Bronco hut headers- stainless or steel?

unimogger · Nov 13, 2019

Looking to order a set of these soon, but a few questions/ concerns. First, my past experiences with stainless exhaust headers has been me cursing while big welding cracks. But, I think a lot of it has to do with thickness and alloy, so I won't write them off yet.. has anyone had good success with the stainless ones? Or, am I better off with steel and having them coated? (I can have them done locally for less than what BH charges.)
And, additionally, are they really supplied with a lousy 3 bolt collector? Haven't we learned anything since 1975? Has anyone upgraded them to use a modern ball and socket connection? Bolting a modern EFI engine in, using a nicely fitted header, but using a 3 bolt collector really seems backwards.. right?
Surely theres a better way.

SteveL · Nov 13, 2019

I've had good luch with thorley stainless headers on another vehicle. Dont know if they fit your set up but bc headers come with the ball & socket lower connection. Also when it comes to coated ones my buddy bought black headmans and sent em out for jet hot coatings. They far outlasted the coated headers I bout from a vendor.

Broncobowsher · Nov 13, 2019

Lots of good stainless. Have not tried Bronco Hut ones, but would not avoid them just because they are stainless. Given your location, I would go stainless. Most OEM stuff is stainless these days. I have had regular steel headers crack, so it isn't just a stainless thing. Coatings are nice, but no fix for material that naturally protects itself. No hidden pin holes. Get a set of stainless ball and socket flanges and have them welded to the headers.

Steve83 · Nov 13, 2019

Broncobowsher said:
Most OEM stuff is stainless these days.

F-series/Broncos got factory stainless exhaust beginning in 1994.

Broncobowsher said:
Coatings are nice, but no fix for material that naturally protects itself.

Actually, nitrocarburizing (called Tenifer on early Glock pistols) provides superior corrosion resistance to stainless steel. And I've heard that there are shops scattered around that will do it to anything that will fit in their tanks. So check your neck of the woods.

nvrstuk · Nov 13, 2019

I am a proponet of SS headers as trying to get 100% coating on the inside of steel header pipes to keep them 100% rust free is next to impossible. Stainless header tubes even if welded poorly will not rust because they are what?? Stainless.

I've been running BC Bronco SS headers for 9 years now. I've cut them up 2x to make them fit as I have nothing close to stock on my rig since the shorty header ball/socket was hanging too low and would hit my my D60 pinion yoke (full 2" interference).

Welding on the SS headers is fine and I can only protect them as best as possible by having them recoated after my mod's.

No cracks.

I had 2 cast iron manifolds crack in the first few years of owning my Bronco before 1980 and have replaced many cracked cast manifolds on Broncos....I will always run headers over a cast iron manifold on a Bronco. I've never had a header crack on my Bronco in 39 years of running headers.

Hope this helps.

BanditBronco · Nov 14, 2019

I went with a set of BH steel headers and cut the 3 bolt flanges off. I went with V-Bands but ball and socket is definitely more user friendly. I had them ceramic coated afterwards. The only thing I don't like about ceramic coating is it scratches if you look at it wrong, so you gotta be super careful on install.

Richy Rich · Nov 14, 2019

I am using the Bronco Hut supplied Sanderson shorty ceramic coated headers. They are fantastic. Fit is tight, but that is the Broncos fault, not headers. Well engineered, and have been trouble free for several years.

snipes243 · Nov 14, 2019

I have had good luck with bronco hut steel headers. I Wasn’t a huge fan of the coating they used on them, it only lasted a few years. I went ahead and had them recoated in black ceramic. When I purchased them the ss weren’t offered, but if I was to do it again I would most likely do the SS.

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yakelys69 · Nov 14, 2019

I don't believe the stainless headers are Sanderson. I returned a set of the SS headers to them due to the welds at the collector leaking, probably a fluke. I decided to test them before installing and BH customer service was excellent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90mUQ_FKAzU

House · Nov 14, 2019

The SS ones I got from BH have a Sanderson nameplate welded onto them...?

unimogger · Nov 14, 2019

Ok, at this point you all have convinced me to look more closely at the stainless option. What I need to figure out is if any of the ball/ socket collector adapters will bolt onto them. If it needs to be welded, I'm not interested. Too much weirdness that goes on when tig welding stainless that might not be the same alloy..
Email sent to bronco hut, to see if any of their customers or builds have explored this or not. I'm probably making this more complicated than it needs to be, but I've replaced enough collector gaskets in my life to be sure that I'm over it.
SD

nvrstuk · Nov 14, 2019

Why BH? Why not the shorty's with the ball/socket that BC Broncos sells?

unimogger · Nov 14, 2019

nvrstuk said:
Why BH? Why not the shorty's with the ball/socket that BC Broncos sells?

two reasons:
I need these headers to fit a 98 exploder engine with P heads. BC never responded to an email asking f they fit or not, and, the BC headers are $180 more than the bronco hut headers.

sykanr0ng · Nov 14, 2019

unimogger said:
two reasons:
I need these headers to fit a 98 exploder engine with P heads. BC never responded to an email asking f they fit or not, and, the BC headers are $180 more than the bronco hut headers.

Chuck's response when I asked him about that a few years ago was that with a long pry bar you could get them to work.

Steve83 · Nov 17, 2019

nvrstuk said:
Stainless header tubes even if welded poorly will not rust because they are what?? Stainless.

"Stainless steel" is not a legal or even physical description of the material - it's an antiquated marketing term. Stainless steel DOES rust. Especially when heated. Some SS is more rust-resistant than other, but the Iron in it will always oxidize at some rate.

unimogger · Nov 17, 2019

Steve83 said:
"Stainless steel" is not a legal or even physical description of the material - it's an antiquated marketing term. Stainless steel DOES rust. Especially when heated. Some SS is more rust-resistant than other, but the Iron in it will always oxidize at some rate.

True. But for the sake of general discussion and comparison we say stainless, as not everyone knows the differences between type 304-409-etc. I've actually been meaning to email Sanderson to ask what allot their headers are. If they are 304 stainless, then the bronco hut price is actually a great deal. If they're 409, then maybe not. Though, that said I have a cheap 409 header on a VW thats 10+ years old and looks great, aside from the cracks I've had to weld up.

nvrstuk · Nov 18, 2019

...thank you unimogger...

Broncobowsher · Nov 18, 2019

The desirable manifolds are the cast stainless ones, as they don't crack like the cast iron ones do. (Non Ford product).

Bitch'nBronco · Nov 20, 2019

I've got the regular BH steel headers, I painted them black with heat paint a few years ago and they still look great

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