New CI Headers

[redfalken]

Just wanted to show off my new Classic Inline headers. I've been wanting a set for quite awhile and finally made the move. I bought the steel ones and coated them with POR-15 "Factory Manifold Gray" which is supposed to be good to 1400 degrees.

Thanks to Jeff and Pat for letting me use their sandblaster and paint gun. From what I've read, others who have had success with this coating said to use clean blasting media so I bought a jug of 70 grit black aluminum oxide. Then scrubbed it good with acetone and flashed it with a propane torch before painting.

Put a light, even coat on with Pat's HVLP gun and then baked it at 500 degrees for 1/2 hour. I have a friend who let me use his pottery kiln for this.

Install was pretty easy. I had to grind one hole on the flange a little and one of the nuts was a too close to a weld bead but everything cleared and I was able to install the starter after the headers were in.

Took it to Ballard Muffler and had all new pipes and muffler installed. I was going to just hook into the old system but once he got it up on the lift, we decided it would be better to change everything to 2" pipe and relocate the muffler. I originally had it in it's stock location between the gas tank and leaf spring but since I but in a larger Mustang tank it has always been a very tight fit. Went with a flat oval style muffler located forward of the rear axle.

Lots of details I won't get into but ask questions if you have any. Now that I have the drive train where I want it, I can finally tune the Weber and maybe recurve the dizzy. I had a bung welded in so I can hook up Pat's wide band O2 sensor which really helps with the tuning.

[doghows]

Very Cool.:rocker: How is the performance? Can you feel it in your butt? The coating looks good to, let us know how well it holds up.

[pbrown]

Very nice.

[Luva65wagon]

Can't tell Kenny. Are these dual outlet of single? I only see one muffler.

Did they also recommend or sell the port divider? And did you use one?

Very SCHWEET though.

[redfalken]

Thanks guys. Performance is improved but I haven't done any tuning yet at all. It definitely warms up better than before.

The headers are dual outlet going into one muffler.

I got a port divider a long time ago and had it welded in when I got some work done on the head. It was welded by a place in Marysville that does cast iron welding.

[Jeff W]

Too loud!

:rotflmao:

[BadBird]

As they say on Sportscenter. "Cool as the other side of your pillow". And as the kids all say "sick dude". Us old dudes say, "looks great" Kenny. Keep us informed on how they work out.
Badbird.

[redfalken]

I wrote Mike at Classic Inlines but haven't heard back yet. The headers came with spring loaded bolts to use where they connect to the pipes. See photo for example.

When I got the headers I had them on the bench and tried to get these bolts on and it seemed nearly impossible to compress the springs enough to get the nut started. And this was without the gasket in place. The guys doing the exhaust work couldn't get them on either so just left them off.

I'd like to have them on but was wondering if anyone had any advice. I was thinking of compressing the springs in the bench vice and using wire to try and tie them up to stay compressed. Then install the bolts and cut the wire loose when finished.

I'm guessing these springs allow that connection point to have a little bit of flex as the engine torques. Do you think not having the springs on would cause problems down the line?

[Luva65wagon]

Kenny, If you can put all the bolts and springs though, then put a temporary exhaust clamp to provide a backing where you can then stick a wedge between the head of the bolt and the temp clamp and compress the spring with one hand and put the nut on with the other. Maybe? Don't know how much room you have to work with.

Pardon the 1:30 in the morning photo edit.

[redfalken]

Hey! Good idea. It may be a little tight for a couple of them but I'll have to look closer in the AM.

Mike replied and sent the photo below. I wrote back saying it looks like his example has a tapped hole on the header side that you would thread the bolt into. Mine is just a hole that requires a nut.

We'll see what he says but I may end up trying your technique or getting longer bolts.

[redfalken]

I was talking about locking the header bolts at Gene's tech day and Roger mentioned something like this by Stage 8:

http://www.stage8.com/ford.html

Has anyone ever tried these? They have a set for a 6 cyl. - 11 bolts at 3/8-16" x 1" for about $45.

I also see some that have a allen set screw down the middle and are split at the end so they expand and lock in place. Breslin and Percy's brands but I don't see the specific size anywhere.

[doghows]

Stage 8's work very well. Sometimes a pain to line up the lock ring but once on they do not come loose. I have used them on several cars.

[Falcon1]

I have had cars with headers and all I ever used was lock tight, with no issues.

[redfalken]

What kind of loctite would you use? The red stuff says to apply heat to remove so I would think it would need to be some special high-heat resistant type.

And if it did hold tight, I'd be afraid of busting a bolt years down the road if I should need to remove them.

[Luva65wagon]

I've never used anything but periodic checking the tightness. After an initial retightening (after a few hot/cold cycles) they never seem to loosen - or need more tightening.

Using Locite means no retightening. I always use anti-seize compound and so far bolts come out years later.

[pbrown]

I just use stainless socket head bolts with no loc-tite. I just snug them each spring. No problems so far.

[BPVan]

After pulling the sitting-for-25-years 240 apart last winter, I found the manifold bolts came out just fine. Not sure if that was luck, but I seem to have good luck with getting any kind of bolt out, except for exhaust bolts on my beater cars when I lived in salty upstate NY.

I used grade 8 bolts with lock washers on my rebuild, torqued them to spec, and have not had any of them loosen up. I stripped the coating and painted them with the 1100 degree manifold paint. I checked them regularly the first couple months after assembly and had no issues. My engine location hides the bolts a little more than the cars so aesthetics were not quite as important.

[redfalken]

I started replacing the studs & nuts with the Stage 8 bolts I got today. But dang...it's cold out there and I really need to crawl underneath to get a good angle on removing the bottom studs.

But I do feel better knowing that once I get them all replaced, they ain't goin' nowhere! [thumb]