Fitting headers

[Gohot]

A couple of things you might want to know.... Headers generally leak .... and the reason usually is because ....... there is a stud on the front and rear of the head, the exhaust manifold studs, the rest are bolts that thread into the head through the header flange. If you set the gasket on the studs as most people do, their hanging too low. Their probably hanging an eigth or better too low on the port to the point you may only end up with a threads width of sealing surface. The cure.... to partially hold the gaskets in place with tape, like masking tape. The gaskets have a 'hook' on each end to catch the studs, but they shouldn't hang all the way down touching, they should be lifted and secured with '''tape' or contact cemented to the head, thus covering the port and header flange with the most material possible. "Percys" makes a gasket that is supposedly 'guaranteed' to seal, and is a bit, shall we say 'abundant' It's probably got more material around the port area to compensate for the hanging gasket syndrome.  The only problem I see here is the port matching.... there is probably gasket hanging inside the port area to a small degree. What other choices do you have? Well stock manifolds or AAR Cuda 340 cast iron manifolds which are $pendy ....about $800, and are similar to cast iron headers, and certainly would never leak....... or proper fittment of the headers you do pick. It's been said you should choose 'Coated' headers and I wholey recommend this for rust reasons. I also recommend Headman over Hookers. I have hookers, and where they dump, you have to get creative with the exhaust routing on the passenger side. I'm told the Headmans don't have this problem. You will likely have to juggle the headers and starter on the drivers side while installing, while the passenger side usually will drop in from the top. Remember the Auto Trans fill tube..... it needs a bit of bending to re-fit with headers now. On the small blocks which I am talking about, the plug wire routing is fairly straight forward with straight ends, but 'L' ends might pose difficulties. You will loose your heat riser to the air cleaner unless you fab up something or cop an after market piece, but other than that.... it's relatively a sound investment/fittment operation. You will need to have a lift or raise the RC considerably to get the drivers side header in. I'd say a lift is mandatory, it just depends on toyr tolerance to frustration pain and vocabulary...lol.

[fal308]

Mounting a smaller starter also helps. I forget offhand which one it is but the newer LA pattern blocks (V6 etc) used it. Think it was a NipponDenso?

[Over the Hill]

                 I have only installed two different brands of headers, Hooker and Hedman.
              The Hedmans are a better fit by far IMO. They would seal better with 3/8"
              flanges.
             

[ProjectPW]

Mounting a smaller starter also helps. I forget offhand which one it is but the newer LA pattern blocks (V6 etc) used it. Think it was a NipponDenso?

yep a starter from a 94 ram 1500 will do nicely....works on slant 6 trucks too

[SixGun]

A little while back, I picked up a 2001 Ram mini starter from CL for $50.  Its a reman but unused and it fit my 91 318 no problem.  I bought it for the 383 but after checking for fit and function on the 91, I decided to leave it in. Lol

[ProjectPW]

A little while back, I picked up a 2001 Ram mini starter from CL for $50.  Its a reman but unused and it fit my 91 318 no problem.  I bought it for the 383 but after checking for fit and function on the 91, I decided to leave it in. Lol

I don't think it would fit the big block....also the earlier mini starters use the same type of connections for the solenoid....the later ones use a special weather tite connector for the solenoid. The weather tite plug is much nicer than the little bitty nut and washer....just need a pigtail from the late model and some soldering/shrink wrap

[rjtx667]

I don't think it would fit the big block....also the earlier mini starters use the same type of connections for the solenoid....the later ones use a special weather tite connector for the solenoid. The weather tite plug is much nicer than the little bitty nut and washer....just need a pigtail from the late model and some soldering/shrink wrap

Amen to that... those little nuts on the starter and alternator... I can't say how many times I have dropped one of those.

[SixGun]

According to quite a few sources the mini starters will work on small & big blocks.  Usual clearance problems occur with headers, mainly Hedman. Others have had to grind the nose code on occasion or remove harness extension shown in the pics. When I set them side by side, they were identical dimensionally even though 10 years apart.

Here is a typical forum discussion:
http://www.moparchat.com/forums/archive/index.php?t-66540.html

Here's some other good tech stuff:
http://www.moparts.org/Tech/Archive/elec/1.html

[scratchinfotraction]

got the 88 mini alt on my 440 with non a/c brackets and use a 88 5.2 mini starter on the 440 as well

I have a 97 mini with the weather tight plug spliced on the 85 harness. they work like a charm and only 14$ at the u-pull it.

I did have the first one rebuilt for 65$ 2 yrs after I got it for 14$  still under parts store reman price and so far 10 yrs with them no problems.

[Gohot]

One more thing............... I went ahead and spent the $ for "Percys"  no leak exhaust manifold gaskets. They are aluminum, and a peculiar construction. Actually each gasket is two identically cut pieces of aluminum sheet, combined to construct the thickness of a regular gasket.  The mounting holes are relatively large, but that is due to them swedging the holes outward from one side, thus enlargening them. THAT is exactly what I didn't want as I mentioned that being part of the problem fitting regular gaskets.... the sag factor. To solve that I laid them on a nice straight and smoothe piece of wood and used a small headed hammer for bodywork and flattened the swedge out of the gaskets. By doing that the hole was reduced in size. With that done, I cinched both headers up and prayed. I hit the starter and fired it up and still with open headers, I had lost the 'pfffat, pfffat' leak sound I had before. Then hooking up my header glasspacks, it sounded like a healthy motor with no leaks and just the right tone.

For you with problem headers, Percys gaskets are likely the answer..... they were for me......

[bullboy0852]

On my 87 i had to undo the motor mounts and lift the engine to get the drivers side on because the frame is so close the headers wouldnt fit past the studs.