headers

[eugrides]

putting a 305 in my 53 gmc 1/2 ton long bed. I want to get an inexpensive set of headers that will fit without cutting my inner fenders. ,and heve spark plug wire clearence. I am installing new power brake booster on frame to keep original brake petal any ideas of what kind to use and want to stay away from

[62lwbc10]

Hi this question has come up before, you may want to do a search. Not sure about the 53 but on the TF trucks clearance with the stock steering box is always an issue with headers. I'm told there are "block hugger" headers which can be used in such situations.

[eugrides]

forgot to mention putting mustang 11 ifs on it.

[mr48chev]

I had 67/9 Camaro headers on mine when I had the 350 in it with a Camaro subframe. They didn't hang down too low.

You might take a look at G body headers for say a 79 El Camino and see what they look like. Eyeball some of these on Ebay for ideas. http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trks...at=0&_from=R40

[55metalmonkey]

On my TF I used Hooker shortie huggers with my 350 (same block size as 305) and a frame mounted brake booster, and have no clearance issues at all. As far as I know TF and AD frames have about the same inside measurements although I could be wrong. The only thing that you might need to change is to use short plugs vs standard long plugs to keep the spark plug boots a little further away from the headers and/or wrap the headers. The headers dump out by the fly wheel and the exhaust runs parallel to the trans and drive shaft. If you want I can measure my max width of my exhaust system so you have something to go off to make a decision

[Speedbumpauto]

IMO, you are killing yourself with the "inexpensive" word, especially with a small block chevy. You need 3/8 flanges with a blanchard ground weld on the inside for good and lasting sealing. Those flanges and grinding don't show up on the cheap block hugger headers, and are needed because of the way the two center exhaust ports are covered by only two bolts on small blocks. On the 305 you can easily get by with 1 1/2" tube primarys but the cheapies come with 1 5/8 or 1 3/4 because they sell better on the larger CID small blocks. That little extra room allows the bolts on the exhaust ports to be correctly tightened without mickey mouse methods that usually end up with leaky/loose headers.
The cheapies don't come with thermal coating or if they do, it's way inferior to what the independants will do. You need that high temp coating to keep the headers looking decent, keep corrosion down and help those close fitting plug wires last longer. To get an idea of cost vs happy ownership, look at the cheapies on E bay and Summit, then look at some by Sanderson and/or a few of the other "not mass merchandiser" header makers. This might seem a little harsh, but I've fought with cheap small block headers my whole life(to this point ; ) and now that the kids are grown I have had the pleasure of good ones and knowing what I know now, I'd have scrounged money a few more days and saved myself much frustration.

[mr48chev]

inexpensive = go to O'reilly's and see what they have that fits. They for sure won't have the ceramic coating that Speedbumpauto referred to or last near as long but will cost around 100 to 125 bucks out the door most of the time. I think I paid 110 for the ones for my 71 GMC with a 350 in it. They aren't anywhere as nice as the chrome tight tucks that I got from JC Whitney a number of years ago for 150 bucks that were made by Ernie Immerso Enterprises and are one fantastic set of headers. I don't think 500 would buy anything equal to those right now.