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Hi all!
Im shopping around for headers for my 383 stroker engine. I looked on ebay and found some nice looking headers with a Y-pipe. It says it fits my 86 Camaro. But I dont have the stock engine. I send over a message to the seller and he said it would not fit but didnt explain why. Here is the picture to that set.
I then tried looking into buying just headers for the engine because I was told that the Y-pipe is universal. If i buy a set of headers for the engine, were could I get a y-pipe? I looked online but couldnt find it sold alone. Here is the headers I have saved for my engine:
This is the exhaust system Im going to be getting:
I believe the set up goes... Headers(attached to engine), Y-pipe (Attached to bottom of headers and goes underneath the car), Then the tip/top of the exhaust system (the single pipe connects to the bottom of the Y-pipe?). This is my first car and im loving the restoration! If I have something wrong or im missing a step, please let me know!
Thanks!
The first one looks to be a set of long tubes and the y pipe that comes with would put the exit down the center of the car and clearance issues would be a pain. Lots of fab work would be involved in getting this combination to work i'd think. The second set are shorties and there is no way those would work.
The exhaust you posted is a normal cat back setup for factory exhaust placement. Factory y-pipe collects and exits passenger side under car, connects to catalytic converter and then this would hook in to that.
The first one looks to be a set of long tubes and the y pipe that comes with would put the exit down the center of the car and clearance issues would be a pain. Lots of fab work would be involved in getting this combination to work i'd think. The second set are shorties and there is no way those would work.
The exhaust you posted is a normal cat back setup for factory exhaust placement. Factory y-pipe collects and exits passenger side under car, connects to catalytic converter and then this would hook in to that.
So I should look into getting short headers? And a Y pipe that merges into one pipe towards the passenger side... Which then connects to a cat converter? Then the exhaust pipe?
The 2nd set you posted will ABSOLUTELY NOT fit. One quick glance under the hood will reveal the reason(s) why.
The cat-back system you posted is a decent one, a good choice. It is designed to connect to the exit of a stock cat in the stock location. As long as the headers and cat that you get replicate the stock location of everything, it will all bolt right up.
The 1st set MIGHT "fit" but will require an enormous amount of effort. They will CERTAINLY not bolt up to the exhaust you posted. Very far from a "bolt-in".
Whoever told you that Y-pipes are "universal" is full of canal water. Few things are farther from the truth. Don't ever take any "advice" you get from that person.
I'd suggest looking into Dyno Don's headers. There aren't many chassis-specific being made for these cars any more, and his are the most likely you'll be able to find, that will actually work and cause no trouble (or at least, minimal trouble) installing them. SLP used to be a good source but they are long since out of the business of supporting these antique cars. We're kind of on our own nowadays.
So I should look into getting short headers? And a Y pipe that merges into one pipe towards the passenger side... Which then connects to a cat converter? Then the exhaust pipe?
Thats the route I would go. The link i posted were for the Dyno Don's, he sells a y-pipe that fits perfectly also.
Dyno Don headers and Y pipe. Money spent here will be directly inversely proportional to how much of a pain in the *** the installation is going to be.
You will most likely need other things also. Gaskets (Remflex), mini-starter, ARP header bolts, shorty spark plugs (and socket), custom plug wires with 90 degree boots, some kind of plug wire organization setup, etc
For quality parts, associated components and tools, expect to spend around $1k on headers and y pipe. Or less with a huge trade off in frustration and labor.
I'll be sure to check out that link!
So for the exhaust system I had posted, does that come with the cat converter? Or does it hook straight onto the y pipe?
Are there some exhaust systems that are "H" or "X" shaped? I know there are some like that for some mustangs...
Im also super broke so I'll have to cheap out on the exhaust system.. The cheapest I'll be able to buy is that exsaust system I had posted the Pic of.
You would have to buy a cat converter or splice a piece of pipe in place of it. If I were you I would spend more on headers and go cheap on a cat back system which can be replaced easily down the road when you get more funds to play with. H or X pipe aren't sold out of the box for these that I know of and would assume they would be hell to put on and keep clearance.
I looked at Amazon and found a cveap exhaust system... Thoughts?
I also found some headers... I'll post those pics too.. Id love some thoughts on those too!
I couldn't find any Y pipes. I'll keep looking! Do I have to buy one that merges into 1 pipe towards the passenger side? I think I remember something like that...
I bought essentially the same exhaust kit (the Dynomax 17493 kit) to serve as a cat-back exhaust. It's cheeeap, but I just wanted the car running. I'm not counting on it to last long.
I don't believe there are any true dual kits for our cars. The factory exhaust was routed down the passenger side and so the passenger side floor is formed to provide space for a pipe. Since there was never an exhaust pipe router down the driver's side, there's no clearance on the driver's side floor. Some folks have done it, but I believe those were all custom fabricated (at a huge cost in time and effort). EDIT: So to answer your question, yes, you want a Y pipe that merges into one pipe on the passenger side.
