The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Header question

Replacing my 250 IL 6 in the 53 Chevy truck. One of the header’s pipes was cut out & replaced with some kind of bendable pipe. It was used to get around the steering gearbox. It sets on the box so the heat can’t be helping the box.
While the motor is out I plant to open it up and clean & replace grease whatever.
I was considering putting a new header in but either way I don’t want the pipe rubbing on the box nor being compressed (bent) like it is now. Looking for advice on what to do. I don’t have pipe bending equipment. Do others have this problem and if so what did you do to fix it?
Thanks!

Do you specifically want a header vs a manifold? The manifolds tuck tighter and are less prone to leaking and degredation over time.

I had some of that flex pipe on my 58, It has been replaced now, as it basically, fell apart from heat!

I'd dispose of that ugly scrap iron and go back to a regular exhaust manifold. Even with a properly designed equal tube length custom header, there won't be any HP or torque advantage at any RPM range a street engine runs on a routine basis. Even the cast iron replica Fenton "headers" are only useful as eye candy at a show and shine- - - - -there's no measureable gain in power.
Jerry

Thanks for the advice. I didn't even realize it was a header until I removed the motor.
I’ll look for a manifold, might find one at a local junk yard. It needs a new muffler too!

An iron header has good resale value and lasts forever, a tube header much less.

So here I go again, more to learn about these motors.
It had a Clifford intake so I didn’t realize I couldn’t use it on a manifold.
So my choices seem to be spend big bucks on a new exhaust manifold & an intake.
Or keep the Clifford intake & go with headers & that issue of them hitting the steering gear?

You will need to tinker with two pipes. both need to be moved over just a bit to clear the steering box. You will need to measure the diameter of the tubes, and order a couple of steel J-bends that are sold by any of he big houses, summit, jegs, or any of the header builders, Hooker, Hedman. Make your top cut, and then cut from the collector, but leave enough stub on the collector as you can so you can weld the new tubes on. You might even have to stagger the lower cuts just to make sure you can get all around the tube. This will take a little tinkering, but you cut the j-tubes in strategic places to create the bends necessary redo the pipes. I would think you will want to start at the pipe closest to the steering box, making sure you have enough room to get the other pipe installed next to it. A little bit of a pain I know, but it can be done.

The other choices are cast iron headers from 12bolt.com

https://www.12bolt.com/store/p153/Exh_Manifolds_Dual_Chevy_194-230-250-292.html

or the shorty headers that Clifford now sells (no long tube headers any longer, just the shorties)

https://cliffordperformance.net/store/ols/products/52-0011-street-rod-headers

Thank you sir!

I’m not a welder. The one on the truck works fine but the flex pipe one probably puts some back pressure in that cylinder as well it’s too close to the steering gear.
Those at 12 Bolt are about 1 1/2 inches too large & they R cast iron.
At this point I think I should take the one I have to a shop & see what they can do with it & start calling around to locate someone that can fabricate one for me.
Then the basic exhaust manifold would work (?) if I can find both the intake & exhaust.

Can I use an exhaust manifold & intake that fits other motors? I have a 78 IL 6, 250.

Why not look for a stock intake/exhaust manifold to fit your 250 from a Junk Yard?

One issue with the header you have and all of the header choices you have been given, is there is no heat riser. The heat riser redirects exhaust gasses to the bottom of the intake (not into the intake where the gas vapor is, but into a jacket surrounding the bottom) to help vaporize the liquid gas when the engine is cold. As the engine heats up the riser valve shuts directing the exhaust away from the intake and out the exhaust pipe. Some of the headers have ports to direct some of the exhaust to the intake which make the engines run better as they heat up, but there is no valve to shut that heat off as the engine heats up. Once the engine is at operating temperature, the intake is sufficiently heated and does not require additional heat from the exhaust.

Engines just run better with a stock heat riser.

Glenn:

You can't really use the headers they way they are. The flex tube is not welded to the header but appears to be attached in some fashion and then some old fashioned "muffler patch" applied/gooped at both ends. This is a little bit of a disaster waiting to happen if the junky stuff fails, you will get exhaust fumes in the cab and all that, not to mention the mess exhaust makes in the engine compartment. Those are pretty old headers by the way. they look like Clifford Headers, and if they are, Clifford has not sold long tube headers for a good many years now. So they may be 20 years old or older if they are. Clifford only sells the shorty style headers now.

