LS Swap headers

[toddoky]

Originally Posted by 67Rally

toddoky, the new Hooker stuff looks great and if I were just starting the swap I'd probably go this route. I even advised a friend doing the swap to look into your complete kit, and he bought it.

But as I stated in my original post on page 1:


I can't justify throwing out a practically brand new Holley oil pan, BMR trans x-member, ES motor mounts, Dingo sliders, etc.

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I'm willing to put the time and effort into finding a decent fitting header given my existing components.

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I completely understand where you're at 67rally, I was merely supporting your point that not everyone is looking for a $1,000 set of headers and that better fitting headers, engine mounts and crossmembers are now available for this swap than were available even just a year ago. If I was in your position I would be looking to find a work-around just as you are.

[sebtarta]

67Rally how high are you mounts now?

[67Rally]

Originally Posted by sebtarta

67Rally how high are you mounts now?

It's somewhere between 4 1/8" to 4 1/4" from the subframe to the engine block.

I can't get a perfect measurement right now because I can't open my hood very far. The nose of my Camaro is parked under a wall mounted tire rack, and I don't have my new rear end fully installed, so I'm kind of stuck until I can get back to rolling the car out far enough to open the hood again.

But...The Dirty Dingo sliders are .500" thick, and the closest measurement I could get was between 3.625-3.75" for the combined height of the frame mounts & motor mounts.

I'm using the tall & narrow '69 Z28/350 frame mounts (3945507/8) and the tall & narrow Energy Suspension motor mounts (3.1117G).

[OBeer-WAN-Kenobi]

Originally Posted by 67Rally

One thing you guys have to realize is that not everyone can afford to build a $100,000+ car. Some of us have to cut costs when possible.

Obviously, if budget is not a concern or you're building a high end build, you buy the best of everything.

Some people are running $500 headers with no clearance issues, and it's a matter of figuring out what engine/frame mounts and adapter plates they used to fit.

Some of us are pulling LS motors out of junkyard cars and stuffing them in our classics, others are ordering $10,000+ crate motors and letting other people do the work for them. Just food for thought. Don't hate on the people that are budget conscious.

X1000

Originally Posted by Blake Foster

I don't think anyone is hating. obviously budget is the biggest issue to consider on these projects. but IMO you do have to pick where to spend your money, and if ground clearance is imports(the theme of this thread) then you probably have to spend some money. why spend 500.00 on a header that doesn't fit, then spend a 1000.00 to fix the problem when you could have spent the 1000. in the first place.

I didn't think you were hating or anything but in defense of my previous post:

I'm a manufacturing engineer so I've got a little bit experience in the manufacturability/costing of manufactured goods and I know where you are coming from. However; the discrepancy in price is just too much.

What's wrong is that the manufacturers of the "cheap" headers; who obviously have a pricing advantage due to labor and/or volume, don't seem to want to bother to spend a day test fitting and another week making a design and fixture change to make them fit better. If they did, we would only be seeing $1K headers in the magazine builds because no one else would need to buy them. Of course some people would buy the expensive ones for the same reason we buy expensive stuff now, for perceived quality or for a brand. In this case, I; and I'm sure many others, just want something that works.