Headers?

[SJS440]

I know you guys are all sick of the smae questions, but I have been reading through old topics and most of the A-Body big block header talk is always about Schumacher or CPPA's. Has anyone used the Hooker Super Comps or the Hedman Huslers? If so how did they fit any and how was the acces to plugs, starter and such? Did they require fenderwall trimming?
Thanks for any advice you may offer.

[sixpackguy]

I use the Hookers on my 70 Swinger S/St car.
Have used them on both B and R/B blocks, with very few installation problems. They require a decent sized hole in your inner fenders, starter access is great, plug access
is not too bad.(looks worse than it is)
Your set up may differ due to motor location, mounting technique, etc. May need to notch unit body at rear of fenders, cut top of shock bolts off,small details like that. Turning radius is reduced somewhat, depending on tire size. If it's a 1/4 miler, who cares, anyway.

[dusterrcr]

SJS,When we bought our 70 duster 440 bracket car,it had a set of custom made "muffler shop"fenderwell headers that had just about rotted off the car.I finally got tired of patching em up.and bought a set of hooker super comps.With NO other changes it picked up 2 tenths! Plug changes on my car are a snap on the pass side,not bad on drivers side.We still run the little 13inchers on the front and the tires barely rub.nothing a hammer wouldnt fix. One of the tubes is VERY close to the master cylinder.I wrap the master cyl with heat reflective tape. Good Luck.

[DartGT66]

It's just that many people don't want to cut their inner fenders and there isn't much of a choice in the underchassis BB A-body header department. It's either CPPA or Schumacher. I have not used the Schumacher headers, but I have used the 2" CPPA's, and that is the main reason for the fact that I currently use fenderwells. With fenderwells the access to every major part, except maybe the valves, is better than with underchassis headers. They are easy to install and remove, and they look evil. Negative points are, that you have to cut holes to the inner fenders to install them, the exhaust is a little more difficult to build and will be a little closer to the ground at some points than a full underchassis exhaust, and that it limits the wheel turning travel. Also in th case of 'ready' fenderwells the primaries are usually very long. In the '73 Valiant we have the Hooker 2" fenderwells. We have hammered the wheelwells to get more room for them and modified a couple of pipes, and they do not limit the wheel turn travel. I have also clearanced the chassis for the 3.5" exhaust and have been able to achieve a good ground clearance. In my Dart, I have custom made fenderwells that are of a little different design than the Hookers or Hedmans, they have shorter, under 32", primaries and the collectors next to the frame rails. The bosy has been modified for more clearance and they have only minor tire clearance problems and good ground clearance. Both cars have power brake boosters; the Valiants booster is original and has been raised about 4", Darts booster is raised and moved sideways. It's out of a Mazda, and the Dodge aluminum brake master cylinder was a bolt on!

[SJS440]

Thanks guys for the advice! Just one more question. You all seem to say tire clearence is reduced, I was planning on running 205/70/15 on the front. Is this tire size possible or will I have to run 14" on the front?
Thanks again.

[Christopher]

I've posted this info before,but for the sake of discussion,here it is again.I have a 71 Demon that uses either a 383 or 440.I use a set of headers that I have now found out that Bob Mazzolini racing in California sells.They have 1 tube on each side that goes thru the fenderwell(#5&8).Tire clearance is good,I use a 7.10x15 Moroso front tire(I like the tall front tires).My only beef with these tubes is that they angle toward the trans support cutouts for using a full exhaust system.This stops me from using a transmission shield.I'm still considering a set of Stahl hearders,but they are $900.00,so I'm going to have to wait awhile.

[Dart]

One thing else about the fenderwell headers - the exits are outside of the frame rail so if you plan on running it on the street you will need to route the exhaust under the frame rail. This hangs way to low to run on the the street. I hate those headers and would never suggest running them. You are in much better shape using the underchassis, I think. I realize they are expensive, but well worth it. Besides 2" on the tubes is a little big unless you have serious heads and a serious cam etc.

[SJS440]

Dart,
As per my engine builder I will need 2" primary's. I do want to run the car on the street. It sounds to me that my only option is the 2" CPPA's. I am kind of scared after hearing almost everybody slam the CPPA's. If anyone has any other ideas on what to do for a healthy RB to be sometimes street driven, I would appreciate any more advice.

[PRO]

I've run the Hooker Supercomps on my 73 Duster(original 340 car)to put it mildly they suck,They'll melt your feet from the heat that comes thru the floorboard,they hang down so low I had too raise the front end so high it was impairing weight transfer,the biggest tire I could run was a 205/70/14 and they would rub once in awhile in the corners.I finally just removed the entire inner fenderwell that helped out with the heat issue a little but made working on it a dream!!I had teflon lined brakes lines made after it boiled the brake fluid and I lost all brakes at the track.There's a sub-structure you have to remove that runs from the front frame rail to outer frame rail(under door) What a stinking hassle...never again it was enough to make a guy stick to sb's in a-bodies.Underchassis headers are better but still are a compromise for fit and clearance(boy it felt good to vent!!!!)....PRO....

[This message has been edited by PRO (edited December 28, 1999).]

[Christopher]

I should also mention that the 2 tubes I spoke of go thru the fenderwell and wrap around the frame.The other 3 are in the car underchassis.

[DartGT66]

The point is that after all the dinging, the CPPAs are not 2" primary headers. They also have pretty steep turns out of the heads, the shortest primary is about 20" and the longest about 40". In an A-body BB, for big power the only chance is the fenderwells. I have had no problems with the fenderwells, I have 195/65/15 tires in both the Valiant and the Dart. The Darts headers are covered with thermo tec, and there is an aluminum heat shield between the master cylinder and the primaries. The brake hoses etc. are all stock. I have never had as good ground clearnce with any other headers than the fenderwells. Mainly this is because I have notched and boxed the framerails for the exhaust and the exhaust is only about 1/2" off the floor. It's true that you don't need a heater with them. Here it's considered a +, since it usually isn't too warm here. If you want good underchassis exit headers for a BB A-body, the 'Pro-Parts' partial fenderwells is the only choice. Ithink it's the header that Christopher is talking about. For street & strip milder engines, having dealt with the CPPA's, I would use the Schumacher headers. They, like the CPPA's, are not race headers and may be worse powerwise than the fenderwells, but a huge improvement over the manifolds.

[Christopher]

DartGt66 is right about the headers that I have.These headers do make good power,and my reasons for using them over the Hooker full fenderwells,is that I use a large front tire(the Moroso I use is equal to a 215/75/15)and I feel that cutting the inner fenderwell out weakens the uni-body structure of the car.The Schumacher headers are good for 500 Hp.I've heard too many problems with fitment of the CPPA's.

[SJS440]

Thanks for all the info guys! One more question though. Does anyone have the phone number or website for Bob Mazzolini Racing?

[This message has been edited by SJS440 (edited December 29, 1999).]

[Christopher]

Bob Mazzolini Racing 3199 Columbia Ave. Riverside California 92501-0164 (909)787-8783

[SJS440]

Mazzolini Racing also has a Web site. http://www.bobmazzoliniracing.com/speedshop/
Semi underchassis 2" primary, 3.5" collector for $399.
Chris if you have any pics of the headers installed, I would really appreciate it if you would e-mail them to me.

[Christopher]

I don't have a camera or a scanner,but can send you some 35mm's if you want.