Ok guys and I want the truth here. I have a set of headers and I was wondering and please be honest here, are they really worth all the trouble. I have heard some horror stories about having headers and lets face this, this car is only going to be on the street will NOT ever see a strip. I was thinking about it the other nite and I just don't know if I want the head ache of headers, and pain of putting them in and then haveing to work around them. Just wondering guys please let me know you true thoughts on this one.
Neal, if performance is not an issue, then you dont want headers. They make the passenger compartment even hotter in warm weather. Spark plug changing is harder, and they have road clearance issues as well. For me, I am very performance driven and put headers on mine when it was new and voided the warranty. Oh yeah, they are not the easiest install on a maverick. Not rocket science or anything but you have to lift the left side of the engine and then there is the power steering issue where you have to get a different idler arm. That is why I ordered my car with manual steering. Dan
I got the hooker comp 6901's and they just slide right in. You dont have to lift any part of the engine, just slide them in from the bottom. They actually made it pretty easy to change the plugs too. For about $150, i would totally say go for it. -Todd
? Problems and heartaches? I've had headers on mine for the last 25 years, I haven't had any problems with heat, plug changes, installation or idler arm clearance.
My experience is with the Hooker headers also...they went right in. no problem changing plugs or with clearance. These particular headers will not work with a column shift of any type. Although I removed the power steering...there wouldnt have been any problem keeping it with these headers. But...I'm with the guys that say if your not going to RUN it...dont bother with em. I'm not a strip guy...but I love the sound of this car and I dont think it would sound near as good with a stock manifold. JMHO, Rick
Good points here guys. Make of product is an issue on install. My 72 grabber I had to jack up left side of motor, install different idler arm, and it was a column shift car with no clearance problems. Headers were Cragar hotpipes, no longer produced. Then on my Stallion headers were Doug thorley ( not the current tri y's) had to jack up left side of motor and had no other clearance problems. Current headers are hooker 6901 and maybe out of habit I did lift left side of motor, just my way of doing it. And in the summer my car gets so hot inside that in traffic the heat gets a bit much. Cools down when I get moving again. If you look under my car on a hot day you can see undercoat dripping from the heat of the headers. In fact I am donating my car to the public school system during the winter to heat the schools, that's how HOT my headers are!!!!!!!!!!! :bananaman Dan
neal you would not be happy with stock manifolds the sound you want and all you can't get from them the left turn is the only draw back for the headers with power steer
Man I hate headers!! But if you want to play you got to pay!!! If you've never done anything like this before... get some good help from someone who has. Beat the heat, get your headers coated this will help a great deal with almost any heat problem. If you have stock shock towers changing plugs will not be as easy but not impossible, what makes it so bad is when you have tall valve cover with headers. Headers are just like anything else, you get what you pay for. If you are "sure" you are not going to race you car and aren't worried about some honda kickin your ass on the street then by all means stay with manifolds. scrapper60 and Dan pretty much have already said everything else. Just my .02 Bossmav
I am running Hooker 6901's and installation was simple. However I have a new engine with World Products heads and I am told the Hooker's won't work due to the spark plug angles. Has anyone tried this combo?
How about a set of Jet Hot coated shorty headers, that takes care of the ground clearance issues and the heat issue!!
So if what some of you are saying is the Hookers 6901 are pretty much just a bolt on install. I don't have to have the drop bracket for the power steering or do I :?: And I will still have some access to the plugs and not have to fit it to bad. Just wondering on this. I really want the headers on the car mainly just for the dif in the sound but I know they have other benifits. Thank you all for you opinions it is nice to see so many different ones.
headers I have 6901s on my car and I did lose a bit of left turning radius due to the pitman arm hitting one of the primary tubes. I guess I'm the only person to have this problem? my car is manual steering, manual brakes floor shift, etc... Weird.
Got hooker headers with World big valve heads had no problems with install only problem was plug wires on driver side close to header burnt up i think 4 sets of wires then started using Accell short pulgs and thin 90 degree boots and took care of the wire problem. Don't know the no. on the headers been on & off the car for i think for 5 years.
Wilbur thanks for the info. That is what I have heard from others that it is a plug wire clearance issue especially #7. Guess I will have to take the headers off and check it. Might be an excuse to upgrade to aluminum heads.
