I'm really disgusted today. First I found out I probably won't get my new AFR 195 Eliminators until mid-January. Then I went and tried to mock up my "new" SLP shorties last night that I just got back from the welder and ceramic coater and they're farcked up as well!

SLP headers don't have a single flange that goes across all 4 pipes on each side. The two middle pipes are connected, but the front and back tubes are "free standing". And in my case - bent or warped (possibly from the welding they did to seal the leaks they came with from SLP). They are so bad that the front tube on the drivers's side is at least 1/4" too far towards the back to ever get a bolt in them.

Not only that, but that same tube stands at least 1/8th to 3/16ths off the manifold when the rest af the tubes are flat against the head.

And if that wasn't enough - the welder left such a big bead on the headers that I have to grind off a bunch of it at each bolt hole to even get a bolt thru them and into the head. There's also way too much bead inside the pipes that has to be ground out as well.

What I need most is someone who can flex or bend the pipes back into their correct location so that all the bolts can be threaded into a head (or someone to walk me thru doing it). If they did the grinding to make them smooth on the inside of the pipes, that would be great too. There is also at least on dent/dimple that needs to be tapped out as well!

Does anyone know anywhere that I can get these damned things fixed so they can be used? I've got too much in them with the "barely used" purchase price (I got took), welding to eliminate leaks, and then the ceramic coating, to just start over if at all possible.

Hopefully there is someone who can help me make these useable....

 

Never mind.

Mods - you can delete this thread. I did it myself.

 

For the sake of posterity, tell us what you did!

 

It looks like I've actually gotten them "fixed" up.

Bolted an old set of LT1 heads onto the LT1 block I have on a stand, bolted up the headers (just the back 3 tubes), then I used a 24" pry bar with one end set against the flange collar and tube mating junction and used a 4 lb. precision adjuster on the other end. Kept changing the placement and agle of the pry bar until I had moved the #1 tube to where it lined up perfectly. Voila!

 

Good show!

Always good to get it done yourself rather than paying someone (even when you would prefer it not to have need of being done in the first place).

I was horrified when I unpacked my 2055's after having them coated by Jet Hot to discover one of the collector flanges had a nasty dent in it (appeared to have been dropped prior to caoting). It wasn't shipping damage, because they didn't note it when they got them, and they way they were packed when returned couldn't have been in harm's way. I took pictures, called them up, they said either return it and we'll make it right, or try to straighten it out yourself. Either way, if the coating was damaged (which they didn't think would happen), they'd redo it at no charge. I carefully walked the ding out, got a good seal, and the coating was fine.

An example of something that shouldn't have needed doing, but spending half an hour on it myself saved the two weeks it would have taken if I had sent it back to them.

 

Yeah, but I think I'm pleased with the result. I've got one of those about 6 inches into a tube above the collector. Do you mind if I ask how you went about "walking it out"?

 

I used the rounded head of a large pry bar and a 12 oz ball peen hammer. I would tap under the ding, at the edge of the crease from the outside, back & forth and around to slowly shape it back to the ball flange intended.

Several years ago I smashed some tubes going over a speed bump in the '57. I tried to round those back out, but they were too far beyond the collector to effectively open them up again. Probably didn't make a lot of difference with the engine that was in the car at the time, anyway. . .

 

Thanks for that info. My situation is a little different with the dent being in the tube and a concave dent when viewed from outside the header. I'll have to see if I can get into the tube far enough to do much....

 

You should see what the #5 primary on the '57 looks like now. Had to do some "clearancing" to get non-tri-five headers to clear the factory steering box. Still seems to be good enough to get a 3900+ pound as-aerodynamic-as-a-brick car down the 1320 in the mid-12's, though. . .

 

I have had this same problem with SLP headers, too. I even bought another set and they were the exact same. Tried them on Trickflows and Canfields and they fit the same. Wondered if maybe this would work? HERE

 

Actually - that looks like it owuld be oerfect for this kind of thing. Sure wish I had known such a thing existed! I may order one anyway, looks like it could come in real handy, and it sure is cheap enough. THANKS!!!!