Thread: Will headers fit

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I'm trying to find a set of headers that will fit in the engine compartment of my 65 Studebaker commander. It currently has a 283 and will soon be upgraded to a 383. There are rams horns exhaust currently that dump straight down. On the drivers side there is a lot of 'stuff' that the headers will have to clear. I need some advise so I don't buy 4 different sets of header before I find one that fits.
I probably need dual exhaust with the 383, right?
I could use block huggers with the center dump but the pipe might have to loop down too far under the steering arm. If I use headers that dump by the rear exhaust port, I think it would clear the steering arm and the trans shift link. Here's a pic, what do you guys think?

Looks like they might hit the clutch rod (I'm assuming that's that rod from the firewall farther down.

Plan B might be to go to the larger Corvette ram's horns, 2 1/2". They make a world of difference and the still look original. They're still made new, but a little pricey.

If you're content with stock manifolds look into a set from early '90's LT1, sometimes called "crab claws". They swoop up and dump toward the back.

My preference is headers. I'm putting a lot into the engine so I don't really want to compremise performance if I don't have to.

Could I just use shorty headers, and still use a cross over tube and a larger single exhaust or would that restrict flow too much?

One thing that's worked well for me far as headers go is to select a set of headers for the particular engine you're using in the smallest car the factory stuck that engine in.

Small example was an FE GT 390 into a 59 Ranchero.
Headers used were for an FE into a Mustang.
They were a good fit, the right side required no alterations, the left side required the front primary altered a bit and set up so it would bolt in by itself.
'Course, it was the last thing in on the left side, but it was easy.

Did the same thing with a different brand of headers when the FE was installed into a 62 Ford wagon.
The front left primary on that needed a little more work, but it was still easy to fit.

What's required is to saw the full length header flange in two between 1st and 2nd cylinders on the left side, saw the front primary in two in a convenient area, weld a two bolt diamond shaped - easily available at muffler shops - plate to top end of primary tube (down near collector) and another on bottom end of primary tube.
The three tube header is bolted in.
The single tube front primary is bolted in - with gasket - and then bolted to the front exhaust port.

Hope that's not too confusing.

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Bob, thanks for the pic of the "crab claw" manifold.
I keep hearing about these and have never seen one.
Looks like a good way out and I'd venture to say they would flow as good as a set of the cramped block huggers.

Originally posted by C9x
Bob, thanks for the pic of the "crab claw" manifold.
I keep hearing about these and have never seen one.
Looks like a good way out and I'd venture to say they would flow as good as a set of the cramped block huggers.

Jay, giving credit where credit is due, I've heard of these and seen one application, but never any good pics. Our buddy "rooster" over at RRT put these pics up, and they're very good at showing where the outlets dump, so I kept them for reference. Here's the other side.

I think they're vaguely reminiscent of the old Mopar Max Wedge facory manifolds.

I thought they were the Dodge 413 cast headers when the pic first popped up.

Thank's for re-posting the pics.
I stole them for my reference pic file - which is also my screen saver....

I've got a set of sbc 400 stock truck manifolds and a set of camero manifold that loop up a little like the picture. I think I'll test fit those and see what they look like. Maybe that will give me a better idea of what will work.

How much space do I need between the manifold and anything else?

You might take a look at the Sanderson headers site. I put a 350 in a 1952 Chevy car and had the same concerns. They make a set of headers for the 350 with catalogue number CC-50 that work with 1949 to 1954 Chevy cars. These are block hugger headers, the passenger dumps in the middle but the driver side dumps to the back. The web site has dimensional drawings. The headers are for stock steering on the old Chevy's. They hug the block well, angle back into the block. Good luck.