custom 1 3/4" V-8 X headers

[PUR PONY]

this is NOT a GP or anything for sale- Just wondering if anyone would be interested in custom 1 3/4" shortie headers for their V-8 X?

at this time the only aftermarket v-8 headers are the FMS and they are not the greatest. I am talking to Kooks in NY at this time and if the price is right I may be taking my truck up there to get a set of headers made.

If I do and others are interested im sure that kooks could build you a set of headers using mine as a template. This is not 100% since I am still waiting for a price quote. Just wondering how many others would be interested in a product like this- I know there are a few blown explorers out there besides mine and looking for something like this since the mustang headers dont fit.

 

[james t]

i would seriously be interested. it will all depend on price. obviously, they will have to be rather expensive, as you can never have custom headers made for any were near the same price as mass produced. with that said, as much as i would like too, at this point i wouldnt be able to justify something like $1k on headers... so... see what they say, and possibly get an estimate.

and remember, we could allways do a group buy of 10 if that would bring the price down.

 

[merc97]

I would also be interested depending on the price!!!For my merc I know the rigkt side header must have a treaded tube to accept the egr tube runnig from the engine. Keep me informed on what's happening with the headers.

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

I'm also interested. But again, the price/features would have to be right.

 

[tmsoko]

If you are going the custom header route, I would suggest 3/4 to full length headers. Just not worth the cash if you go with shorties.

I am planning to build a set once i get time. I have a complete frame with engine/trans in my garage, which I am using for my Kenne Bell fitment. Once the blower is done, I will do the headers. If your price is too much from Kooks, let me know. I plan to have stainless tube mandrel bent from the mock up set I make. Since it is CNC bending, I could have as many made as I want. All that would remain is welding them up.

Let me know what Kooks says, but I bet it will be in the $1500 price range.

 

[james t]

im not saying its impossible to build 3/4, full, or hell even longtubes for an X, but i dont think it would be feasable. ive stared at mine for a long time thinking about the routing paths on a "full" header, and i just dont see it working. ive had it on jackstands and the inner fenders removed, and i just dont see the room. bare in mind, this is just me staring, sipping beer, and trying to visualize it.

 

[tmsoko]

Imagine the long tubes or 3/4 length running the same route as the factory exhaust. The rear set of CATs would disappear, providing room for the PS header. The DS header would wrap down and under the trans, with its collector roughly where the first CAT is.

 

[james t]

Originally posted by tmsoko
The DS header would wrap down and under the trans, with its collector roughly where the first CAT is.

that is just about the best way i could come up with to do it. however, i am lowered 2". while this would not be too bad on a stock height truck, i would have clearance issues over speedbumps and such. not to mention the fact that im working on a control arm/coilover deal that will lower me even more. in the end, the actual collector size/position would be the deciding factor if it was a go or not...

still not saying it wouldnt work, im just saying this would be an issue (for me, anyway).

 

[tmsoko]

Your collector would not be much thicker (~1/2"- 3/4") than the CAT that is already there. I have a 4x4, so I never gave it a moment's thought.

I will post some pictures once I start that part of the project.

 

[blk mk8]

man you guys argue a lot. we have 1 7/8 custome headers on troll that are mid lenth and they fit fine. yes it can be done they should be around 600 to 900 dollars we did not pay much more then a 1000 for trolls and he was a amazing header guy. a midlenth header will go on easier and would fit better. yes you need a new exhaust for the headers. yes the only way to make good power is with good headers. the svo ones are junk and are a big limiting factor. do not waist your time doing it for p heads just buy some nice aluminume heads because if you dont both those are your to bigest factors. x-box explorer sound like a hoover pushing so hard through the svo headers that you can just tell it is killing the power. kooks makes come good stuff i highly recomend you guys pursue this far. also they should be able to make them come close to fitting a 4x4 it just takes some inventiveness.

 

[PUR PONY]

update: I talked to kooks and just for mild steel they want $1500 and $2000 for stainless. so I am thinking a different root. They guys that my dad sold his machine shop to also does tube bending. They bent me up some sweet SS radiator hoses for my mustangs last month. I am going to talk to them and see is there is any chance of doing something. I was just thinking about this on the way to work this morning.... I need to take some measurements and see how close my FMS headers fit to the frame and steering shaft. I was wondering if my friend could take my FMS headers and use as a template and just bend me new piping at 1 3/4" and machine me peices to bolt on. They would still be a shorty style but would flow a heck of a lot better the the stupid FMS's i have now. Right now my truck has the NON-p heads... so if I get them made for the stock 96 headers these should bolt up to a set of aluminum AFRs or something- correct BLK MK8??? I also dont know what to do with a collector and how to bolt it to a new custom exhaust.

 

[tmsoko]

Try these people for the parts:

http://www.stainlessworks.net/

That is who I am going to have bend my tubes, once I hake the mock up set. I plan to start on it later today. By the end of the weekend, I should have them completely tacked together. Then I will take to Stainless works in a week or so to have them quote the bends, etc..

 

[tmsoko]

Well, I did most of the passenger's side header this afternoon. I took a set of long tube mustang headers and cut off the #5 cylinder primary and, believe it or not, the rest of the header fit as is! I am going to re-route #5 primary and add some clearance by bending the 6,7,&8 primarys away from the frame, but then that side is done.

The driver's side will be tomorrow's project! This will be much more fun.

 

[james t]

just to satisfy my own curiosity, exactly which brand long tubes are you modifying? and i assume they are for 88-93? or are they for SN95?

 

[tmsoko]

They are for a 88-93 Mustang. I have no idea what brand they are. I will check to see if there is a name stamped on them tomorrow. I bought these at a swap me for ~$30 a few years back. They were chrome and began to surface rust. These are perfect to cut up and make a pattern for the custom match-bending. I hope to have it far enough along tomorrow to post pictures.

 

[tmsoko]

Made progress on my headers this weekend. Check out the picutes by clicking "my hompage" buttom below my signature.

I am dead in the water until I buy a set of torches to bend the pipes a little bit. The passeners side will be really simple to finish out. The drivers side is a different story. It will take some time to figure this out...

 

[rocket 5979]

I will be in on that too if you can get them to make some that would bolt to the P heads.

 

[expo5.0]

this is what i need to have done. please give me as much info on what is necessary as you can. thank you!

 

[BeauJ]

Expo, I talked to BLK, Trolls bro, about 2 weeks ago. He said that X-Box has dibs on trolls headers, but he's going to be making custom replica of the ones he has. Haven't talked to him in a while and don't know how serious he was about it. But he did said it would be a little while because they've got other projects going on.

 

[expo5.0]

i'm not gonna mess around. I'll do what it takes to do them on my own up here. we just need to know if it is at all reasonable to start from the existing long tubes.

or if i should just say screw it and go with the new torque monster ones