headers kickin my a$$

[Cdet73'SS]

anybody have suggestions for some full length headers for a 73' chevelle with a 454. i bought some hookers and they dont fit at all. flange hits the head bolts and the front tube goes down and sits directly on the frame, thanks hooker. any suggestions would be appreciated, it is a full frame car.

[andrewb70]

I am pretty sure that the 73-77 a-bodies used the same front suspension components as the second gen f-bodies. Perhaps BB headers for a 2nd gen f-body might work? I am just guessing here…

Andrew

[sam 74]

i don't think the f body headers will fit on an a body, have you tried calling hooker to see if there is anything they can do for you? also did you double check to see if they got you the right part number, i've had numerous sets of hooker headers some comps and some super comps, and they fit with a little massaging for clearance. the current set i have i had to modify a tube to clear an oil filter adapter but everything else fit just fine. this was for a 74 Olds Cutlass with a 455.

[minendrews68]

I know about the Super Comp's not fitting. I have a small block Chevrolet with angle plug heads and no, they didn't fit right. My biggest problem was with the header tube hitting the steering box. I called Hooker, they told me to send them in and they would check them against their fixture. Called me back a couple of days later and said everything was fine it fit the fixture perfectly and that was that. They sent them back. They still hit the steering box. I asked them if maybe, since I had been on countless other sites and this was a problem with quite a few people, that they might consider checking their fixture, that was over a month ago and I've heard nothing back. I even gave them the IP addresses of quite a few places I had been to and read about this problem. Still nothing. I will say that one of the guys at Hooker I talked to said I might have to get a block of wood and a big hammer and "dimple" the header tube where it was hitting the steering box....NICE! New set of headers now let's take a hammer to them. Unfortunately, that's what everyone winds up doing. I would have bought different headers if I knew that was the solution from their tech dept..

[sam 74]

unfortunately low tech seems to get the job done and thats what a lot of people care about, if you're not a fan of the hammer and wood maybe you could cut the tube free and move it a little and then re weld it in, thats what i'd do if you have the ability, actually thats what i did to my super comps to clear my oil filter mount, but i had to get a header tube kit and use a new piece of tube to move whrere i needed it to be, then off to jethot for coating.

[Cdet73'SS]

I got it figured out, the 2 inch were simply too big, though that's what the machine shop recommended. I called summit and they set me up with some 1 3/4 headers, the same size as the ports. With minor modifications they fit perfect. I guess there's a lesson there. Thanks everybody.

[Cdet73'SS]

Yea in an act of desperation I also decided to beat up my super comps...didn't help. so now I have $200 in pipes laying around my shop.