blacksheep-1

I have a 83 L69 Z28 camaro, it has aT5 which means (in 83) that there is clutch linkage. I'm old, somewhat lazy and don't feel like fighting a set of POS headers, as this is my fun car and I'd like to keep it that way. What I'm trying to locate is a set of headers that will drop in place of the stock manifolds. If they take more than 3hours to replace them, I'm not interested.
Any suggestions, or better yet part numbers?
BTW emmissions are not a problem.

http://www.fl-thirdgen.org/blacksheep-1/camaro.mov

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

There are no headers available for our cars that drop in place of the manifolds (like there are for '90's GM trucks, for instance).

Emissions notwithstanding, Hooker 2055's would be my recommendation.

RB83L69

Closest thing you'll find, is Edelbrock TES; part # 6874. They are very very close to the stock manifolds in most ways.

I doubt you'll get them in in 3 hours, but I guess that depends on you. It took me an entire evening after work one day. I'm not very fast.

They replace the stock Y-pipe as well, and bolt up to the stock 4-bolt cat. They are a completely stock-replacement drop-in. About the only thing that's not absolutely totally compatible with the stock manifolds, is the bracket arrangements; you'll need to make a coule of spacers for your A/C brackets, to add to the header flange thickness so that they duplicate the exh man flange thickness.

I'd strongly suggest you get them ceramic-coated.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Those will bolt into/to the original exhaust. The question you have to answer is if you really want to do that. They will retain the EFE valve, and the 4-bolt flange to the cat. Personally, I'd rather go w/o the valve (okay, actually I have been going without the valve for the last 3 years), and the more commonly available slip-fit inlet cat.

But, it's your call.

(BTW, you've gotta do something about those valve seals. That blue smoke is embarrassing... )

blacksheep-1

LOL, that downshift WAS a little high on the rpm scale for a 305

Rockin-Iroc

There is one that might work. Check out Sanderson headers. They do make a cast iron header and in tests I've read, they're far superior to iron exhaust manifolds and almost as good as a tubular header, and bolt on and stay just like stock iron manifolds.

But for tubular headers on thirdgens, I've installed two types, Hooker and Edelbrock. The Hookers are the ones that take so long. They are longer than Edelbrock but ridiculously tight. And Hooker makes no provisions for bolt clearance or starter clearance. They actually make physical contact with a starter and I had to grind the corner off of the mount plate for my starter to get clearance with the Hookers. But they flow good.

The Edelbrock headers were so much easier to install. The design is good, and plenty of clearance. Still a good couple hour job though, because you'll probably have to pull motor mount bolts and lift up the engine. They're still a hassle, but several times easier to install than Hookers.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

I had no clearance problems with the Hooker 2055's except for moving the (original V6) brake line at the master cylinder/prop valve a little bit.

Confuzed1

iTrader: (4)

Hey guess what - that's not just a V6 thing.

Using TES shortys, I had to tweak my brake lines around also, but it wasn't too bad. Must be a "any header on Camaro" thing!

azvolfan

I'm running the 2055's and had no problems with the starter clearance.

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

i've had heddman longtubes and hooker 2460's. the hooker's, up until just recently, did not have a y-pipe available, so that was an issue, and the longtubes, i am just running true duals. neither one is a 3 hour job, but i didn't have any fitment issues with the 2460's(don't know if the solid motor mounts helped on that issue or not) and the longtubes only had an issue on the drivers side a-arm perch, the perch had to be trimed a little.

if i were you, i would suggest the hooker 2055's.

jocww

summit headers took me 30 min

blacksheep-1

would we have a part number? long tube or shorties, and did they come with the y-pipe?

Rockin-Iroc

I don't recall the part number of the Hooker headers that I got for my IROC, but I do know they didn't have a y-pipe available, so I was totally on my own from the headers on back.

I'd also suggest wrapping the header pipe that passes closest to the starter, as heat soak was a problem with the previous starter. Better yet, wrap the entire header if you can.

I also had to ding my headers for additional bolt clearance as well in a couple of places.

If the 2055's fit better than the ones I got, then maybe that's the ticket.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Summit 3rd gen headers are SUM-9005. Shorties, no y-pipe listed, reportedly made by Flowtech.

It only took me 20 minutes to install my 2055's on the engine. Of course, the engine was on the engine stand, and it took a little longer to hook the y-pipe up once the engine was in the car...

jocww

will the summit headers fit with our stock y pipe

RB83L69

AFAIK no headers will work with the stock Y-pipe.... especially seeing as how the stock Y-pipe would pretty much obliterate any gains that might otherwise be produced by headers.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Somebody hack your username? First you claim you installed them in 30 minutes, then you ask if they will fit?

Besides, I answered your 2nd question with my 1st reply. RB put it more directly, true, but all of this could have been answered with a search on the Exhaust forum.

blacksheep-1

Geez 57 you're really busting my *** over this search deal, first here then in the carb section. I didn't find the specific info I needed on either one so I asked.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Wasn't directing that at you, sheep. Note I was quoting jocww, so it was his comments I was trying to reconcile.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Speaking of Exhaust, that's where this really should be.

jocww

theyre on but its not connected took me 30 min to put it on to the heads i havent hooked them up to the y pipe yet or even tried im trying to do the rest of my accessories the other day i finished my fuel pump water pump p.s. and trying to figure out my a c

blacksheep-1

Fair enough 57, sorry.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Before I say what I'm about to say, let me assure you it's for the purpose of passing on information, not any b-busting:

The factory generally did a pretty poor job on the exhaust, especially the earlier years of our cars. The L69 was one of the better efforts, but still lacking.

When the aftermarket looked at the situation, they decided, rightly so, that the best approach would be to make headers and y-pipe (if they even did the y-pipe) all the way to the cat - this produced the best overall improvement.

But, there were still a lot of different varieties of exhaust systems from the factory, so they limited the models they would address - certification doesn't come free. Edelbrock had the most extensive collection, Hooker only went for one, SLP had a few but even they have cut back on what they've got, etc.

Because the factory y-pipe was such a poor effort, nobody went for shorties that would directly replace the exhaust manifolds. They have for some trucks, like I mentioned, but those have more room to work with. So, improving the exhaust on our cars is typically a 100% effort, meaning the whole thing has to go. That's not what you want to hear, but it's the truth. The Edelbrock TES isn't cheap or perfect, but for an L69 it's probably the best mix of performance improvement and "ease" of installation - i.e., bolt-in. It's also emissions legal, but since that isn't an issue for you, you'll have to make the choice between what is easiest, what is least expensive, and what would require the least amount of fabrication to get hooked into the system. For the best mix of performance and ease of installation, I don't hesitate to recommend Hooker 2055's, and then '86-'90 TPI single cat application cat and cat back. With this combination, you can literally hack out your old exhaust system and bolt this back in. It will take more time than just installing TES, but the performance benefits will be greater. The kicker is expense, as you're looking at around $600-800 to do this, depending upon the cat-back you choose. I include the cat because it will bolt in, whereas a piece of pipe where the cat goes would have to be fabricated.

For future reference, jocww, just having the headers bolted onto the engine is not typically defined as "installed" on the Board here. When it's back on the road, that's when they're "installed".

jocww

well then i should change it to a few months as i have to go do ski patrol for a month and a half

iceman02

iTrader: (1)

I would be wary of wrapping the whole header in exhaust wrap as it is apparent in the following thread. https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=270917