Did not notice this until a few days after the engine install. I get a nasty vibration when I'm coming out of first gear and I finally tracked it down. The hooker 6901's I bought rub against the area just ahead of the torque box on the driver's side of the car. It's just close enough to hit when the headers resonate. I didn't see anyone else having this problem and I wonder if there's any solution, or problem with leaving it as is.
Don't buy Hedmans, just use a BFH on them. No more rub... Honestly, I think that the unibody is warping differently on each of our cars, and causing the headers to "fit" differently.
This is most likely what is causing all these problems. Here is a few more things that affect header fit... worn out motor mounts fender benders sagging shock towers header pulled a little when welded together (its a long shot, but it can happen). Scoop has the best solution for all of this, give it a clearance bap with a hammer . Its not uncommon to have to do this, especially since the vehicle is older and that header was probably designed when the car was rather new.
I'm going to let it rub for now, I've got lots of other little dings in my $$JETHOT$$ coating already anyways. In order to hammer on it, I would need to disconnect the exhaust, unbolt the header, lift the motor, drop it, and then reverse.
My blackjunks rubbed also. I used a big Snap On pry bar (and a hammar) and just bent it in a little. It would have rubbed a hole eventually otherwise.
on your car, but they had fitment issues with others'... There is no single one model that has fit every car without some rubbing issues.
Someone Else Around Here Had A Set Of Flowtech's And Mentioned They Fit Well. I've Got The Hooker 6901's On Mine As Well But Mine Havent Rubbed Anything That I Know Of.... Yet....
My 6901s just barely touch the fender on the passenger side, then there is that spot where they would hit the steering doohicky if you don't buy the power steering drop bracket. But, there is plenty of clearance on the other side, making me think the engine isn't perfectly centered, or my frame has a little twist. I have since determined that I do, in fact, have some semi-serious twist, and will have to have the frame alligned before I put in sub frame connectors and roll bars to hold it all straight.
The 6901's and flowtechs are exactly the same. Flowtech knocked them off . When your dealing with a car as old as ours each car will have a slightly different clearance problem. If the headers all rubed in the same place...then the header was designed wrong, very doubtfull. JMHO .
I had Headmans on my white 74 for years, never had any problems, but the car is pretty solid, and had never been hit. I had them on my red 74 before that, and they seemed alot closer to the bottom curve in the firewall area, but that car was wrecked pretty good at one time in it's life. Same motor in both cars, same motor mounts and everything.
