1972 Imperial... Headers you can live with

[feets]

I'm looking at a set of headers for my 72 Imp. The factory exhaust manifolds are not compatible with Edelbrock heads so a change is required.

Keep in mind that I'm building an ultra heavy, quiet, and comfortable car for cross country road trips. The engine combo on paper (okay, my old dyno software) should be pushing 450+ torque from 2000 to 5200 rpm and tickle 500 lb/ft from 3500 to 4500. Power should be 400+ from 4500 to 6000, peaking around 440 between 5000 and 5500. I'm really doubting the intake will pull those higher rpm numbers but the fat mid-range looks tasty.
Saddle that engine to a drivetrain and power at the ground will be significantly lower.

The headers I'm looking at are:
1) Hedman shorties
2) TTi shorties
3) Schumacher Tri-Y
4) TTi full length 1-3/4

The requirements:
1) Must fit angle plug Eddy heads in the Imp (or a similar C body).
2) Quality stuff that won't leak.
3) No ground clearance issues.
4) Ease of servicing plugs and starter.

The car:
5300 lb luxo-barge highway cruiser
Power steering
Power brakes
Column shifter
A/C
3.23 gears
29" tire
Stock converter
727 (46RH swap planned)

The combo:
440 std bore
10.2:1 compression
Edelbrock Performer 88cc heads
Comp 261/.463 cam
106 center line
110 separation
CH4B intake (low hood clearance)
Eddy carb (to be replaced by FiTech)


Which set of headers would best fit the bill? I was thinking about the Hedman shorties for an easy way out but the TTi shorties and Tri-Ys are looking pretty good. Sadly, I do not have any experience with any of these headers.

 

[413]

Long rams and cast iron headers from a 63 413

 

[feets]

I've thought about long rams but the cast iron headers will not produce the power of normal headers and are not likely to clear the angle plug Edelbrock heads.

 

[FURYGT]

I would start by talking to the folks at TTI as they may have exactly what you need. I would think that you would want want long tube headers to keep the low end torque where you want it.

 

[MEV]

I originally used the stock iron manifolds on my aluminum stealth heads on my 512 in my 66 newyorker (straight plug), then switched to the TTI full length headers, they fit great, and with their full 3" exhaust with crossover pipe and their dynomax super turbos, the exhaust is mean at idle and quiet going down the road until you stomp it. I drive my car year round and on lengthy road trips to the track, never a exhaust noise issue. These are the nicest headers i have ever seen and they fit great, however they are still headers: I have burned plug wires, and getting them in, scratched the crap out of the ceramic coating. It was a bit of a pain, as i had to elevate the car waaaaay up to get them in from underneath per TTI's instructions. They say they will work with the full size starter, but i have a mini starter and i dont know how you would ever get the full size starter in there.

 

[furious70]

For the cost of those headers you could have the hard parts you need to make the turbo manifolds....

Or use the upside down chasis/van ones I did.

 

[feets]

You know I'm a boostaholic and have been one since the previous century. I even remember discussing that stuff with you before your build.
I still have the turbos and EFI from the hot rod but wanted a more sedate engine this time around. It has been a real struggle to not turbo this thing. All that torque would be welcome. The kicker is that I want a leak free trouble free long term engine that can rack up the miles and not be saddled to a specific fuel requirement.

Granted, at 10.2:1 and aluminum heads I could get away with 8 psi or so on pump gas but I really don't need the complexity and fuel worries.

 

[furious70]

I figured you just needed a nudge from me

 

[feets]

Willing to push a friend off a cliff, eh?

Yes, you started the wheels turning again about building my own manifolds but I have so little time to work on stuff as it is. I want my barge running again.

 

[furious70]

that's why I used the RV manifolds, saved lots of hours even if the system wasn't as clean as it would have been if I had made my own Weld-el logs.

 

[bajajoaquin]

One of the things I’m considering too.

I would guess TTI or Schumacher. Both advertise heavier gauge tubing and thick, warp-resistant flanges.

 

[bajajoaquin]

For the cost of those headers you could have the hard parts you need to make the turbo manifolds....

Or use the upside down chasis/van ones I did.

Could you elaborate?

 

[furious70]

these

found on vans and various chassis, tho only on one side. I turned them upside down

 

[bajajoaquin]

I see now. I found your intro post and saw that pic but didn’t understand what I was seeing. Did you use the same manifold on both sides?

 

[furious70]

Yes I did. I looked at a bunch of combos of manifolds, decided on 2 upswepts. If I was doing a single turbo I would use this one probably plus a log on the dr's side. It's an early BB manifold with provision to mount the generator, great place to hang a turbo!