The two sets of headers in those pictures aren't going to work. Really, any set of headers with the collector "centered" under the middle two exhaust ports isn't going to work - that puts the collector too close to the motor mount. Here's a set of Hooker 2460s: see how the collector is kind of angled towards the back of the header? That's what you're looking for (keep in mind that's just for illustrative purposes, the 2460s might not be right for your car).
The exhaust breaks down into several components - headers (or OEM manifolds), Y pipe, catalytic converter (or cat delete pipe), intermediate pipe (the bit that goes over the rear axle), muffler, and muffler outlets/tips. You have to have all of those pieces, and they have to be designed for the car. A good exhaust shop could fabricate pretty much any of those components from scratch, but that gets extremely expensive. If you're trying to save money by going with off the shelf kits then you want the amount of shop work to be minimal. The problem with any off the shelf kit is that there's no guarantee it's going to work with any other off the shelf kit, so it usually makes sense to get as many components from the same place as possible. Again, a good shop can make the brand A Y pipe work with brand B headers and brand C intermediate pipe, but that's going to cost money (probably more than you save hunting around for deals).
If I were doing my exhaust again, I'd use a set of Dyno Don's headers + Y pipe, the same cat I'm using now (Magnaflow 94019), and a higher quality cat-back kit with a name brand muffler. It's pricey, but you'll save a ton of frustration (and probably money in future repairs).
I bought essentially the same exhaust kit (the Dynomax 17493 kit) to serve as a cat-back exhaust. It's cheeeap, but I just wanted the car running. I'm not counting on it to last long.
I don't believe there are any true dual kits for our cars. The factory exhaust was routed down the passenger side and so the passenger side floor is formed to provide space for a pipe. Since there was never an exhaust pipe router down the driver's side, there's no clearance on the driver's side floor. Some folks have done it, but I believe those were all custom fabricated (at a huge cost in time and effort). EDIT: So to answer your question, yes, you want a Y pipe that merges into one pipe on the passenger side.
The two sets of headers in those pictures aren't going to work. Really, any set of headers with the collector "centered" under the middle two exhaust ports isn't going to work - that puts the collector too close to the motor mount. Here's a set of Hooker 2460s: see how the collector is kind of angled towards the back of the header? That's what you're looking for (keep in mind that's just for illustrative purposes, the 2460s might not be right for your car).
The exhaust breaks down into several components - headers (or OEM manifolds), Y pipe, catalytic converter (or cat delete pipe), intermediate pipe (the bit that goes over the rear axle), muffler, and muffler outlets/tips. You have to have all of those pieces, and they have to be designed for the car. A good exhaust shop could fabricate pretty much any of those components from scratch, but that gets extremely expensive. If you're trying to save money by going with off the shelf kits then you want the amount of shop work to be minimal. The problem with any off the shelf kit is that there's no guarantee it's going to work with any other off the shelf kit, so it usually makes sense to get as many components from the same place as possible. Again, a good shop can make the brand A Y pipe work with brand B headers and brand C intermediate pipe, but that's going to cost money (probably more than you save hunting around for deals).
If I were doing my exhaust again, I'd use a set of Dyno Don's headers + Y pipe, the same cat I'm using now (Magnaflow 94019), and a higher quality cat-back kit with a name brand muffler. It's pricey, but you'll save a ton of frustration (and probably money in future repairs).
You're post is super informative and helpful... I'll be sure to Print it out for my notes. For that exhaust system, will any Y pipe fit? As in... If I find a pair of headers and y pipe that fit for my engine, will the exhaust/cat fit into no problem even though they're are from different sellers?
What do i do if I find a good pair of headers but it doesn't come with a Y pipe?
Would something like this fit? Obviously not THESE but you mentioned the exit of the manifold being off to the side. Is this what you meant?
Read that one. The only headers that are new to the market and not in that list are the Dyno Don headers, and the Ebay long tubes in your first pic. You're not going to find anything under $200 that will work very well. Short of buying a used set of headers and Y-pipe, you're going to be into an exhaust for about $600 or more.
Read that one. The only headers that are new to the market and not in that list are the Dyno Don headers, and the Ebay long tubes in your first pic. You're not going to find anything under $200 that will work very well. Short of buying a used set of headers and Y-pipe, you're going to be into an exhaust for about $600 or more.
This is not the part of your build you want to go the cheap route on. All the OP's advice is correct and if you cheap on the headers and y pipe YOU will regret it!. Not only in the fab work but the problems that occur down the road, loose bolts and blown gaskets to say the least.
Get specific fit headers, for the vehicle, not the engine, get a matching y pipe, the SAME brand, From there if you want a couple hundred dollar system you will be fine. It just won't last.
I have been putting mine off because no matter how I try to cut it up the bottom line is about 1K for a complete, quality system.
This is not the part of your build you want to go the cheap route on. All the OP's advice is correct and if you cheap on the headers and y pipe YOU will regret it!. Not only in the fab work but the problems that occur down the road, loose bolts and blown gaskets to say the least.
Get specific fit headers, for the vehicle, not the engine, get a matching y pipe, the SAME brand, From there if you want a couple hundred dollar system you will be fine. It just won't last.
