I'm putting on Scoggin Dickey Vortec intake/heads for my stock L98 GTA. (stock dual-cat setup)

I'd hate to put in the stock exhaust manifolds back if they are significantly hurting power but I am cash strapped now, and also I don't want to spend a lot of time now on the exhast (read - direct bolt-in) I read up on different setups, but some say single cat, and some require a different Y-pipe?

Anyhow - is there any headers out there ~$300 that are a direct bolt in? Will the stock manifolds be too restrictive for the vortec heads?

thanks in advance,

-Dan

 

Buy a set of Hooker 2055's They are about $440 shipped to your door. They are 1 5/8" primaries and 3" collectors. They also come with an awesome full 3" Y-pipe" all hardware and gaskets.

It is not ~300 but if you cannot afford to do it right the first time can you afford to do it again?

My advice would be save your money, and put the heads on when you have a chance to do the rest.

For instance, if I was changing out heads, I would be looking into the opportunity to toss in a cam since I am in the neighborhood.

Good luck
-Cale

 

Hedman's can be had at a decent price, even coated. You would have to get a shop to fab a y-pipe for your dual cat setup. If you're keeping your TPI you'll have to ensure headers have an O2 provision.

Stock manifolds will be restrictive but you can still run them for a while if you need to wait on exhaust.

You did get the modified vortecs for extra lift? Wouldn't go any other way.

 

I got my 2055's straight from autozone. 398 no shipping.

 

Thanks, due to financial constraints I may wait but I least I'll have something to start with.

Yeah, I have the modified springs and I picked up a 0 mile ZZ4 cam cheap on ebay.

 

The Hedman 68491 are bolt-in for dual cat. $365.95 from Summit (don't believe the picture on their site). They don't list the 66491 ceramic coated, Jegs has them for $669.95.

The one application where I would recommend something other than 2055HKR's.

 

Was not aware of those and it is a sweet deal for someone who's got the dual cat exhaust. If you can afford it I'd do it while swapping heads, so much easier. You can lay the hedders in place with the heads out then bolt everything up.

 

I like what I read about the Headman 68491, and I think I could swing the $365 for them.

But, I read that it comes with a new Y pipe. My existing Y pipe is welded right onto the cats. I guess they need to be welded on? (that is something I don't know how to do) I assume that I can't (or shouldn't) use my existing Y pipe?

thanks for any info -

-Dan

 

 

If your existing y-pipe is welded take it by a muffler shop for a quote to weld the new y-pipe in once you install. Have them tell you where to cut the existing off when you remove it. You may have to run open hedders to the shop after the swap. You may have to have a shop install an O2 bung anyway.

Not sure a cam swap is in the 'neighborhood'. Yeah, you've got the intake/dist out but that's the easy part of a cam swap. You still have to remove accessories, water pump, drop oil pan, balancer, timing cover, gears, radiator and if you've got A/C....

 

Dang! My car's all apart and I wanted to do this all at once. Could I just cut the old Y pipe near the cats and make the flange somehow myself? Or, do you think the shop could get it right if I carried the cats/Y pipe in?

I don't think where I live I could drive in with open headers!

Worse case, I just do the exhaust later.

 

You MAY be able to cut and do it yourself and fit it. If you can get the existing stuff off and bring it to a shop they would be in a better position to tell you what's best.

 

On a serpentine belted car the accesories can stay.

 

The 68491's are 50-state emissions legal, and therefore have the O2 bung.

I probably overstated it when I said they are "bolt in". Keep forgetting the stock dual cats are welded.

I would assume the instructions that come with them include information about where to cut the stock pipes. But, perhaps I shouldn't assume. . .

 

You also need to check how well the header flange matches to the exhaust port. Vortecs have raised intake and exhaust runners, on the order of 0.1-0.2 inches. For exhaust simply means moving the bolt hole on the flange. Fill it and re-drill (preferred), or elongate. Best done when heads and exhaust are off the car obviously. Some newer ones may have had the bolt holes placed in the standard postion, worth a call to your vendor (SDPC?), but check them anyway.

 

I changed over to Vortec pattern heads, and the different spark plug placement makes getting a socket on 2 of the driver side plugs impossible with the Hooker 2055s in place, and getting the headers into place with the same spark plug in the head is also impossible (?) You must take the header loose from the head, pull it up enough to get the socket on the plug, take it out, then take the header out (installation is reverse,naturally)so will probably be a similar problem with other headers designed for the elderly SBC pattern heads.

Also, the exhaust ports on my heads were significantly bigger than the header flange entrys. I tried grinding them bigger, but they just cracked the first time I fired the car up, too thin. Lots of welding and fussing and cussing later, they're on but they're not ideal at all.

Good luck

TA

 

Wierd. I installed the hedman 68470's on mine with no fitment issues whatsoever. Changing plugs is a breeze as well, especially compared to the stock manifolds. Glad I went with the hedman's now (as the initial $ savings joy fades over time).

 

I have eq cylinderheads vortec heads and SLP tri-y headers,plug number 8 is only difficult to install.Otherwise fits nice.

 

Check with the head vendor for proper plugs. There are shorter "header plugs" available, and some of the Vortec heads require a different length into the chamber. A few threads on both these issue have been posted on TGO lately.

I also recommend the header spark plug sockets. Summit carries them now. I got mine from www.headersockets.com. Did a write up in aftermarket product review, with pics. Search for my user name.