I recently bought a set of Hedman headers and I'm going to start installing them.

I plan on removing AIR system as part of the header install. I do not live in an emissions tested area and probably wont - At least for the next 4-5 years. If I ever do, I'm going to keep the AIR stuff just in case.

Anyhoo - I'm looking at the AC compressor and it looks like it curently mounts to/on the stock exhaust manifold. Any ideas on getting around that with a header installation? At some point, I may remove the A/C but for now, I think I want to keep it.

Keep in mind, my '87 has the A/C on the driver's side.

Second and last question, I haven't looked really closely at it, but does the alternator bracket(s), have any effect on header installation? Do I need any special bracket?

I'm just covering my bases before I start tearing into this project...

Thanks

 

back when i had my 82, i had the same prob with the power steering pump.... actually i was using the same bracket as you, i just had cut off the top where the AC mounts...

what i did was this:

i mounted the header, putting the long stock bolt thru the front hole. i then used thick washers to space the bracket close, and then thin washers to get it exactly the right space...

i drove it for a week or so that way, then the next weekend i took some THICK walled steel tubing and cut it to the exact length of the washers, minus 2 big washers. then i put the bolt in thru the bracket, then a washer, then the tube, then another washer, and into the header and head.

that worked for a couple years... then i sold the car.

 

When I put in my Hooker 2460 headers I cut out the a/c bracket that goes around the header (makes it impossible to use the bracket w/ headers so it had to go). I then took some threaded stock we had laying around and screwed it into the head, put a nut on and ran it down, then mounted the bracket on that piece of stock with nuts on both sides of it. I've had it like that for almost a year and it's worked fine. I'm going to do the same thing when I put my longtubes in...

 

Lowes Home Improvements (or Home Depot) has steel bushings the right length for those long manifold bolts to connect those brackets for A/C and P/S pumps - check the fastener section.

 

I put the stud back in were it was on the manafold then I put it back togeather the way it was. I had to grind on the bracket alittle to get it to fit though and a sledge hammer to bend it just a tad.