11152FLT Flowtech Headers...anybody using these?

[bill]

Thanks for the replies.... Im gonna sleep on it. But Im leaning towards the headers for now...and if I have issues...well, Ill sell em on ebay.. Really wish the passenger side manifold wasnt so close to the firewall/trans tunnel but Im just not comfortable with it the way it is. Just curious if anybody here with a 350 sbo w/stock manifolds having any fitment issues or hot floorboards on the passenger side?

There are absolutely NO fitment issues with factory manifolds on either side. They were designed to fit like a glove in millions of cars and they do every time. If your have ANY sort of fitment issues with your passenger side manifold, it can only be due to a problem elsewhere, like you don't have the engine mounted correctly or something, and if that's the case, those cheapo headers will fit even worse if at all.

Seriously, getting a set of headers because a manifold doesn't fit right is just silly. You need to find out WHY your manifold doesn't fit well. I assure you it ain't the fault of the engineers who designed the manifolds!

Give us some pics of this crazy manifold situation. What manifold are you running anyway? The #4?

Well...I will know for sure when I install the transmission. However, in order to make the manifold fit, the engine has to sit back and because I have an HEI distributor, the clearance is very tight.

Heres the link to my album page....

photos/index.php?cat=12289

 

[DoubleV]

Well...I will know for sure when I install the transmission.

I think you're worrying for nothing. Everything will fit fine.

According to your pics, you seem to have the #4 manifold on the passenger side. The G-bodys with SBO's had #17's which have the outlet angeled straight down instead of how yours is. The #17 gives more room, but the #4's DO fit perfectly fine. I know this because I've seen them fit with my own eyes on many occasions. I'm running the Thornton manifolds which have the same bends on the passenger side as the #4's, and it fits perfectly.

However, in order to make the manifold fit, the engine has to sit back

If you're using stock engine mounts in the stock location for SBO in a G-body, then everything will fit perfectly fine. If you altered the location of where the engine is supposed to be, then you need to put them back in the factory locations. if aftermarket headers barely fit an engine in the stock location, how are they going to fit an engine in a non stock location?

and because I have an HEI distributor, the clearance is very tight.

Clearance is always tight back there. According to your pic, everything seems normal to me. I would point out that in all the Olds engines I see, the vac advance cannister is on the passenger side kinda facing the A/C module/firewall and the connecters are on the drivers side. It's no big deal, I just wanted to point that out. Maybe you'd want to rotate the distributor 180*.

 

[bill]

I know the engine sits at a tilt when properly installed. I leaned it back about as far as I can and the manifold is about an inch or two from the trans tunnel/floorboard area on the passenger side. Im not saying it doesnt fit, just worried about heat build up on that area of the floor/tunnel. Maybe I should wrap it with some type of blanket to reduce the heat transfer.

As for the distributor, I had it mounted the other way and the fit seemed to be even tighter because the passenger side head and the intake are father back on that side and I thought there would be less room for the vacuum advance and adjustment in that config.

I will wait till the trans is installed and then go from there....


Thnks!!!

 

[lg1200]

i'm using these on my 307..the left AC side had to be done from under the car..other than that i'm very pleased with them..now the problem is upgrading to a olds 350 and being able to use the same headers...if not i'll have to go chevy and buy new ones. so if you know where i can find a good Olds 350 please let me know.

Lg1200

 

[Blazenlotus]

I have a set and they were a pain in the *ss. I couldnt use my column shift with them and had to modify my floor shift for it. The pass side is pointing up a little so my exhaust is barely off the floor on that side. I will never again buy flowtech anything. But I have never had a leak with them yet.

 

[tt442]

Im was considering these headers! For the guys that dont like the headers why didnt you guys have flowtech send you a different set that were made correctly?

 

[Blazenlotus]

I didn't because I needed them and didn't have the time to wait for another set.

 

[othtim]

I had a set and I will never buy another set. They are the worst fitting headers I've ever had the displeasure of using.

When I got the headers, the flange wasn't flat against the heads. I had to file it flat so that the gasket would seal, and use thicker exhaust gaskets.

Also, welds on the four primary pipes (where they merged into the collector) were terrible and they blocked 50% of one of the primary pipes. They looked like they were welded with a 120V arc welder and flux core wire. They looked fine on the *outside*, mind you.

Also, the bolt holes in the headers didn't line up with the bolt holes in the heads. I had to file the edges of the bolt holes so that I could actually thread the header bolts into the block.

Also I had to notch the headers (w/ hammer) to clear the frame.

Worst headers I've ever had the displeasure of using. So far, every Flowtech product I've bought has been crap. I'm not going to be buying anything FLowtech again.

 

[othtim]

I buy hookers, now.. never had a problem