Received my SLP headers yesterday and am very happy with their craftmanship. Thanks go out to Cosmetically Challenged for the Group Purchase. I have some questions in regards to the headers.
The headers I received were painted in a very light grayish color is this a normal? With the installation of the headers, how will it affect my removal of the starter should I have to replace it.
What are your thoughts in regards to using the bolts that came with the kit?
Are their any other items I should be aware of prior to installing the header?

The headers will be going into my 383 when it is completed. Anyone wishing to see a pic of the slp header can leave a message.

 

First, excellent choice. Spendy as hell for me, but everything bolted up with what seems top quality parts. They look as good now as they did when I put them in 18 months or so ago.

>The headers I received were painted in a very light grayish color is this a normal?

Yes. And long lasting to boot.

>With the installation of the headers, how will it affect my removal of the starter should I have to replace it?

I had to drop my Y-pipe to drop the starter. But even my bolts were stainless, so they dropped out with no problem. Use a heat shield or blanket on the starter tho, it's an extremely close fit.

>What are your thoughts in regards to using the bolts that came with the kit?

They seemed like ARP types. Bolting these things on was a bigger hassle then putting the headers in with the engine in the engine compartment.

When I swapped my 383 out of my beat TA into my Z, I installed the engine with the passenger side header bolted on. I put the driver side header on from the bottom after the engine was bolted in, bringing it in from the bottom up. Hint: keep the sensors off the driver's side until the header is installed, and check the routing of your brake lines to make sure they don't touch the header pipes.

>Are there any other items I should be aware of prior to installing the header?

90 degree boots only, please.

>The headers will be going into my 383 when it is completed. Anyone wishing to see a pic of the slp header can leave a message.

A solid choice that will last forever.

Good luck!


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87 Z28/89 vette 383TPI roller cam/ported and polished/700R4/vette OEM 2K TC/MSD 6A/SLP stainless headers/edelbrock cat back/Optima/TTops/Alpine/an angry squirrel.

72 Pinto Wgn Version 3.0 /85 5.0L HO/AOD/MSD/ lowered/Shaved/Tinted/Optima/WHITE

 

I used grade-8 bolts on mine with hardened washers. It's also a good idea to use the copper (hi-temp) aniti-seize on all the bolt threads.
To keep the starter cool it is actually better to put the heat-shielding on the header instead of the starter. Stainless does hold way more heat than mild steel headers do, so there is a big difference there. I wrapped mine with thermotech insulator which helped tremendously with heat.
good luck


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*I do custom performance mods on Edlebrock Performer carburetors (dualplane intake mods in the works),
White 1986 Irocz, 305/383 with Edlebrock Performer-RPM intake and Performer #1407 carburetor, +110hp shot of crack, 700R-4 tranny, 3.25:1 rear, Mcreary Road-Stars, SLP-stainless 1.75" shortie headers & Y-pipe, single 3" Borla exhaust, Linginfelter-TPI camshaft part number 74216 pulls 17" vacuum solid. Cam specs 213/219 @.050 114-LSA, .462/.470 lift @1.5:1 ratio. MSD-6AL, billet distributor, multi-retard, blaster-3 coil, and RPM switch.
N/A runs 10.9 @124,
Crack-runs 10.3 @135
haven't run at track since Oct-99

 

Thanks for both your replies. I was originally going to install both headers on the 383 (once completed) prior to dropping it in the engine bay but your post gave me second thought. As far as the starter goes, I will definitely have a heat shield. Replaced a total of 3 starters on my Z28 and 1 on my starter.