...The starter and solinoid wiring had to be re-routed up and behind the kickdown lever away from the tube which made them now too short to reach the battery....so new wire runs as well.

#4 When I had to pull the headers off due to a oil leak :angry4: ..I tried removing only the headers but found it more of a pain trying to get the front up about 40 inches then removing the complete motor. BTW, The motor will nicely drop in between the headers.

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The starter and solinoid wiring had to be re-routed up and behind the kickdown lever away from the tube which made them now too short to reach the battery....so new wire runs as well.
Not necessary - run the wires between # 5 & 7 tibes and the length is just fine.
as for installation - we are talking "headers" here and not "battery" so a bit of work and fiddling is in order.
 
Thanks for the replies so far, however I guess I should have been more specific. I was referring to the TTI's for early a-bodies (63-66) only. They are a completely different animal than the later a-body headers.

Dave, I can't wait to see your photos. I've been watching your documentation of your restoration. Of course, if I get TTi's, I won't be lowering the body over the engine like you, but at least I'll get an idea of how it all looks when it's together.

I think my biggest hurdle will be clutch linkage (my friend may have an alternate to the Keisler setup) and possibly the location of the engine. I made my own motor mounts back in the late 80's when I put the 340 in. That was before Schumacher was around.
 
388dart said:
The starter and solinoid wiring had to be re-routed up and behind the kickdown lever away from the tube which made them now too short to reach the battery....so new wire runs as well.
Not necessary - run the wires between # 5 & 7 tibes and the length is just fine.
as for installation - we are talking "headers" here and not "battery" so a bit of work and fiddling is in order.
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I really didn't get your "quote"...Yes we are talking "headers" and not "battery", but were not really talking motors or starters either. Do you sale TTI's? I ran the wires back because it was cleaner, no harsh bends and less chance of them burning up. I'm wasn't saying my way is the "only" way! I guess their's a lot of things that "are not" necessary. If you re-read the starter thread...he did ask if there were any problems. If you didn't have any at all...except a bit of fiddling, Cool! I should have invited you to put mine in. I think with most installs, their a little more then "just fiddling"... There's nothing wrong with giving guys a heads-up of what they "maybe" into..."perhaps"
 
lilcuda said:
Dave, I can't wait to see your photos. I've been watching your documentation of your restoration. Of course, if I get TTi's, I won't be lowering the body over the engine like you, but at least I'll get an idea of how it all looks when it's together.

I think my biggest hurdle will be clutch linkage (my friend may have an alternate to the Keisler setup) and possibly the location of the engine. I made my own motor mounts back in the late 80's when I put the 340 in. That was before Schumacher was around.
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Having the hydraulic clutch would make a big difference. If you can make the Willwood setup work on the 66 then I think you would be set. I forget what Richard from Keisler told me about why they had to CNC a hydraulic clutch for the 63-66. The Willwood unit comes with all the other kits. Yep Keisler is not the only game in town these days and lots of people are jump onto the 5-speed wagon. Saw a t56 with custom tranny cross-member mounted to the subframe connectors the other day. Very cool and exciting stuff. Hopefully the costs will come down some but I doubt it. :thumbup:

errr back to the TTI's. They are a ***** to get in from everything I've heard but worth it. I think it is more about having as much info as possible and executing a well thought out plan instead of winging it. If you have an engine hoist or can rent one, it would not be too hard to do the front end body lift IMHO. Maybe I'll post a pic with my parts car hoisted like I plan for the vert to give you an idea.
 
1970 Dart - I have full TTI exhaust but got them years ago and do not know if they have been updated - I had two "minor" issues -
1- Rubs the tie rod on the passenger side
2- Touches the Lakewood clutch housing (which is slightly larger than stock) also on the pass side

If you need pix I can get under there and take some.

