Tweeking headers

[JPhil]

My headers got smacked one time too many from speed bumps. Now The driver's side is bent up so far I can't even remove the oil filter. F**k.
My hot rod friends say to just stick a long pry bar in the collector and slowly pry it back down. OK, Ok......But I'm a bit worried about my aluminum heads. Yes if it was bent up without damaging the heads it should be able to be bent back down...But I'm scared....Am I just too paranoid?
Thoughts? Advice?

And while I'm thinking about it, anybody ever put bumper blocks on the frame--I'm picturing a shallow triangle of heavy guage metal bolted to the frame to a point just a bit lower than the header flanges (lowest object on the car) to help alleviate them from being hit?
Thoughts?

550 springs sure handle good, but........

 

[Belgian1979vette]

Other option is to weld short rods of steel to the bump in the header and use a puller hammer to get them out. Looks a little bit safer than a pry bar.

That being said, I would take them off.

 

[mrvette]

The headers on my car are Schoenfeld #151, listed as 'chassis headers' unequal length two tube sizes available....SBC....and they hang maybe 2" above the oil pan, which is still the low side of my car, rack steering and all....

I have stock 460 VBP springs at stock chassis/fender height...:thumbs:

 

[BangkokDean]

I would change them to a stainless steel set that are not so low..........Then they won't be a problem.:thumbs:

 

[JPhil]

Other option is to weld short rods of steel to the bump in the header and use a puller hammer to get them out. Looks a little bit safer than a pry bar.

That being said, I would take them off.

They aren't dented, they've just been pushed up at the back a half inch or so. Other than that they are still in great condition.

 

[mrvette]

Other option is to weld short rods of steel to the bump in the header and use a puller hammer to get them out. Looks a little bit safer than a pry bar.

That being said, I would take them off.

They aren't dented, they've just been pushed up at the back a half inch or so. Other than that they are still in great condition.

Quick drive, leave engine running, 2x4 pry down, done...in fact, get engine revved to about 2k rpm when doing it, assure hot metal...

:shocking:

 

[Belgian1979vette]

Other option is to weld short rods of steel to the bump in the header and use a puller hammer to get them out. Looks a little bit safer than a pry bar.

That being said, I would take them off.

They aren't dented, they've just been pushed up at the back a half inch or so. Other than that they are still in great condition.

OK, my bad.

 

[MYBAD79]

Just get the headers hot before you try to bend them back down.. A torch will be quieter than running the engine with open headers LOL. I assume you want to disconnect the exhaust at the collector before bending it

 

[JPhil]

Just get the headers hot before you try to bend them back down.. A torch will be quieter than running the engine with open headers LOL. I assume you want to disconnect the exhaust at the collector before bending it

OK, hot headers......gotta have the pipes pre-disconnected for quick correction of course, thas cool, thas cool, yeah. Torch best (shit! I just remembered my acetylene tank is empty!) but anyway they are wrapped and I don't think torch to the inside would work very well---plus I don't wanna set fire to the car and my garage, so----5+ mile loop out into the county & back with open headers, pull in no later than 11PM (but no earlier than 9! hey, gotta keep the neighbors in line, doncha know) on a Saturday night with the garage door wide open and jam the throttle with a wedge to keep RPMs up a bit. Pry bar handy when I pull it in onto the ramp......But be cool, patience, take your time, carefull in the tweeking---but don't dick around!--be quick about the procedure--have it all set up in advance.....
I can pull this off! And to boot, I'll crank up some good loud music and have some hot chocolate with marshmallows on the wood stove ready for the cops when they pull up in the alley.......

No, more realistically, I think maybe to just loosen up all the exhaust pipe clamps so they can move & adjust when I pry on the headers. That will help keep heat in the headers from the back pressure from the running engine and not blow out the neighborhood as I do it because it will take a while to do this. It will sound like a Mexican farm truck but that will only be briefly......I should be able to pry on them from above just as easily as with a bar stuck into them, I will just have to 'pre-engineer' the way beforehand.....

 

[TimAT]

I'd think about getting that tank filled- Running the engine won't put enough heat into the header tubes to make them pliable- if it did, we'd all be running around with tubes dragging the ground.

Use a rosebud tip and stick it inside the collector- that will keep the flame contained and with the tubes wrapped, it should heat pretty quick.

 

[mrvette]

I'd think about getting that tank filled- Running the engine won't put enough heat into the header tubes to make them pliable- if it did, we'd all be running around with tubes dragging the ground.

Use a rosebud tip and stick it inside the collector- that will keep the flame contained and with the tubes wrapped, it should heat pretty quick.

:shocking: On one of my cars in the past, I noted yellow/orange on the iron exhaust at night in the garage, for some reason pulling the hood open at night....and I most often have to heat the iron/steel till orange/yellow using my propane torch, no where near as hot as acetylene.. so that prompted my idea of HOT headers before prying.....another trick maybe work too, jamb a support in between the header and whatever works, to force it down a fraction of a inch, drive hell out of it to get header hot, force more support in there, do the same....little along it will stay there....

:beer:

 

[JPhil]

I got it done last weekend. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I worry too much.
I removed the pipes and stuck a 4' long piece of 1 1/2" black iron gas pipe in the header as far as it would go. Put a little block of wood between it and the back edge of the collector so as not to deform it at the collector connection. Then very carefully, very slowly, a teeny bit at a time, I just pryed it down. No heat, no nothing, just pulled it down about a half inch. It took about 15 minutes.