Theres a "kid" at this shop who is saying for longtubes it is required to beat on the floorpan, for them to fit. Is this True? I havent heard anyone having trouble. Also Is it easier for me to put them on after the engine is in or before? I will be dropping the engine and trans in all at once, its easiest for me.

 

The "kid" is probably talking about Hedman headers....which from what I've found out don't fit all that well.

The hooker long tubes are supposed to fit well.

 

I just had the Hedman long tube headers installed on my 86 bird this week. After they are installed the fit is super, nothing is close to touching, no dents, and just a few installation scrathes. BUT... if you are going to run a true duel exhaust like I choose buy something else-the heddman headers believe it or not, the collectors DO NOT HANG LOW enough to have the exhaust run straight back as I had hoped. The crossmember is like 4"(ruff questimate" behind the collector and right in the center of the collector outlet, so the shop had to put basically a 90 degree bend towards the rockers then 90 degrees towards the back of the car with the mufflers mounted under the rear floor boards. Ground clearance was better than expected-but this is not how I wanted it. This is only temporary as I told the guy when I put my cage in I'll channel out the floor boards and fab a new cross member to make what I want for exhaust a reality-right now I'm severly disappointed with this exhaust part of my project-I'm trying to do mods to my car that will prepare it for the 383 I'll be putting in later, and still try to play at the track with the worn out 305 which RAN like a raped ape until I put the headers and true dual exhaust on (2.5" wanted 3")-now she'll barely power brake. I know there's more to it than exhaust that screwed up my power and I'm waiting to get it back so I can have time to do some digging.

 

Well I will tell him that!!

 

I have Hooker Super Comps and mine don't hit the floorpan, my Y-pipe hits the tranny K-member, but that's my fault .

 

Picked up the car again today from muffler shop-they put my H-pipe in-man what a difference in the sound much, much better. Anyway low end torque problem solved! For 1 the shop drained some coolant to remove gooseneck-*** knows why- and did'nt fill radiator back up, plus electric fan was'nt kicking in so I had HOT motor & vapor lock in cooling system; luckily did'nt blow head gasket. Then when the dummies hooked my vaccum advance back up they hooked the hose to the intake vaccum port on my carb, so when they set the timing it was 16 degrees off. So I cut my A/C compressor belt for a temporary manual fan switch and reset timing-Wow what a difference. I'll be checking into coolant sending unit later, but track opens tomorrow morning so for now I'll make due and get some base line numbers on my little worn out road *****.

 

Ive had both the headmans and Hooker Super comps. The headmans did make it harder to make a ypipe cause the colllectors didnt drop down enough, and i had to dent them a bit to fit right, even after that they still rattled. The Hookers hang a bit lower, but not too low. I did have to grind the a-arms down to get them to fit right though.

 

I am thinking about putting headers on my bird, what would be a better fit, long tube or short tube? I am going to stay with the 2-1-2 style. Would a short style and a Y pipe fit right in place of the factory? Or do I need to mod the cat pipe as well?