Shorty Header Options

[a74ranger]

I thinking about replacing my Hedman long tube headers on my 77/302 with shorty headers. Anybody got experience with the ceramic coated headers from WH (JBA) versus the Scott Drake from Summit? Really hoping this will help with heat on my tunnel/floor boards. Will be ordering the EFI version since I have a FITech. Thanks!

 

[SteveL]

Switching shorties you'll lose. Most the benefits of having headers. I would look in to header wraps or heat insulation.

 

[Bitch'nBronco]

I had jet hot Hedman long tubes and they helped keep the temps down. You can send any set of headers to Jet Hot and they'll coat them. I switched to uncoated Sanderson shorty headers, and have had less heat through the floor boards than I did with the coated long tube setup.

 

[nvrstuk]

IF you wheel then long tube headers are a waste of time and money because you will be replacing them as they get smashed on rocks. Yeah, it happens

JBA makes a great header. I own some but not the ones you posted.

I have fought heat issues ( along with everyone else) since the mid '70s when I bought mine and driving thru 100+ deg country for 4-7 hrs till it cools down after dark on all the trips we made for decades towing a trailer, 10' boat on top, wife and kids... you get the idea.

TWO things helped.

1- High temp insulation for masonry on the floor on the outside of the firewall to keep the heat from getting TO the floor

2- Alum sheets spaced 1/2" off the floorboards and firewall. HUGE improvement!! Did this 8 yrs ago & they literally dropped the 149-151 deg floorboard temps down to 100-105 deg on 95 deg days. I have the pics on my Tauras fan & Exploder fan heat torture test I did 10 yrs or so ago.

I have always had mine coated but no JetHot places in our State so I have never used them. Wish I could.

The alum heat sheilds are what most manufacturers use to shield exhaust heat on their cars. Wrap the pipe after the shorty headers to move that heat out past your feet.

 

[badandy73]

I thinking about replacing my Hedman long tube headers on my 77/302 with shorty headers. Anybody got experience with the ceramic coated headers from WH (JBA) versus the Scott Drake from Summit? Really hoping this will help with heat on my tunnel/floor boards. Will be ordering the EFI version since I have a FITech. Thanks!

WH/ JBA shortys are good to go, been running a set for several years now with no issues. Ceramic coating is starting to dull a bit, but that's to be expected.

 

[ba123]

I have the Drake's and ordered from Summit. They are pretty good, I can't complain about them. Nice thick flange. You can order the Duff's exhaust kit if you want to make it easy as those are the headers they sell as well and go with it. More money for the header's from Duff, but the same headers. You can order the kit without the headers like I did though.

Only thing I'd recommend is not using the bolts that some with them...at least they didn't work so well for me. Happy to mention the ones I went with if needed.

 

[bronco italiano]

Make sure the header is coated inside and outside . Outside only are much cheaper, will rust, and you have no thermal barrier protection inside the tube. Sanderson makes a beautiful shorty that you can get with V band clamps and they are inside/out coated. The price reflects the quality you get.

 

[okorangebrnco]

Ditched the Duff long tubes for shorties Duff sells. I have no complaints and could not tell any kind of "loss" a lot of people mention.

 

[DirtDonk]

Ceramic coating is starting to dull a bit, but that's to be expected.

The good news is that if you ever decide you wanna show off the shine, aluminum polish brightens them back up.
This is for the silver finish versions only of course. The black and titanium coated finishes don’t look so hot when they’re polished.

 

[ba123]

Ditched the Duff long tubes for shorties Duff sells. I have no complaints and could not tell any kind of "loss" a lot of people mention.

And again, the Duff shorties are Scott Drake.

They are NOT coated on the inside, I think, but I don't feel that strongly about it. For me, it was worth finding ones that work for me, getting exhaust that works for me, figuring out what I like and what I don't and then if I'm ever ready to do anything more, I can. Can always send them off to Jet Hot if I want.

I've been very happy with the system overall. Only complaint is how they crossover with the AOD, but that's another things I can change someday if I want to very easily by having a shop make another pipe.