Hedman Headers - Ball & Socket Reducer/General Exhaust Question

Hi Everyone,

I removed the pin-holed headers on my 1971 almost immediately after taking delivery of the Bronco.

I read several reviews here, and eventually ended up with Hedman Elite headers. Those headers have a 2-1/2" collector pipe size, and come standard with ball-and-socket type connectors. A 2-1/2" ball-and-socket to 2" tube reducer is included with the headers.

The previous owner had installed dual Flowmaster mufflers/dual exhaust. The size of the muffler inlets (and the size of the exhaust tubing to each muffler) is 2-1/4".

The dilemma I have is that Hedman does not provide a 2-1/2 ball-and-socket to 2-1/4" tube reducer (or extension). I am limited to either 2" or 2-1/2" tube.

I'm sure the 2-1/4" exhaust pipe required for the mufflers could be fabricated to work with the 2" reducer that came with the headers. I'm looking for some opinions about whether that is a better option than changing out the exhaust pipes and mufflers to 2". (From what I have read on other threads there's a trade-off between gas mileage and torque. Most of the threads I have read suggest 2-1/4" exhaust pipe... I'm just not sure of the best way to get there with the limitations of the Hedman reducers and extensions.)

Has anyone else run into this problem? Any words of wisdom would be appreciated.

Thanks

Jeff

Personally I'd probably buy the headman 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" reducers and then a 2 1/2" to 2 1/4" reducer. Although really you should be able to cut back the current reducer to the point if fits the 2 1/4" pipe and just weld it up.

Headers and exhaust

I had my exhaust guy run the 2 1/4 inch over the reducers and weldem up. I'm running true duals with 50 series delta flows and it sounds great.

Green76 said:

I had my exhaust guy run the 2 1/4 inch over the reducers and weldem up. I'm running true duals with 50 series delta flows and it sounds great.

Click to expand...

How do they sound? Super loud? I am looking for a nice grunt but not something I can't carry on a conversation while driving without a top or doors

Thanks
Mike

I've easily bridged a 1/4" gap with a welder when assembling exhaust pipes. Either of the available starters from hedman should work. Tack them together in three or four places, then weld them solid across the gap. May not look too pretty, but should work fine.

With A Little More Searching...

Hi Everyone,

I found something that will work, although it will take a little bit of bending...

Hedman sells an extension that is 2-1/2 ball-and-socket by 2-1/4" tubing, although I think it will need to be bent. (I just need to resist the temptation to try to bend it without a tubing bender.) I'm not sure why they don't sell the plain reducer.

Thanks for the input. I must have overlooked the extension on both the Jegs and Summit sites.

Jeff

Tube stretcher can open a 2¼" to 2½" easy enough. I would rather do that then neck down to a 2" then back up again.

Most muffler shops around here throw the reducers in the scrap. It creates too many weld joints. They just use flat flanges and weld them onto the tubing. It looks a lot cleaner.

mikeginn said:

How do they sound? Super loud? I am looking for a nice grunt but not something I can't carry on a conversation while driving without a top or doors

Thanks
Mike

Click to expand...

I don't think they are too loud, but I've got my hard top on. When you romp on it they get pretty throaty!