If the headers are too much of a hassle, and they are for a lot of people, the simplest solution is as the others have mentioned, replacing the performance stuff with a stock exhaust manifold and intake. Factory parts, bolts right on, all the nice daily driver parts are present, reliable.

As to the Clifford intake, they come in two flavors, and a few variations. The older Clifford intakes did not have provision to bolt onto a stock intake, and were not set up for water heat. Some sort of had a chamber on the bottom that you could weld a plate to and run some water but no one really did that. There were a couple of design changes with these older intakes but none had a real heat chamber of any kind.

The newer style Clifford intakes all have water chambers cast into the manifold that allows you to easily run hot water to heat the floor of the intake to approximate the function of the exhaust heat riser. The Clifford on my 261 is a newer style and the hot water works well.

So what style Clifford intake do you have, the old style or the new? If you are not sure, post a photo and lets take a gander and see what you are working with.

No 1, I can’t find any new intake manifolds for the 250. I don’t really want to buy a used one on eBay. Just don’t know what you’re getting. None are available from any junk yards I called locally.
I can get the exhaust. I was wondering what the square hole in the bottom did & I think it needs a plate over that?
The Clifford intake is most likely the old style. I think the 2 barrel carburetor is a Ford too.
I’ve owned this truck as is for about 17 years, never had a problem.
You are correct. That flex pipe has been there the entire time. I put some JB Weld around the top, the bottom has a clamp on it.
I just got the old headers & pipe off the truck.
It needs new from the motor to the tailpipe.
I just found a header at Summit Racing, deep, so it would need the revisions done too.

There is a new one on eBay. here!

I edited my response above. I miswrote, it’s the intake that I can’t find. ( new 2 barrel).

Check out intakes for Mercruiser inline six engines. They usually ran a 2 barrel Rochester carburetor. Be aware that anything labeled "marine" will cost three times as much as it would otherwise.
Jerry

Haven’t found any MC intakes.
I took the old Header to a Midus shop, they can’t bend the small tubing (1 1/4 inch). Their machine won’t go that small.Said the tube will collapse.I’ll keep looking. I can buy a new one just like it.
Now I understand why that flex tube was used.
This is sad!

I would be very surprised if those tubes are 1 1/4. You should double check that. 1 1/2 1 3/4 more likely. Second, J tubes are your friend. Bending will not get you there. Go on to you tube and look at a couple of header fab videos and you will see what I mean.

https://www.jegs.com/i/Hooker-Headers/520/12325/10002/-1

The Midus fellow told me that but I might be mistaken as to what he said.
They are 1 1/2 outside.
Thanks I’ll check it out?

If I can’t heat & bend, cut & weld I’m left in a predicament.
I’ll be back where I am now using that flex pipe!

There looks to be more then enough room to alter the pipe and eliminate the flex pipe. Patience if the key, also access to a mig welder would be handy.

It looks to me lile you could splice in a j-pipe to each one and makke enough space for a clean sweep.

It seems to me that the OP needs to modify his friendship acquisition protocol. Hot chicks are fine and everything, but what's needed here is a sweaty man with welding skills. I realize that's going to be a significant transition, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

LOL, or maybe he should just bite the bullet and buy a welder and become that sweaty man with welding skills. After all, a guy can never have too many tools.

Lol, that is the route I took, lol. Truth is my welds are still pretty crappy but good enough for hacker work!

An old pipeliner I used to work with put it this way- - - - -"I can weld anything but a broken heart and the crack of dawn!" Of course, when he went to work for a lumber yard, he burned the place down while trying to weld two 2 X 4's together!
Jerry

Well noted and best of luck!
I took a welding course in the 12 th grade, haven’t done much since then.
I have access to welder friend as well as a tig welder.
Question about that J pipe. Will it not collapse while bending without. 1 & 1/2 inch tube bender? Can the J be bent, why is it shaped like a J?

The J would be a pre-bent piece with a long straight leg (looks like a "J". ) You just cut it to the length or the amount of bend that you want and weld it to other bends or straight sections.

These J bends are drawn through mandrel bent so no loss of id like you would get with a muffler tube bender. Like noted above, you cut the j tube apart to make your bends and other pieces. You often need more than one.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UmXMcS434A


www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA-hqfqqOYQ