Headers or cast manifolds for 318 A body?

[ramcharger_440]

The car I am currently working on is a 318 equipped A body. I am considering my exhaust options.

302 heads mildly ported with 1.88/1.60 valves - cam 218/228 duration with .441 lift - M1 dual plane intake with 600 CFM carb - automatic transmission - car weighs 3100 lbs without driver

This will be a street only vehicle and driven daily. Cost is a major consideration.

I have looked high and low and am considering the following options:

#1 Patriot brand block hugger type headers

#2 Cast iron exhaust manifolds with 2" dual exhaust

I can't seem to find any headers that will work with the power steering and stay within my budget of $250.

Please give your opinion on my options including those I have not listed. Thanks!!

[dwc43]

Carbs too small. Get a 750 or even better yet get a thermoquad. Better throttle response and even better mpg than any holley could ever think of getting you. Hooker,Headman and even Summit Racing has headers that will fit. Use a 1 5/8 street header with 2.25 pipe with a dr gas merge x pipe to get the most for you money. See www.drgas.com . Dont get shorty block huggers they make only a 1 to 2 hp gain over stock manifolds and they are not worth the money. The best flowing exhaust manifolds are 340 left side and 92 magnum right side flows the best. Or if you dont want hte mixed match use the magnum manifolds as a compromise, but in either case you still need to use the 2.25 pipe with merge x to get the best from your set up.

[littlecampbell]

Your carb size is fine...stay away from any 750 cfm carb...thermo is a dynosaur in your case..if your on a budget ...also forget the X a freakin myth!!!...lotsa $ for an extra hp...better spent elsewhere...Try a 2 1/2 mandrel system...however that costs $ too.. If full lenght headers fit fine use them....However if they dont be afraid to use shorties....What intake are u using?...Try an LD4B...

[littlecampbell]

Your carb size is fine...stay away from any 750 cfm carb...thermo is a dynosaur in your case..if your on a budget ...also forget the X a freakin myth!!!...lotsa $ for an extra hp...better spent elsewhere...Try a 2 1/2 mandrel system...however that costs $ too.. If full lenght headers fit fine use them....However if they dont be afraid to use shorties....What intake are u using?...Try an LD4B...

[littlecampbell]

ya i know....

[Ausydad]

I'll agree with staying with the smaller carb. "X" pipes are great ( at least in theory), but can rarely justify the expense on a street driven car. I would raise the front slightly ( to help with ground clearance) and run the ceramic coated Dynomax headers with lifetime gaurantee against rust/corrosion from Summit for $229. Run this thru a pair of 2.25-2.5 pipes with "H" pipe. For inexpensive mufflers that have decent tone, I might stay with something cheap like "Raptor".
Remember always that you get what you pay for, and that with a little more time to save, you might have the TTI's that you really want, but think you can't afford. You would be better off in the long run for ground cleance, flow, etc...
That's whats great about this place, choices.....

[dwc43]

Originally posted by ramcharger_440
The car I am currently working on is a 318 equipped A body. I am considering my exhaust options.

302 heads mildly ported with 1.88/1.60 valves - cam 218/228 duration with .441 lift - M1 dual plane intake with 600 CFM carb - automatic transmission - car weighs 3100 lbs without driver

This will be a street only vehicle and driven daily. Cost is a major consideration.

I have looked high and low and am considering the following options:

#1 Patriot brand block hugger type headers

#2 Cast iron exhaust manifolds with 2" dual exhaust

I can't seem to find any headers that will work with the power steering and stay within my budget of $250.

Please give your opinion on my options including those I have not listed. Thanks!!

The merge X pipe is no myth and really helps out on both street and rce cars. Not only can you look over dr gasses numbers at www.drgas.com but we have done a lot of dyno test on our own street and race cars and the improvements are there. With your combo you'll see a nice improvement. And the thermoquad is no dynosaur. It was stock on 318, 340, 360 and 400 ,440 engines. Your 600 is way too small o get the most out of your engine. We use the thermoquad on a lot of our race engines due to it's great throttle response over the spread bore holleys and holley remakes. IT will out perform in most every case where we have dynoed it.

[rumblefish360]

LC; He's useing a DP, M-1.

The problem with full length A-body headers is the run under the centerlink on S/B cars. I had used Headmans in the past. The worst were Black Jacks. But, they all sucked.
TTI's are to damn much. Your caught in the middle for headers.
Unless you make your own. (LOL)

The block huggers are better than the best manifolds out there. But not much. I guess some is better than none.
To keep it on the cheap, weld your up an "H" pipe from Summit/Jegs.
Thrush turbo mufflers, the raptors mentioned before etc... There out there.
Give it a pair of turn downs to keep noise down.
DONE

P.S. IMO, 600cfm is enuff.

[littlecampbell]

Sorry. i was venting a bit last night ....I quess there isnt a solid answer on the A body header thing. Its been done to death and even TTIs are not perfect. A lot of guys still have to ding them to make em fit. Maybe just stay with your manifolds but if you go bigger than 2" pipes I would use some kind of header. Dont be afraid of shorties. I see your point on the Thermoquad DW, but its not like they are readily available like other brands and try to find parts?...Also i'm using dynomax turbos and they were only $50 or 60...have a nice sound.....not LOUD...theres nothing worse than listening to a 5.0 15sec. rustang with headbanging flowmasters ...
What if any header if any are you using now Rumble?...i'll hit the "submit reply" button once this time

[dwc43]

Not wanting to argue LC, but thermoquads are new at Advance auto for 189, the last time I bought one. Parts are every where, like brass floats and rod. Kits are at local parts stores and if you'll go to Demon Sizzlers web site www.thermoquads.com you'll find that he has parts and kits in stock and will even modify yours for a price. So ya see they are pretty available, just gotto know where to look I guess.

[rumblefish360]

littlecampbell;

I no longer have an "A" body. (That may change this weekend, going to eye spy a '70 Duster, but...) Now I have a '73 Cuda 4spd. & a '79 Dodge Magnum. Both small blocks. On the Cuda, I used Hooker Super comps. Tubes @ 1 3/4. Since the engine went south, I reused the super comps in the Magnum. NO problems in fitting them in the Dodge. However, they did not clear the Lakewood scattersheild in the Cuda. A simple little tool fixed that. It's called a BFH. (Big Freakin Hammer.)
They run above the front end parts and cleared the starter, stock and MP mini, no problem.

[Dart 65]

For clearance issues, I'm going to use stock hipo 340 exhaust manifolds. I found mine for exactly $250 Nothing else was going to work, especially on my combination. I hope this helps.