Ok im looking for a fairly cheap best bang for my buck shorty headers. I need them to bolt to the stock Y pipe too. What do i need to look for in collector diameter and primary tube diameter? I have a 305 TBI with stock manifolds & smog stuff still attached. Could someone recommend me something and if so what part number on Summit? How hard would it be to do an install myself? Could I do it with just jacking the car up and putting it on jack stands? How long would it take for a novince? What all do I need to know about this? Im realling wanting to get some headers but I need to know what Im dealing with first!

Most members here will probably tell you that bolting headers to stock Y-pipe (if you could even find a brand that woulde fit) is a waste of time and expense--you'll see no real improvement. Do it right and go for the Hooker 2055's. With some research here and a few basic handtools, you should be able to do the swap.

JamesC

cheap headers usually aren't worth the headache. The old saying "You get what you pay for" REALLY applies to headers.

I have to agree with replacing the Y-Pipe along with headers. I'll try to draw this out so you can understand visually.



Imagine that is the Y-Pipe where the joint is (where the tubes come off the headers and meet). Sure, by looking at it, youd think there was a 2.25" diameter open space where they met, and just welded on the edges. But in all acuality, when you look into the y-pipe, there is a jagged 1.5"ish hole there (white jagged spot = hole). Guess GM figured that it was alot faster/accurate to knock out a smaller hole and say "F It".

I've pulled ypipes off of 3 Thirdgens and this is what I have come to find. I, myself went with a y-pipe from Flowtech, which has a wide open flow from front to back.

If you are on a really tight budget, you can do what I did and go with a pair of Summit shorty headers (SUM-G9005), or if you have a little extra to spend, go with Hooker shorties (HOK-2460HKR).


You can most certainly do this yourself, HOWEVER! Soak the bolts overnight in PB Blaster, which is an aerosol spray that breaks up rust. It will make it MUCH easier to get those studs out, and you will drastically decrease the risk of rounding one off. Also, you will have to take out most of the AIR system to be able to drop in the headers. It will be a tight fit but it's do-able.

the exhaust board has a sticky with info on headers, i'd recommend checking that out.

I have the very common, and quite popular heddman 68470 and 17440 (that last p/n is wrong, I forget the right one...), header and y-pipe combo. That's pretty value in my eyes.

HED-17470-


i think thats the correct number. I can see i the pic that one side that connects to the headers is like a swivle part that you have to put in. Does this part just clamp to the y pipe or does it have to be welded? Are the HED-68470 non air? Any trouble installing them? how long did it take? just some info like that would be nice... thx Im thinking Ill probably go with the headdman set you reccomended.

Also, the collector diameter on the headers is 3in but the inlet on the y pipe is 2.5in? how does that connect up ok..

and-Y-Pipe Inlet Attachment: 2-bolt flange but headers collecters show 3 bolt? Sorry if these questions sound dumb... but im dumb when it comes to this stuff

it doesn't take that long. My engine was out, so I can't really guess. They're som of the easier ones to put in.
I'd recommend removing more stuff from the bay, rather then leaving it in, and spending the same amount of time frustratingly fighting it. The passenger side was easy for me, drivers side I removed the steering joint. Power steering and alternator as well, and valve covers.

68470 is non air. I think you can get it with air though. I didn't.

The y-pipe does have a slip fit for the drivers side. This is to make sure it'll fit nice and easy, very good feature. They give you all the stuff needed in the ypipe box. They give you a u-bolt, but I welded mine.
They also give a 2.5-3" adapter for...whatever, I didn't use it.
The downside to these headers, is right at the y it necks from 3" down to 2.5", and that's what it is as it goes to your passenger side rocker panel, then curving back to hook up to the cat. You can leave that, it's not *that* bad, but most people chop that. I chopped it at the y, and got an exhaust shop to weld on a 3" mandrel bend, which is clamped to a straight pipe to replace the cat.

there's 2 versions, my 68470 was a gasket seal, 3 bolt flange. The ypipe 17470 mates to that. The new 68470 (I think it's the same p/n) has a ball and socket flange, which mates to the 17478. I think. The y-pipe has a different part # to mean that it has a ball and socket connector. I called up heddman to be sure. All new 68470's are the ball and socket style (no gasket needed, no gasket to blow out.)

I installed Hedman elite shorties on my now race only '92 fbird 305tbi. I had to undo the left motor mount and jack the engine a little. The right one went in OK. Ramps helped. I didn't have a way to attach the Hedman Y-pipe to the converter(it was welded, no flange), so I had to cut the old y out with a sawzall and drive 6 blocks to Muffin mufflers with just shorties on it. Job took a couple of hours-figure a little longer with re-installing the AIR stuff.
Just be careful of the air tubes when you're removing the manifolds and installing the headers(tubes unscrewed just fine, as did the exhaust manifold bolts). Some of the AIR system stuff on the rt side is just hoseclamped in, easy to get out of the way.
I would have gone with full length headers but there's not much room for a muffler other than that crossflow pos. I have since dualed it out and barely had room for 4" diameter rounds.
That factory y-pipe is a DOG.