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Header fitment issues with AFR 210's
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2018 12:42 pm
by Steve K
I just built a nice little 427 sbc with AFR 210 Race Ready heads (1054 angle plug) for my 65 Beaumont (same and a Chevelle). I am fitting the headers, Hedman 66101's (for angle plug heads), and the #1 pipe wont clear the #3 spark plug. I'm using NGK FR5's. All other plugs clear fine. The weird thing is I had the same heads on another engine (383) in a 79 camaro with Hedman 65104 headers with the same spark plugs with no issues. The header pipe routing doesn't look that much different. Not quite sure whats going on here. Any help is very much appreciated.
Thanks
Steve
Re: Header fitment issues with AFR 210's
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2018 1:25 pm
by JoePorting
Common SBC problem. Just take the header to a muffler shop and have them cut out a section of the number one tube and weld in a new section. Hopefully they are not coated. You should never coat a header until you know they fit. I find the common header only fits about 50% of the time. After you know they fit, then get them coated.
Re: Header fitment issues with AFR 210's
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2018 1:37 pm
by Steve K
JoePorting wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2018 1:25 pm
Common SBC problem. Just take the header to a muffler shop and have them cut out a section of the number one tube and weld in a new section. Hopefully they are not coated. You should never coat a header until you know they fit. I find the common header only fits about 50% of the time. After you know they fit, then get them coated.
Thanks Joe, unfortunately they are coated. They worked fine with my AFR 195's on my 406. Wouldn't think the spark plug placement would be that much different.
Re: Header fitment issues with AFR 210's
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2018 2:21 pm
by bigjoe1
If you ever saw how they make production headers, you would understand how this can happen. When header are built in a jig, they can vary quite a bit. Their idea of clos tolerance is plus or minus 1/8 inch
JOE SHERMAN RACING
Re: Header fitment issues with AFR 210's
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2018 4:42 pm
by Steve K
bigjoe1 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2018 2:21 pm
If you ever saw how they make production headers, you would understand how this can happen. When header are built in a jig, they can vary quite a bit. Their idea of clos tolerance is plus or minus 1/8 inch
I could live with a 1/8"! Do you know of a header that would work in this application (65 Chevelle) or a shorter spark plug?
JOE SHERMAN RACING
Re: Header fitment issues with AFR 210's
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2018 4:42 pm
by Steve K
Steve K wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2018 4:42 pm
bigjoe1 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2018 2:21 pm
If you ever saw how they make production headers, you would understand how this can happen. When header are built in a jig, they can vary quite a bit. Their idea of clos tolerance is plus or minus 1/8 inch
I could live with a 1/8"! Do you know of a header that would work in this application (65 Chevelle) or a shorter spark plug?
JOE SHERMAN RACING
Re: Header fitment issues with AFR 210's
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2018 4:43 pm
by Steve K
Steve K wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2018 4:42 pm
Steve K wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2018 4:42 pm
bigjoe1 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2018 2:21 pm
If you ever saw how they make production headers, you would understand how this can happen. When header are built in a jig, they can vary quite a bit. Their idea of clos tolerance is plus or minus 1/8 inch
JOE SHERMAN RACING
I could live with a 1/8"! Do you know of a header that would work in this application (65 Chevelle) or a shorter spark plug?
Re: Header fitment issues with AFR 210's
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2018 7:13 pm
by Krooser
Got a ball pein hammer?
Re: Header fitment issues with AFR 210's
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2018 9:14 pm
by kimosabi
Hedmans vary. The 65104 I'm using lots of people use without modifications on a 2nd gen Camaro. I however had to dent the #7 primary a bit to not rub the steering shaft.
Re: Header fitment issues with AFR 210's
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2018 10:06 pm
by MadBill
Google 'shorty spark plugs' for a number of choices.
Re: Header fitment issues with AFR 210's
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 7:10 am
by cv67
Accel shortys? Found almost identical to Autolites wouldnt waste your money
Had good luck with dougs headers on a bodys
rather than a hammer take the biggest socket you can find, put a towel over the "hammer' area....use a bfh and pound that sucker at a slight angle noone will be able to tell if it matters. Looks nice & clean .
sucks about going to larger tube headers on those cars, the 1-5.8 fit great bigger tubes pita. takes me 1-2 hrs just to change #7 plug
Re: Header fitment issues with AFR 210's
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 7:34 am
by Steve K
well I've got some shorty spark plugs on order, we'll see how they fit. Failing that I know the headers on my Camaro work with these heads and the header' s giving me issues on the 427 work with the 406 in that Camaro so I might be looking at a header swap...which is really awesome
. The headers giving me issues are coated so I don't want to be hammering on them.
Re: Header fitment issues with AFR 210's
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 9:01 am
by cv67
use that method it wont damage the coating at all...hear what youre saying though
Re: Header fitment issues with AFR 210's
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 5:05 pm
by Belgian1979
I've a cheap old headerset made by MrGasket (yes I didn't even know they made headers once upon a time) and they fit wonderfully well on my car. They even have plenty of ground clearance So well I decided to keep them.
Only thing I had to work out was the bad sealing on the header flange because of the thin header flange they used. I ended up cutting it off and changing to a 45° steel flange style and a loose tube with an outside diameter the same as the inside diameter of the header collector placed in it. Works like a charm.
Re: Header fitment issues with AFR 210's
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 7:27 pm
by Steve K
Well I ordered a set of Sanderson Headers. Looks like they'll clear the plugs. Bought the C12 header. Don't want to risk messing up the headers I have now and quite honestly I really cant believe that in today's day and age I am still dealing with headers that dont fit. I think the main stream header manufactures such as Hedman and Hooker and others that pump these products out should be building headers that work with aftermarket heads and aftermarket cylinder head manufacturers should be working with header manufactures to ensure their head work with whats available and at least make a recomendation as to who's headers will fit. Anyone building a performance engine is using aftermarket head and shouldn't have to deal with this bull&%it. So far Sanderson's got my money.
my rant...