I'm planning on getting a 350 HO crate motor, and I need to know which headers i can choose from. I need to pass emissions, so it has to have the air pipes and a place for the O2 sensor. Can i get like hooker headers for my stock 84' 305HO, or will they be too small for this engine?

 

i did the same swap as you. when i bought my exhaust i got the hooker ceramic coated headers that were emissions legal. we never put them on the engine b/c they had air tubes. i was going to send them back to summit and get a full return price for them but if you want them i can sell them to you if you pay the shipping. my mechanic told me when we first got them that they were a direct fit. he told me i don't need emissions legal headers in florida so i got hedman shorties with no a.i.r. tubes. just and idea

 

chef's headers would be a good choice for you. Your cat won't fit directly, but if you get a direct-fit cat for '86-'90 TPI single cat application, it will fit the Hooker y-pipe. You'll still have to modify the cat-back to fit the cat, but that shouldn't be too big a deal.

Your only possibly sticky point with the 350 HO (other than it isn't technically an emissions-legal engine) is EGR. The Vortec heads don't have exhaust cross-over passages, so for a functioning EGR, you have to route a tube from exhaust to intake manifold. But, you may be able to get by the sniffer without the EGR working.

 

If they don't have a visual check & only check HC, you should pass. EGR really only reduces NOX.

 

thanks for all the help. Do you have a part number for the headers, or would the headers made for my stock engine work?

 

Why not buy Chef's?

The Summit p/n is HOK-2055-1 (ceramic coated - drop the "-1" for uncoated).

Hooker doesn't make a set that is a direct-fit for your car. Basically, these are the ones that will do the job.

 

i'm low on cash right now (high school student)

 

Considering the percentage of the overall cost of this swap the difference between painted and coated would represent, it makes sense to save up a few more nickels and dimes before you start this so you can get the ceramic coated version. As I've said in other posts, saving budget there is the one regret I have about the mods in my sig.