I think it's just the nature of the beast. This was my first engine swap and my friends who helped have done many. It took about 2 hours to install and they said overall it wasn't as bad as it could have been.
Header recommendations for Chevy 350?
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I think it's just the nature of the beast. This was my first engine swap and my friends who helped have done many. It took about 2 hours to install and they said overall it wasn't as bad as it could have been.
Dyno Max and Hooker comps are no problem, the Super Comps go on but require slight trimming of the wheel house for the tube that goes around the frame and limits your steering if you run big front tires. The Shoenfelds(my choice) are the best bang for the buck but if you want bolt on exh-collector you nee to weld a flange on. The secret of any header install is getting the car as high as possible. Also check which ever header you chose fits your spark plug configuration (angle/straight) and follow their install instruction
Yeah I don't see it being any longer in time than what you ran into, with me and my bud doing it.
What're the prices on all those headers? Yeah I've already picked up some Accel header spark plugs, with 90° boots.
Tried to drop the Flowtech's in today. They dropped right in, until the passengers side hit the AC box, and the drivers side hit the brake booster or transmission bell housing. Guess I'll paint them tomorrow and save the install for Monday when I have a whole day to mess with it.
I checked those and other brands, the pretty much all take either. I have straight short style plugs waiting.
I have been removing the a/c box, so that won't be an issue in my case. Keep me posted how the install goes when you get back at it man. Best of luck, look forward to seeing some pics of it installed so I can see if i'll get them too.Tried to drop the Flowtech's in today. They dropped right in, until the passengers side hit the AC box, and the drivers side hit the brake booster or transmission bell housing. Guess I'll paint them tomorrow and save the install for Monday when I have a whole day to mess with it.
I would like to delete the AC box, but live in NH and want to keep my heater. So the block off plate is a no go for me. Might pull it Monday if I can't pull mount bolts and rock the motor enough to get the headers in. Time will tell. And I'll try to remember my camera. No cell phone, no service. HA!
month later, but finally got those damn headers in. and no it wasn't a month of trying, just busy doing other things. Ended up hoisting the motor/trans back up a bit, drivers side went in fairly easy with the oil filter off. Pass side, I took the drivers side back off, hoisted it up some more and fed it up from the bottom, forcing the motor over to the drivers side to give me the clearance i needed. You have to get them into the bay and held off to the side while you lower the motor back down slowly, making sure nothing binds and they're still where they need to be. Passenger side header hits my control arm bracket, but that might just be my tweaked out frame and poorly installed motor mounts (from the previous owner) causing that issue. Looks like it bolted flush and will probably clearance itself over time (or so I keep telling myself). Both go in from the bottom from my experience with the car up on ramps and the motor/trans raised up and tilted cause I had a load leveler on it. Not fun, not easy, but they do fit. Starter and oil filter were not in for the install. Starter did fit back in with the passenger side header bolted down, so shouldn't need a mini starter, but damn is it close to the header. A heat blanket might be needed further down the road, not sure yet.
You definitely want to watch your wire placement though. I ended up getting a longer positive cable for mine so it's not flat against the header. Some careful placement of zip ties or electrical tape can keep the other wires going to your starter safe. Granted, most of the wiring in my engine bay has been customized by "that guy" so your experience will be different from mine. I do plan on going over the engine bay later and deleting alot of unnecessary wires with dead plugs. Figure out what I need and run it from the correct place with fresh wire tucked against the firewall and away from heat points. Right now, I'm just happy it's running, burning the new paint off that I put on (yup use header paint instead of engine paint) and will most likely go with shorty or clipster headers next time around. This is a street car after all, I most likely will not see the extra HP long tubes can give you with a serious engine build. But then again... HP is HP, even if it is just 3.
You definitely want to watch your wire placement though. I ended up getting a longer positive cable for mine so it's not flat against the header. Some careful placement of zip ties or electrical tape can keep the other wires going to your starter safe. Granted, most of the wiring in my engine bay has been customized by "that guy" so your experience will be different from mine. I do plan on going over the engine bay later and deleting alot of unnecessary wires with dead plugs. Figure out what I need and run it from the correct place with fresh wire tucked against the firewall and away from heat points. Right now, I'm just happy it's running, burning the new paint off that I put on (yup use header paint instead of engine paint) and will most likely go with shorty or clipster headers next time around. This is a street car after all, I most likely will not see the extra HP long tubes can give you with a serious engine build. But then again... HP is HP, even if it is just 3.
Re-reading, if you have shorty plugs, you might be in the clear with these flowtech headers. I've got standard NGK plugs, could get a plug socket on all but 3 plugs. Quick trip the PO'Reilly's and a set of pass through sockets later, all plugs were installed and torqued down to snug. Wish the set came with an extension for other uses, but hey, I needed it, they had it and I didn't have to drive to Lowe's for a set of Kobalts or steal my fathers set I bought him. (why didn't I buy 2 at the time?) Check my crappy build thread, https://gbodyforum.com/threads/82-old-nutless-to-not-so-nutless.59142/page-4#post-506172 or better yet...
Snug against the control arm bracket on the passenger's side. Some people pre-dent their headers for clearance. But you never know what needs clearance until you get there. Drivers side was clear from all interference after the install. 
These, I think were taken with them floating on a few bolts. I'll try to grab some daylight pictures tomorrow of how they sit now, torqued down to "I can't get a torque wrench on that ****n bolt" specs. And I used the bolts the headers came with. Short stubby 3/8" head i think. Not even long enough for a lock washer. The spare Mr. Gasket ones I bought were, but a few bolts wandered off. sh*t happens, beer gets drank, posts get long. But just for the hell of it, Flowtech Headers.
Snug against the control arm bracket on the passenger's side. Some people pre-dent their headers for clearance. But you never know what needs clearance until you get there. Drivers side was clear from all interference after the install. These, I think were taken with them floating on a few bolts. I'll try to grab some daylight pictures tomorrow of how they sit now, torqued down to "I can't get a torque wrench on that ****n bolt" specs. And I used the bolts the headers came with. Short stubby 3/8" head i think. Not even long enough for a lock washer. The spare Mr. Gasket ones I bought were, but a few bolts wandered off. sh*t happens, beer gets drank, posts get long. But just for the hell of it, Flowtech Headers.
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