BUILD THREAD Project Olds Cool (Recognition!!)

[olds307 and 403]

The CeraKote is a ceramic coating. Ceramic coatings help keep underhood temperatures down as it keeps the heat inside the headers more and radiate it less. Plus the corrosion resistant properties of it make it well worth the price IMO. The Hooker Super Comp headers on my 455 have been ceramic coated since day one and show zero signs of corroding.

As for the MSD 8.5 Super Conductor wires, I’ve had nothing but excellent results with them. Never once had a wire burn or break, never had one short out on me. I like the having the ability to customize them, the “cut to fit” option sells it for me. If these were Taylor’s or any other kind of wire, I’d have to have bought yet another entire set of wires just to have different ends on them. With these MSD’s, it was just a matter of buying the 90 degree boots and terminals and changing them out.

In the process, it saved me $100 over buying another set by doing just that.

My ceramic coating has lasted 15 years on my Sanderson headers, just some rust starting the last couple of years near the welds. I am getting my new set coated as well. I may have just been one bad wire, the rest held up fine with a lot of hot running. I am using that set on my 5.9 Magnum, held up fine on it but it has factory shields. All the Mallory and Accel stuff is probably MSD stuff anyways. Tough to beat MSD for available parts. I bought one of the last sets of Accel 8.8 race 25 ohm per foot wire set. No cracking on my last set which replaced the Superconductor wires.

 

[Rktpwrd]

Passenger side going together just as easy as you please. Took roughly 4 1/2” out of the area that 45’s out towards the outside of the car to shorten and line it up with the collector.

It left me about 5/8” short of the collector by doing so, but have pipe and welder, will travel. Gonna drop the whole side to fully weld, dress and paint next.

Here’s a cheap and easy way to make sure you get straight cuts when cutting in place, just snug up a hose clamp on your mark and trace around it:

Driver’s side won’t be too bad either, I just cut it off back before it 45’ed and by rotating it 180 degrees, it’ll be pointing in the right direction. Then figure out how much I have to take out to narrow it up as well.

Well, that and notching the factory crossmember.

 

[Rktpwrd]

Well, my welds may not be metal finished out nice enough to meet Kindigit standards, but they definitely meet Skunkworks standards for this particular ride.

I also don’t have a TiG welder, access to limitless resources, or the ability to completely remove the exhaust from the car. So there’s that.

Overkill? Possibly, but it’s all good experience and practice for use on stuff that really matters. On the plus side, I haven’t forgotten how to glue metal to more metal with electricity.

From this:

To this:

I got half of the other joint buzzed up and ground down too, but had to shut things down due to the neighbors not appreciating compressors running and endless grinding into the wee hours.

Tomorrow I’ll finish off the other half of the last joint, then clean and shoot the section with some high heat VHT Cast Aluminum paint for a little protection and bolt the whole mess up.

Then onto the driver’s side.

 

[fleming442]

The welds look good, but I would have cut that 3 bolt flange off. Those things always leak, even with soft aluminum gaskets. I'm all about slip fit and band clamps these days.

 

[olds307 and 403]

I actually coat the aluminum gaskets with high Temp RTV and let it completely set up. The Permatex Ultracopper would break down eventually and was super noticeable. The Optimum Grey is much tougher and will almost be invisible. It works extremely well. I was lucky if the Mr Gasket Ultraseals would last more than a week. I also really like the VHT high temp aluminum paint, it holds up really well.

 

[Rktpwrd]

The welds look good, but I would have cut that 3 bolt flange off. Those things always leak, even with soft aluminum gaskets. I'm all about slip fit and band clamps these days.

Yeah, I bought a set of those wrap around band clamps in 3” when we were building the exhaust for The Juggernaut and I wasn’t terribly impressed with them. Ended up not using them. I wouldn’t exactly trust them to seal well either.

I’m pretty sure these things will leak eventually at some point, but I’ll deal with it when the time comes. if I was really concerned about it, I’d would’ve ponied up the extra coin for the weld on V-Band clamps. It’s still an option down the road if need be.

Until then it’s all about getting this done, full send mode engaged.

 

[scoti]

The welds look good, but I would have cut that 3 bolt flange off. Those things always leak, even with soft aluminum gaskets. I'm all about slip fit and band clamps these days.

it depends on how they're used for the connection but can easily be set up so they won't leak. I up-size the flange material to 3/8" & weld the flanges in place on the header & head pipe. With both sides nice & flat, even standard gaskets live a long, trouble/leak free life. I have over 6yrs of miles on my duallys BBC that uses the 3-bolt flanges built as described w/zero maintenance & zero leak issues. The header flange was mig welded in place on the inside & outside then cleaned up before coating.

 

[motorheadmike]

Amazon has a love(ly) selection of v-bands.

You could have had them yesterday.

 

[Rktpwrd]

Amazon has a love selection of v-bands

I don’t even wanna know what this means.
😅

 

[motorheadmike]

I don’t even wanna know what this means.
😅

Edited. Also, calling my Sex Addicts Anonymous sponsor.