Making g-body tri-y headers from kooks race headers ??

[jlcustomz]

Picked up some nascar K&N race series ls tri-y headers made by kooks last weekend http://www.ryr.com/headers-kn-pro-series-right/. Yes they are damaged, all 5 are right side & they won't fit a g-body as is. But I think between the 5 & some more 1 3/4" straight pipe, I could make something. Started by collecting pics of other g & f-body ls headers & laying out on cardboard what I may need to do. Just playing with possible layout for now till I get more time next year.
I know this will be a crazy & tedious project, bur anyone think I'm stupid for trying?

 

[drogg1]

From the work you've posted, I can't wait to see what you come up with. Always something I thought would be cool to do myself.

 

[malibuguy]

I have no idea of your skills but if you have 5 headers...i do not see making one pair being an issue. Just take your time and plan out each cut.

 

[565bbchevy]

I've seen your fabrication skills and have no doubt you could make this work, I just think without a driver"s side header you are creating unnecessary extra work for yourself since you will have little to work on that side other than the header flange and short pieces of pipe coming off it.
I guess it comes down to the price of new headers versus what your time is worth and how long it will take to fabricate these.

 

[jlcustomz]

If I was a hint earlier finding this guy at Daytona, I could have got a drivers side. One thing is , these are for a race car chassis & I'll need to lengthen (drop lower) anyways & make the forward tube (or 2 tubes?) clear the crossmember area. Also this is 5 damaged sets.
The main draw for me was to the tri-y collectors, which I'll have 3 left over I can sell. These headers originally sold for $700 PER side. I was original gonna buy some stainless f-body headers & modify. I could still get one of the more expensive (TSP) choices & add the tri-y collectors to them, but there are many times things you can do yourself with headers to make more power. Getting closer to equal length than all the run of the mill headers is one of em. Some just ain't even close. Another thing for me is my 12 year of ls1 swap is NOT a kit, so available g- body swap headers may not fit to my liking. Another advantage to tri-y-s is I don't need such long primary pipe lengths to make good torque. they can weigh less & package better out back than 4 tubes together.
The general tri-y design, if done right , will not make more top end power over a really good collector. But it can make more overall power the whole way up, which is good for the street.
Started laying out on cardboard last night & have a hopeful design for it. I'm just getting ready for when I can take the car apart to start fitting. I have a decent plan so far to make them drop lower.
If I could just settle for average new headers & know they'd just simply fit, I sure wouldn,t do this. But call it another one time project.

 

[565bbchevy]

Well you are right that there is no guarantee that any aftermarket header would fit to your liking and it would be quite possible that even something that fits relatively good would still have to modified. Even on my Lemon's Headers I had to modify one tube to give me full turning radius versus welding a stop on the control arm.
So I agree the only way to make sure they will fit the way you want would be making them yourself.
By the way I don't recall seeing a finished picture of your rear bumper/taillights or the intake are those projects done?

 

[jlcustomz]

I'm one of the worst for not completely finishing a project & starting on something else. Ran out of time on the intake project , which I put ahead of finishing the bumper. Every year gets worse for doing projects after my day job. But if it starts to feel too much like work, then it's no fun, you know.

Right now I'm just getting planned for this project & might actually cut up some of the stuff & loosely tack the passenger side together. I also picked up a 3" Pypes stainless crossover kit for $100 (about $180 retail & 2 pypes race pro 3" stainless mufflers for$120 (retail over $90 each at Daytona this weekend. Got 4 stainless 3" v-band fittings for $30 each. The hardhead at an exhaust shop 12 years ago insisted on only 2 1/4" pipes for my ls1 & the flowmaster knockoff internals are rusting out, so trying to bump up this project. My homemade cutout valve also broke last weekend. Might just run my whole exhaust setup MYSELF with mandrel bent parts. Sometimes if you want something done right:::::: you know. :wink: :wink:

Also picked up some Metco adjustable upper control arms & billet lowers for $450 cash . $299 &269 retail. http://www.metcomotorsports.com/products.asp?cat=107 Pretty damn nice pcs.

 

[redBeard0420]

I'm sorry to jump to another subject but i am a new member to this site and i don't know how to post a new topic or start a new conversation to ask g-body questions. I have an '84 Monte Carlo CL that I've owned for a few months now. It has the factory 305, 57,000 original miles; everything is original. Any ideas for direct-fit headers for this motor? Any info would be appreciated, and again, I'm sorry about jumping in here and adding my own question off topic. Thank you - redBeard

 

[565bbchevy]

When I first installed my 9" rear end I bought a set of Hotchkis rear upper and lower control arms and then later bought the Metco adjustable uppers so I could have in car adjustability.
I personally thought these worked great even though the bend over tabs to secure the nuts seemed to me could have been designed more user friendly.
Even though my frame and mounting points are reinforced the general opinion I have been reading is you need an upper with some sort of roto-joint so there is no binding, I suppose if someone has strictly a drag car it is probably not an issue but for you and I that do street driving it apparently can be an issue and the Metco uppers do not have this feature so I myself an considering changing my uppers at some point to something that will rotate freely.

 

[jlcustomz]

Well, got 4 of the 5 headers chopped into parts. I'm figuring on laying things out on a pattern I made side view wise, with blocks to hold the pipes up where needed with the flange flat on the pattern. Will tack together just enough to test fit. Trying this method rather than trying to fit everything together in the engine bay.
Also thinking on many of the joints I may expand the lower portion to fit the upper portion in , rather than all butt joints. This will give me far more flexibility in slightly adjusting things & no slag inside pipe issues.

So far the scariest thing I've run into is getting a $350 to $400 quote locally for stripping & re-ceramic coating them . OUCH. Guess I could get a cheap sandblasting gun & strip myself to cut that down.? Will check around some more on recoating, but this is somewhere near my work office that I can get by there easily.