I have been putting mine off because no matter how I try to cut it up the bottom line is about 1K for a complete, quality system.
Wait, I should get headers that match the car? Not the engine?
The 1st set MIGHT "fit" but will require an enormous amount of effort. They will CERTAINLY not bolt up to the exhaust you posted. Very far from a "bolt-in".
These are the headers that I am running right now on my 383. There is a long thread on these headers here: https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/exha...longtubes.html
They are a nice header since they are made out of 16 gauge 304 stainless and use a thick flange and V band style clamps.
They may work out perfect on your car and require no modifications or they may require extensive modifications but you won't know until you read through the thread because they only cause problems with certain combinations of parts. My issue with them was that they do not work with the old style "pre-eliminator" AFR heads. The spark plug angle is different and the header tube (1+2) are too close to the spark plugs to even think about putting a spark plug wire on. I fixed it with some custom work. So if you have the AFR eliminator heads you should be fine. However I have also read that many of these newer aluminum cylinder heads are copies of the old L98 heads or (again) the older pre-eliminator heads so you still might be out of luck if you are running those.
The Hooker long tube headers are probably the best SBC header available as they fit very well and have no clearance or proximity issues. Posted pictures of the Dyno don headers show some of the tubes being really close to certain items. The hookers also have a slip fit on the passenger rear tube so you can remove it for ease of installation. I have a set of used set of used Hookers that I am selling for $225 shipped. They have some surface rust at the connection of the primary and flange that needs a quick blast or hand sanding though.
Hooker also makes a "Blackheart" exhaust that is a true dual exhaust setup for a thirdgen and many members have said positive things about the setup.
You're post is super informative and helpful... I'll be sure to Print it out for my notes. For that exhaust system, will any Y pipe fit? As in... If I find a pair of headers and y pipe that fit for my engine, will the exhaust/cat fit into no problem even though they're are from different sellers?
What do i do if I find a good pair of headers but it doesn't come with a Y pipe?
Would something like this fit? Obviously not THESE but you mentioned the exit of the manifold being off to the side. Is this what you meant?
The headers you posted will not fit, the motor mounts prevent their usage.
No header for a thirdgen is perfect, it will always have a compromise. You can have a great fit with great clearance and easy installation but the tubes will probably be small. You can have nice big tubes and good clearance but the installation will probably take a while and require the car be jacked way up.
Can someone please send me pics/links to headers that fit my 383? I've tried looking but honestly I don't know what to look for. If you've got the time, please help me out by looking some up. Most I can afford right now is $200 at most on headers
Can someone please send me pics/links to headers that fit my 383? I've tried looking but honestly I don't know what to look for. If you've got the time, please help me out by looking some up. Most I can afford right now is $200 at most on headers
Read the thread that I linked to. It will tell you if the long tube stainless eBay headers will work. That is your best bet for headers if you only have $200 and a 383 SBC. If after reading through it and it doesn't sound like they will work then you need to start watching the classifieds on this website for a used set of headers.
Your 383 is a Small Block Chevy. Doesn't matter if it's a 262.5, 265, 267, 283, 302, 305, 327, 350, or 400. Or, any of the various hybrids and whatever that people have come up with besides GM; 301, 334, 377, 383, 412, 421, 434, maybe some others. (go watch an Outlaw race sometime, you'll see just how many CID they can make a small block Chevy) They all bolt up the same. There are minor details from one specific situation to another, but, in the grand scheme, either it IS a small block Chevy, or it is NOT. As long as yours IS, then, yes, any small block Chevy headers will bolt up to it.
Of FAR greater concern is, do they fit your CAR. There are therefore, 2 aspects to be concerned with: motor type (small block Chevy: check), and 82-92 Camaro/Firebird.
Your car/motor "fits" or doesn't the same as any other 82-92 Camaro/Firebird with a small block Chevy. That's not really the issue here.
Long tube headers are TOUGH in these cars. Not saying they're "impossible" or any such; only, if you go that route, it will NOT be a bolt-up. You won't be able to look up in a catalog to find what will fit. You will not be able to order something from someone somewhere and be "guaranteed" that you'll be able to back out of your driveway ever again. You will not be able to post on the Internet what will fit. You will be ON YOUR OWN: you will have to evaluate and measure and fabricate YOURSELF to make them work. Again, not saying that's "bad", "impossible", "don't do it", or ANY of that; only, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR, AND PAY FOR, IN CASE YOU GET IT.
RUE?
Do you have a pipe expander, pipe bender, TIG welder that has gas not flux-core wire, chop saw? If you DO, then go for it. If you DON'T, then … buy stuff that FITS instead of "dual exhaust". ebay or otherwise.
Efff long-tube headers, dual exhaust, H- or X-pipes, and ALL of that. Find yourself a set of GOOD QUALITY headers that are SPECIFIC TO 82-92 Camaro/Firebird, a cat, and a cat-back exhaust. This is all stuff that you have a reasonable chance of installing by yourself with little more than a socket set. You stand less chance of disabling your car and ending up with an immobile yard ornament while you ride the bus to get to school/work every day.
12-27-2018, 07:37 PM
