I finally got my headman hedders installed today! Yes, Headman spells them hedders. Took about oh, 9 and a half hours, but that includes dinner and driving back and forth to the parts stores a couple times. The install was very straight forward and simple. I got rid of all the emissions garbage as well. I'm taking it to the exhaust shop tomorrow to get new pipes welded up.

I had to pull of a valve cover to get the driver side header to drop all the way in (big woop) and I had to pull the power steering pump and bracket off, then leave the bracket off because it was attached to the manifold and wouldn't bolt up with the hedders. The passenger side just dropped right in with no problems due to the lack of accessories (AC, AIR, and probably more).

Oh, I did break my Craftsman 3/8's socket when I was tightening down the header bolts, that was surprising because I wasn't putting too much torque on them. Looks like I'll be taking a trip to Sears tomorrow.

Well, I must say that I love the sound of the open hedders, but I guess that I'll have to close them off with muffler in the way (no cats) so I can drive it farther than to the exhaust shop. 8)

Pics will come, but it may be a while.

Later,
Jesse

 

Only 9.5 hours? Can't wait to hear a sound clip and/or see some pics.

 

Yup, from 10 AM to 7:30 PM. They went in sooo nicely and a few of my manifold bolts were finger tight. WD40 really really works. Of course I had soaked them the night before, as well as a few times in the months preceding the install.

Don't forget that the 9.5 hours also includes an hour for dinner, one or two of our trips to the parts stores were over half an hour each, so it was probably only a 5 or 6 hour install of actual work.

My buddy was also swapping his rear drum axle to rear disk posi axle at the same time, so we'd help each other if we needed it. Like carrying the heavy axles to and from the back yard....ouch.

I'll have pics, but I don't know about a sound clip, I gotta find someone that can record one for me. A video would be awesome...... I might be able to come up with something though, just not exactly soon.

-Jesse

 

True, but they spell their name "Hedman"...

 

Ahh, ok, so I can't completely spell. I took my car into the exhaust shop and had them put up my y-pipe, add an o2 bung, a straight pipe where the cat used to be, and fixed a bad leak and bad hanger. They did a great job.

I still need to get rid of the 2.5" piping, but my camaro runs so much better. Getting to the plugs is a sinch now too. I do need to extend the o2 sensor wire so it'll be plugged in.

The exhaust note is real low while idling too.... then I hit it and it opens up nicely!

I highly recommend these hedders.

That's all for now,
Jesse

 

did you get the coated hedders or just painted? also how's the SOTP or butt dyno? i'm probably gonna do header's this summer and am tryin to get opinions, i was leaning towards the hedmans b/c of the price odviously 260 for coated headers is a steal! and with you sayin it went in so easy makes it sound 10x better

 

Which hedders did you get, shorties or long tube?

 

I bought used uncoated shorties from a member on here and they came with the y-pipe.

The butt dyno feels nice, it was awesome with the open headers, but still better after the exhaust shop. I'm curious to see how it drives with the o2 sensor hooked up though, I still haven't done that because I need to extend the wire because of where they put the bung at. Of course, that's what I get for having them put the bung on after I installed them.

Oh, we also noticed that my cat was gutted, so I didn't even bother putting back up because my emmission numbers are so low.

I installed a set of Edelbrock headers on a 91 TBI RS with the smog tubes on and they were a major PITA!!! We had to unbolt the motor mounts on both sides to get them in. Then again, I rid my camaro of AC and AIR, so there is a lot of room. I don't suppose that the AC would make too much of a hassle to install the passenger side header though, just take more finesse. I litterally dropped it in there. I'll get pics up one of these days.

-Jesse

 

If you buy shorty headers do you have to do anything to the stock y-pipe to get them to fit?

 

yes, you have to throw the stock one away and bolt up the hedman y-pipe.

As far as I know, all shorties will not fit the stock y-pipe.

-Jesse

 

No currently available 3rd gen aftermarket shorties will bolt to the factory y-pipe. However, you could modify the factory y-pipe to connect to anybody's shorties.

Why you wouldn't want to do that is another matter...