Thread: ford step headers

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yes i do but not all the time. some times the tubes will have to go out side of the frame rails like a big block in a chevy II if you can get all the tubes out of the middle point of the block then they will be close in size but a lot of time that is only wishfull thinking .so then it is what will work with the lest amount of full bends in one tube.

Nice work ,I did notice the chevy exaust pattern on those ford heads,Pat must have specified that detail j/k

Pat, we ordered a set of header flanges from Sanderson for my Kids 455 Olds in the '29, and there is a bandsaw sort of cut between some of the holes, joining them together. What is the purpose of that cut. It looks like it is there to relieve stress or something in that area?


Don

yes i have seen that and that is my thinking on that to don . i will add sanderson is the only one i have seen like that . i make most of all the header flanges out of cold roll 3/8 and cut them out on my mill. some you can get are junk from go . i do not like spending my time trying to do my best job and all you see are crappy flanges i did not make the fords they have AFR heads and the customer did get them . it is hard to tell some one how i build headers some times i do not know my self like 2 3/8 tubes in a stock sub frame nova with big M dart heads or my goat . i will be building a big chief 565 engine. that i may make the headers for a mid 60 vett if i do this job i may post it. it will be back to back with the ford this may help some but every header job is not the same but some of my tricks i do i can pass on but the were and how were a tube need to go is allways changing job to job

If I can ask one more question. When you join the pipe to the header flange, do you only weld the outside, or do you weld the inside too and grind it flush after? Also, you mention welding the outside 3/4, what do you mean by that?

Don

here is how i do that space the header flange off the head with washer about a 1/8 or a bit more set the tube in the flange point it out at the angle you think it needs to be at go around the out side with a marker cut about 3/8 in front of the marker line now you have some thing to weld to on the in side of the port if done you should not have to grind much. i like to melt the flange and tube steel with no filler rod so there is not much grinding when all the tubes are done then before you tack weld the tubes to the flange you can take out the washer at this point they are flat to the head and put header bolts back in and then tack weld the tubes so they do not move and then weld the in side off the port up . i weld on the out side of the tube about 3/4 on the out side of the top of the tube and on the bottom about 3/8 that is it all the sealing is done from the in side i use to weld all the way on the out side but on the big tube the welds get in the way of the header bolts and i think it looks cleaner to

The headers look good! It's a lot of work, huh? We build custom headers using our in-house mandrel bender and it's always nice to be able to explain with pics to a customer just how much time it takes to fabricate a set of custom long tubes.

We tack the header tube-to-flange-joint on the bottom (less visible) outside, then we remove them and TIG weld on the inside. We then plane the flange flat using a huge horizontal sander. This makes for a much cleaner install.

Hank

Originally Posted by Special Ed GT

The headers look good! It's a lot of work, huh? We build custom headers using our in-house mandrel bender and it's always nice to be able to explain with pics to a customer just how much time it takes to fabricate a set of custom long tubes.

We tack the header tube-to-flange-joint on the bottom (less visible) outside, then we remove them and TIG weld on the inside. We then plane the flange flat using a huge horizontal sander. This makes for a much cleaner install.

Hank

yes i do know that this is one way i make my liven . i do not weld on the out side of the tubes the tack get sanded off but on the headers on the ford i may run a bead on the top i have built many sets when done the flange do not need much sanding if so i run them thru my big belt sander when done the tubes will look like this to the flange i tack weld were i can get to them and i worry about the tacks later when its all done

Great Job Pat!!! Those tubes will make a pipe organ builder jealous!!!! Sure would look great finished off with ceramic coating.......

thanks dave .yes this build will be hi rent when done it will get a ceramic coating in side and out .but when i am done i will use hi heat paint on them to keep them from rusting till they get coated this car i will do a X cross ex with oval tubing and nascar tips may post the ex if it will not bore to many and then a vett with a 565 big cheif engine that i will machine and build and a set of 2 1/4 or 2 3/8 McC tubes if i do that job still talking to the customer on that job

Curious Pat, where are you going to have the headers coated at, and any idea on the price??? I'll have to build a set for the Ranchero eventually..... Hopefully the price of ceramic coating inside and out is too high and I can convince myself the price of stainless steel isn't really that far out of line!!!!!!

when i did the goat that was my 1 pair the first were for the short deck and was a guy that did them in mich by port huron croswell i think he did my first pair and back then i wanted SS but was to much $20.00a bend so they cost about 280to get coated back then and when i did the tall deck set i still wanted to do s steel but still could not find bends less than $ 20. bend so back to mild steel . there is a guy in saginaw that did the last set in the goat . i do not make any thing on coating so i let the customer go were they want

Hmmm... Well, with freight and all, maybe stainless steel tubing isn't that crazy on price....

Really informative thread Pat, thanks.

As for the coating thing, I had Sanderson Headers HPC coat my Limefire headers years and years ago. It was the best investment I have made. Car had been in the rain and sun daily, and the only rust is in the seams where water laid, and that is only slight surface rust. When I redo the car I will send these off and have them blasted or whatever they do to strip them and have them redone.

Nice part is, the inside is coated too, so there is less chance of them rusting out from the inside. I like it a whole lot, and upkeep was zilch.

Don

well don. the coating works has a thermal barrier to with the out side and the inside of the header tubes done it will get you close to ss steel .using ss is the way to go BUT with big tube headers you can have $1000. just in bends. you can use mother mag polish or jeweler rouge to shine up the coating and you can sanded with 1000 wet dry paper if they get a small scratch in them and buff it to if it is the aluminum hi luster coating on them