SBC long tube headers for best ground clearance

[BrazilianZ28Camaro]

Headers showed up, my goodness they are works of art!

They are pretty close in terms of placement compared to my Hooker 1 3/4 Super Comps but final impressions won't be until Saturday when the engine goes back in the car. Hopefully the cross member clears them, or it will be sacrificed for the greater good.

Installing a flexplate shield this time around, and between my mid plate and the firewall, I'm not sure which is going to be the bigger challenge.

Cool!
The passenger side header can be installed by the engine bay, but the driver side should be installed from the underside of the car. I had to remove the steering wheel bar to make it fit.

Be prepared to "adjust" the engine a bit side to side so headers will clear the passenger side H member.

Good luck with the works, keep us posted about the results!

[rustbucket79]

Disclaimer: factory frame and engine mounts replaced with aftermarket solid (possibly shorter) previously and a 1/8" mid plate was installed so at least some grief was self inflicted.

So it only took about a dozen shots to clearance the crossmember for the Doug's D326 headers, relocate the passenger brake hard line, and tweak the passenger side of the mid plate plus relocate it's mounting tab on the frame rail. I was expecting the clunk as I lowered the engine in, but the passenger side having a tube wanting to occupy the same space as the mid plate had me scratching my head for a few minutes. (These headers don't fit with a mid plate) This is after mucking around moving the firewall so a flexplate shield will bolt in for a couple of hours with the required engine Re and Re's. This is basically a race car now, and it's been years since I worried about bashing, cutting, and heating on this thing, a valuable restoration this shall never be.

That being said, Doug's did a fantastic job of running these massive tubes while occupying 100% of the room GM gave them. The starter access is fantastic, and the oil filter is easy access. (Previous Hooker Super Comps with a kick out sump pan required me to pull the header off the head to remove the oil filter, annoying as you learn about it with hot oil draining as you try every way to extract the used filter and cannot) These things are heavy, with thick flanges and thick tubing, and the finish is beautiful and should last many years on a street application. I can't bring myself to drill holes for my pyrometer and evac-U-pan tubes. They are also tight to the floor pans, higher than the aluminum pan on my turbo 400.

I just wish I had a chance to dyno with them, I'm fairly certain they are worth power over our dyno or my old headers (1 3/4)

[BrazilianZ28Camaro]

Disclaimer: factory frame and engine mounts replaced with aftermarket solid (possibly shorter) previously and a 1/8" mid plate was installed so at least some grief was self inflicted.

So it only took about a dozen shots to clearance the crossmember for the Doug's D326 headers, relocate the passenger brake hard line, and tweak the passenger side of the mid plate plus relocate it's mounting tab on the frame rail. I was expecting the clunk as I lowered the engine in, but the passenger side having a tube wanting to occupy the same space as the mid plate had me scratching my head for a few minutes. (These headers don't fit with a mid plate) This is after mucking around moving the firewall so a flexplate shield will bolt in for a couple of hours with the required engine Re and Re's. This is basically a race car now, and it's been years since I worried about bashing, cutting, and heating on this thing, a valuable restoration this shall never be.

That being said, Doug's did a fantastic job of running these massive tubes while occupying 100% of the room GM gave them. The starter access is fantastic, and the oil filter is easy access. (Previous Hooker Super Comps with a kick out sump pan required me to pull the header off the head to remove the oil filter, annoying as you learn about it with hot oil draining as you try every way to extract the used filter and cannot) These things are heavy, with thick flanges and thick tubing, and the finish is beautiful and should last many years on a street application. I can't bring myself to drill holes for my pyrometer and evac-U-pan tubes. They are also tight to the floor pans, higher than the aluminum pan on my turbo 400.

I just wish I had a chance to dyno with them, I'm fairly certain they are worth power over our dyno or my old headers (1 3/4)

Good to know you're happy with the new headers after all the grief!
Yes the're a very nice design, hope they cut some ET also!

I'm still waiting for the Doug's response about the '69 Camaro headers with no luck.I sent them two messages. I guess I'll have to call them

[rustbucket79]

I gather companies get a buttload of emails and with the bulk of them being dreams rather than potential sales, few are responded to. A phone call shows commitment, especially if you paid long distance fees to make that call.