Headers w/4 Speed

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MadMonte

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Apr 18, 2015
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Hello everyone, I will be starting my 4 speed swap this year in my 83 Monte Carlo and I was wondering what headers everyone is running with a stick shift and mechanical linkage. I'll be running a SBC with a Super T10 and all stock linkage for the clutch and the shifter. I would prefer using 1 3/4 or 1 7/8 long tubes with equal length primaries. If anyone has any pictures, part numbers or info it is all greatly appreciated. Thank you!!
 

CopperNick

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Feb 20, 2018
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Been there done this and all I can say is "Good Luck" because you are going to find manufacturers who offer supposedly correct for the year applications that are anything but...……………...
One suggestion, don't go with Flowmasters. I have an 85 M/C SS with a small block and the 3/8ths flange ceramic coated headers they offer and claim to be for late G-Body took major amounts of dolly work to one of the down tubes plus trimming of the lower control arm mounting ears on the frame to get them to line up and bolt in. Had I known that they would require the degree of modification that I had to put into them to get them to fit, I would have never bought them. They were a buy now, as I had the $$$ and install later issue and too much time had passed between buy and try. Could not return them so out came the hammers; plus I had to design and have machined a custom shaped dolly to get the dimple in the pipe correct (or close enough for government work). If you have the talent or a good friend that can mig tube, may buy some flanges and ells and make them yourself. More work and time but you will get the fit and clearances you need and have to have.

Nick
 
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Streetbu

Know it all, that doesn't
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May 22, 2011
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I can tell you to NOT run the headers from Speedway Motors that say they fit a G body with mechanical linkage. They do not without a lot of frame cutting....
 
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CopperNick

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+1 on all of the above. Ran Heddmans on my old 78 for a decade; a new set every two summers because two years of winters ate them out completely. I even went so far on one occasion as to add material to the downtubes to create a doublewall effect. The additional material survived and they still rotted out right beside the welds; just not on them. Great practice for welding exhaust pipe and thinwall header tube. The pair of exhaust pipes that I created for the 85 are rusty-dusty but still useable. Where they blew apart was at the connections to the mufflers. The mufflers themselves died of rot and old age and salt contamination. They will get a dose of flap wheel love some time this summer in prep for being put back into place once I set up a pair of reducers for the couplers. The headers take 2.5" pipe and my old units are 2.25" Don't see much point in losing them just for a quarter of an inch.
 

CopperNick

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Oh yeah, you will also have to think up a way to install the return spring for your clutch throwout arm. That arm actually has two springs; one that sits parallel to the lower clutch rod that pushes on the t-o arm--it keeps the rod from bouncing around even when it is properly set in place. And the spring that actually helps to bring the t-o arm back to its at rest position.
There is a thread around here somewhere that discusses all this in detail; "search forums is your friend".
 

CMCE

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Mar 18, 2019
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MadMonte-
These headers do not fit your requirements as far as tube size goes (1-5/8") and they're not quite on par power wise as a long tube header, but they offer a nice alternative to the restrictive stock manifolds and they eliminate the fitment and ground clearance issues related to long tube headers. They have a 2.5" outlet and the same footprint as a manifold, so all that is needed is a big block downtube to connect to your exhaust. Since the outlet is still in the stock locations, there are no fitment issues with auto or manual linkages.
https://classicmusclecarexhaust.com/p/thornton-sbc-headers
 
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clean8485

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Dec 18, 2005
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MadMonte-
These headers do not fit your requirements as far as tube size goes (1-5/8") and they're not quite on par power wise as a long tube header, but they offer a nice alternative to the restrictive stock manifolds and they eliminate the fitment and ground clearance issues related to long tube headers. They have a 2.5" outlet and the same footprint as a manifold, so all that is needed is a big block downtube to connect to your exhaust. Since the outlet is still in the stock locations, there are no fitment issues with auto or manual linkages.
https://classicmusclecarexhaust.com/p/thornton-sbc-headers
Are those headers stainless steel?
 

CMCE

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Mar 18, 2019
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Sorry for the delayed response. Yes, they are 304 stainless.
 
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pagrunt

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Sep 14, 2014
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I kinda wish I found these earlier when I went with older manifolds since I didn't find stick car headers in stainless. Maybe if the body & frame stay seperated long enough I could change my mind.
 
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