Kory
 
my tti's and clocking powermaster starter got here a few weeks ago. (for my 66 valiant) very nice looking stuff, and heavy! i have yet to install them, will try this weekend if time permits. i plan to do the headers and the motor at the same time (or give it one heck of a go) the plan is to install the driver side, re-install the steering box/and shaft, and let it hang. then try to lower the motor/pass side header into place-slowly with a few extra hands around.
i figure with a man on either side of the car and one (me) running the crane it SHOULD work. no guarantees till it is happening tho.
I am running a 373" stroked 340 block, 904 with low gear set, manual valve body, and floor mounted hurst ratchet/cable shifter, which should make life a little easier than having a clutch linkage or kickdown linkage to deal with. for a kd setup i would definately go cable on the auto tranny, and the guys are right on recomending a hydro clutch setup. everything looks like it will be real tight, so do what you have to do to keep the motor from torking up on the driver side, and make sure your tranny mount is up to snuff as well.
i bought the schumacker motor mounts for the car so as not to have any location issues. you can modify truck brackets/mounts or the factory brackets to accept truck mounts (did the later on my last 66 dart)
i am still gona miss the ooh ahh factor of people seeing 340 cast iron manifolds on the car and watching it run high 12s and scratch their heads in disbelief! the new and improved setup should get me low 12s if not high 11s and behave very well on the street. i added a set of crane 1.6 roller rockers (alum) a .005 undersize cloyes tru roller t set dialed in dead on at 104* icl. ($108 flippin dollars for a timing set!?)and a 2500 stall to match up to the cam.
i went with a inner fender mounted, adjustable prop valve from summit, and ran the dual master feed lines almost straight across to feed the brake system, and got real sneaky running all the brake lines to keep them as far as possible from the header tubes.
plan to mock up the headers on the motor tonight to check out plug wire routing, one tube is REAL close to the outer edge of the valve cover on the driver side rear. dont know yet if there will be any issues getting spark plugs in and out, i use the smaller FR5 ngk plugs (5/8 hex) instead of the 13/16 hex plugs to free up a little wiggle room. enough rambling, got work to do. later
 
sb 66 valiant said:
my tti's and clocking powermaster starter got here a few weeks ago. (for my 66 valiant)
I am running a 373" stroked 340 block, 904 with low gear set, manual valve body, and floor mounted hurst ratchet/cable shifter, which should make life a little easier than having a clutch linkage or kickdown linkage to deal with.
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I'll be interested to hear your tale of the install. By the way, if you're running a 904, you can use the Mopar mini starter according to TTI. The Powermaster starter is only required if you have a 727 or a 4 speed with a 130 tooth flywheel.
 
lilcuda said:
I'll be interested to hear your tale of the install. By the way, if you're running a 904, you can use the Mopar mini starter according to TTI. The Powermaster starter is only required if you have a 727 or a 4 speed with a 130 tooth flywheel.
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Not sure if you're right about that Lee. The 340 has a different flywheel than a stock 273 with a 904. That was the motor they used to mock up the headers. 318/340/360/408 requires the powermaster.

http://ttiexhaust.com/Early A-body Hdrs and Exh/5. Header Installation Instructions.pdf

SB 66 Valiant....I have some pictures of my tti's mocked up on my 340 on my resto page with the lakewood bellhousing. The tube on the driver's side does hit the thicker/taller valve covers. I have the mopar performance aluminum valve covers and it hits. You can use an extra gasket or trim the valve cover which is what I eventually did. Good luck with the install. With all the extra hand get some good pics for us. :thumbup:
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47b6cf38b3127cce8f053887756000000016100AYs27Ji3ZsmPg.jpg
 
Well guys, we just put our order in for the TTI's and the dual x pipe 3 inch exhaust system. Luckily enough i live close to their factory to just hop on the freeway and get them factory direct. that should save me about 100 bucks or so. I pick them up Friday, i can't wait!!!!!!
 
I've got a narrow body with manifolds... do you want me to take a photo of that for you? Oh wait... sorry. I guess that would be as useful to you as a second generation A-body with TTI's.
 
i am using a set of "old school" cal custom alum valve covers, with the lower area between the fins painted to match the motor. looks like they will hit, or an aditional gasket will be needed on the port flange. have not yet decided how to combat the situation. tweak the tube, notch the valve cover (no biggie, already had to notch them to clear the rpm air gap w/edel 800 avs)
kinda spooked about the stacked gasket approach, possible clearance issues, or leaks, having flashbacks to the 12.5:1, ratty cam, 4bbl header slant six days, the block was decked .150 on an angle and took .100 off the head, it was a real trick to make everything work with the mopar 6 into1 header they all said would not work in an early a body-WRONG! it fit with a little "finesse"

