Is fitment even a real word?

Anyway, I'm kicking around tossing some 1 3/4 SLP's in my '84 Z/28 while the engine ('86 Corvette L98) is out BUT I keep hearing some horror stories about fit near the steering.

I will be using new motor poly mounts.

So, what's the deal? Am I gonna regret this or not? I have some Hooker shorties i can use, but the primaries are kinda strange.. not really round but oval. So I'm not sure if they're 1 5/8 or 1 3/4. AND there's no y-pipe made for them by Hooker. Dumb, huh?

So, lets hear the opinions of those that actually have the SLP's please. Worth it? Fit?

TIA,

Ed

 

If you are putting in new motor mounts you should not have any trouble. I was able to clearance mine with a little TLC, and I have original motor mounts.

nick

 

I recently swapped my TES for SLP 1 3/4 headers wo air tubes, I really like the SLPs. I read all the horror stories also, but mine fit really well The only problem I did have was one of the tubes making contact with the steering shaft. But just slightly, I have new mounts btw, I tried pushing the shaft over as suggested but it still made contact. So I just dimpled the pipe some you cant even really see it when the header is installed. The down pipes fit really well also, I ran them into some 2.5 inch pipes to a flowmaster 2.5 to 3" y out to a 3' dynomax two on the left system. Flows pretty good I think.

I was able to run my plug wires over the valve covers and straight down to the plugs with the SLPs I couldnt do that before on the passenger side with the TES without burning wires.

I think you will like them.... if you have the cash I say go for it!

 

I had to grind down the steering shaft to clear the headers. (I wasn't about to dimple my Jet-Hot coating.) I also had to dimple the S pipe where it turns toward the rear at the crossmember.

It's a tight fit, but it'll fit.

 

Thanks. I kinda thought I'd hear this. Odds are I'll have to either need to ding a tube and/or mover/grind the steering shaft.

Maybe it's me, but I'm not feeling too good about dimpling a tube or grinding a steering shaft to get an expensive item to fit a car it's designed to fit. Moving the shaft is acceptable, but hacking it?

I don't mind spending the money... I'll pay for quality, but geeze can't they tweek the design just a tiny bit just to get a better fit??

I dunno..... Stainless steel is very appealing and they're *supposed* to flow well, too.

How much needs to be ground off the steering shaft? Just the thought of that makes me cringe, safety-sake.

Thanks,

Ed

 

Since my steering shaft is flat on two sides, I just ground down the opposing two curved sides about 1/8". When I started it didn't touch the steering shaft, but it was a little too close for comfort.

This thread has pics of my install before I ground on the shaft, maybe this'll help you.

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...threadid=98211

 

Thanks for the photo link.

I'm really on the fence. I hear such good things about these headers but then I hear about the fit/install being, well, less than desirable.

The engine is out, so I'm not sweating the actual install itself too badly but the fit has me concerned. Actually, it's the grinding down of the steering shaft that has me concerned. I have the tools to grind it (compressor, etc.) it's the thought of weakening the steering shaft that has me thinking twice.

Like I said before, there aren't cheapo headers. Paying that kind of money makes me feel/expect that they should fit relatively easy w/o hacking into something as important as that shaft.

Maybe I'm just over-reacting. I'm no engineer, so I can't say what (if any) weakness that shaft's gonna get.

Ed

 

I'd say that you'd snap some other part of the steering linkage well before you snap the steering shaft. In order to snap at that point, it'd take either a) a severe lateral blow at the point where it was ground down, which isn't very likely since the frame is there, or b) a direct hit to the front of the shaft, which if that happens the steering shaft will be the least of your worries. I don't think it'd snap from a twisting stress since the coupler right above it would probably let go first.

 

i installed my slp 1 3/4" with NO clearence problems on the drivers side, didn't have to touch the steering shaft, it was close but not so close as to worry me.. the only problem i had was with the brake hoses, but they are easily bendable..