"razorbeamteam" (razorbeamteam)
02/20/2019 at 17:45 • Filed to: None
1
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"razorbeamteam" (razorbeamteam)
02/20/2019 at 17:45 • Filed to: None | 1
| 8 |
In classic fashion, as my projects go, I’ve managed s screw something up. It’s fully my fault, as my fiancé says, this is a problem that only I would find myself having. No normal person would subject themselves to this unfortunate chain of events to be faced with delimias similar to mine. Fortunately, I have a group of like minded idiots who are always down to talk about uniquely stupid automotive issues.
It all started when I wanted to fix an exhast leak at the header gasket. My first instance of “scope creep” occurred when I thought “since I’m taking the header off anyway to change the gasket, i might as well put on a set of Hedman Hedders, that would be awesome.” I found a used set for cheap on the forums and had them shipped to me.
Now this is where my first bit of idiocracy sets in. I know these headers are specifically made for the RHD Range Rover classic and Hedman says they will not work on LHD vehicles. The powers of the internet contradict this and I found several instances where people had installed these with “a light bit of bashing”. Feeling confident enough I ripped out my stock (but perfectly functional) headers and y-pipe.
I then go to install the LH side pipes and lo-and behold, it fouls on the steering shaft isolater. This piece is basically a large square on an otherwise narrow shaft that takes some vibrations out of the steering. It was clear that I could have headers or I could have steering, but I could not have both.
WARNING - This is where things get really stupid. So I take the header out, take some eyeball measurements, then proceed to bash the poor thing against a concrete step to get it to move the way I want it to. You could say I got carried away.
Shit” I probably said to myself. “ That is pretty much fubar and probably won’t work right.”
I then took a moment to look at this steering shaft I was moving and realized that it could be reversed. I apologize for not taking a pic inside the engine bay, but you can see how the rubber isolater is clearly on one side of the shaft. The shaft is mounted diagonally with the isolater on the steering box side and closest to the engine. By flipping it, you move the isolater near the firewall and far away from any pesky hot rod pipes.
Having redeemed myself from my earlier idiocracy, I decided to double down and install the fubar LH pipes anyway. I got everything put back together and drove (with open headers) to the muffler shop about a mile away to have a Y pipe made.
The shop did a beautiful job connecting the headers to the center silencer, but as soon as they started the car it was clear there was a massive exhaust leak at the head flange. My fubar pipe won’t cut it.
So, after begging Hedman to sell me just one pipe (they won’t) I’m resigned to shelling out for a new set of headers. This is the cost of stupidity people, please don’t be like me and hit your nice things with a hammer. Take things slow and try to understand why things won’t fit.
All that being said, since I’m resigned to paying $220 for a new set of headers, does anyone thing it’s worth it to pay $500 for the ceramic coated version? The ones I got on the forums came pre-wrapped and I’ve read about a million things about why that’s bad. I’m wondering if it really matters to have painted steel (with high temp paint of course) vs actual ceramic coating. I’m concerned about Underwood temps but I’m not convinced the Hedmans would create more heat than the stock cast iron jobs.
PS driving with open headers is both extremely awesome and horrible all at once. People could hear me for miles and I was literally setting off car alarms over my 1.5 mile drive to the exhaust shop
benjrblant
> razorbeamteam
02/20/2019 at 18:21 |
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$220 for headers doesn’t seem that bad. Maybe call some local coating shops and see what they’d charge to cerakote them, then compare this to the ceramic headers?
IMO, I’d go for ceramic coatings if it’s in the budget. Seems reasonable.
Pich, with Z32 now featuring Civic [Si] / No
> razorbeamteam
02/20/2019 at 18:33 |
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220 is chum change for headers
vicali
> razorbeamteam
02/20/2019 at 18:49 |
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Oh man, I remember driving my 22re with just the hedmans on it to the exhaust shop.. and I thought the cherrybomb was loud..
Mine were steel, not wrapped, painted black but after a few weeks they roasted to a cool rainbow colour. Never had one second of trouble with them for the next 5 years..
RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> razorbeamteam
02/20/2019 at 19:04 |
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I have cut up a set of hedman headers for a Rover V8, but I think mine were a good bit cheaper than that, somehow. $150? Mine are even more mutilated than this, because I’ve shortened their overall drop, put a kink in the LH side one to avoid a shock tower, and generally monkeyed with them a whole lot (car is not a Land Rover). What I finally did with the elbow locations is that I ordered weld-steel cast elbows for high-pressure fluid to weld to the plates and weld to the exhaust tubes, because 1/8" thick is thick enough and thin enough, and much tighter than anything that can be done with the tubes by bending.
Naturally, I will be looking into getting them coated, because no way in hell can they be easily duplicated.
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razorbeamteam
> RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
02/20/2019 at 22:33 |
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Wow that sounds ambitious. What car is that engine in? If it helps, you’re welcome to these old pipes when I pull them off. They’re useless to me.
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razorbeamteam
> Pich, with Z32 now featuring Civic [Si] / No
02/20/2019 at 22:34 |
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I know, I bit the bullet and ordered them. If it’s worth doing I guess it’s worth doing right
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RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> razorbeamteam
02/20/2019 at 23:17 |
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I put a Rover v8 in a ‘63 Ford Falcon Ranchero, moved back in the body about 6" and about 3" lower than it should be. Low enough that I’m making a custom oil pan with a pass thru tube for the steering.
I may be kind of a mental patient.
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razorbeamteam
> RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
02/21/2019 at 08:38 |
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Good for you for doing something different than the typical SBC swap. I know they’re not the best, but I’ve come to admire the rover V8 for how light and relatively simple it is.