I did not want to take any chances with the starter, so just went ahead and got the one tti said would work. i hate getting down to a minor detail and having to wait another week or so for a part i should have gotten the first time around. it looks cool anyway. my friend with a 69 gts dart, 453" low deck, cheap b body headers ended up ordering the same starter after seeing mine, he can only use the big old "diesel" unit cause the solenoid on the regular mini hits a tube. so if anyone gets put on back-order for a starter from tti blame karell and his stinkin big motor! (i can say it cause i built it)

did not get to mock anything last nite, got caught up setting up valvetrain on my motor after a few minor tweaks, decided to go with a .030 shim under the intake spring, and a positive type seal on the exh side. the spring height is perfect now with .048 of clearance before the springs bounce. .512/.518 valve lift with 228/232 duration at .050, custom cam from reed performance products, they can be found online, great company,products,service, and people. sorry for the plug, i can not say enough good things about them. have been using them for about 10 years and they always meet or exceed my target HP or rpm # and their stuff lasts. cost a little more, but as with the tti's you get what you pay for. you want a cam to WORK with your combo
instead of trying to make your combo work with an off the shelf grind, call them! tell dennis chad says hi. one word of caution, their stuff "may" out pull
the bottom end.
i am going to "contract" the wife as a photographer so will post some pics soon.
kinda curious about the collectors tti sent, may have some made up. i think im going to run 3" back to a set of single chamber 3" flows, and drop to 2-1/2" for the tailpipes. should make for a nice sounding setup. have had bad results using dynomax stuff in the past, poor longevity, sound quality, not fully welded, etc. just my .02, others may love them.
the pass side 2.5 collector looks kinda crazy, i think a little smoother transition may help, or may not fit! (esp.in 3")
 
sb66valiant -- I went with the 2-1/2 for my setup since I won't be able to hit the track with it much since it's a convertible. Plus you have a little more grunt with that stroker. She'll be a nice ride when you're done I'm sure.

I was going to go with different mufflers but decided to go with the complete kit (less $$). I like the idea of not having to go to the muffler shop and just bolting everything on myself. For me I guess they will be fine. If I were to change I might get the Spintechs. Would be cool to have a HP & E.T. & sound quality comparison test of different mufflers with these headers on the early a-bodies. Sound of course is a personal pref but performance numbers don't lie.
 
daves66valiant said:
I have some pictures of my tti's mocked up on my 340 on my resto page with the lakewood bellhousing. The tube on the driver's side does hit the thicker/taller valve covers. I have the mopar performance aluminum valve covers and it hits. You can use an extra gasket or trim the valve cover which is what I eventually did. Good luck with the install. With all the extra hand get some good pics for us. :thumbup:
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Hmm... I just read a few things that made me decide to build an engine dolly. I'm running a Lakewood scatter shield and have aftermarket valve covers. Looks like I'm doing a full mock-up before I have to wrestle everything in! Thanks Dave!

BTW: Looking at your restoration album is bumming ME out that your car's progress has stalled. Maybe I make a phone call and send Guido & Vinny out to the shop that's sitting on your car to help them find their motivation.... :eye:
 
Not a fan of the Dynomax super turbos either. They sound funny to me. I like the sound of Flowmaster myself.
 
John, You wont have the valve cover problem. Maybe the bell housing though.
 
FASTBACK340 said:
Hmm... I just read a few things that made me decide to build an engine dolly. I'm running a Lakewood scatter shield and have aftermarket valve covers. Looks like I'm doing a full mock-up before I have to wrestle everything in! Thanks Dave!

BTW: Looking at your restoration album is bumming ME out that your car's progress has stalled. Maybe I make a phone call and send Guido & Vinny out to the shop that's sitting on your car to help them find their motivation.... :eye:
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Better send Big Toni as well :headbang: I'm bummed out as well. I've been stalled for months. I think I've done all the little stuff I can really do at this point. The dolly and front end lift is the only way to go per some people on BBD. They gave me a bunch of tips and more pics.
http://www.bigblockdart.com/index.php/topic,17553.0.html
 
billyjay said:
I bought my set about a year ago when they first made changes to fix the fitment issues with the original set.. even the guys at TTI couldnt tell me the extent of the installiation.. learned it the hard way.. using 340 withy 727..here are some pics... [email protected] http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8QZOXDNmxcsRi
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Which motor mounts are you using? In picture #20, the header tubes look really close to the inner fender on the driver's side.

Also, could you do me a big favor and take some photos looking down under the master cylinder next to where the header tubes get close to the clutch z-bar? I'm getting ready to run brake lines for my new dual m/c and I would like to know how much space there is. I'm still running manifolds, but since I'm making new brake lines, I want to keep them out of the way in case I get TTI's.

Thanks!
 
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