headers for a 225

I need headers so I've been looking through 4WD Hardware. I am dumbfounded at the difference between price. Headman headers are 149.99 a pair. Headman Elite headers are 329.99 each. Whats the difference?

 

Coatings would be my guess. Believe it or not the expensive ones will probably be cheaper in the long run. You'll go through 3 pairs of painted headers before you'll wear out ceramic coated ones.:v6:

 

Is anyone running the elite headers? If so how have they been?

 

if you do get headers can i have your manifolds? :twisted:

 

So is it wrong getting the pair of headers for 149.99? For that money, i probably wouldn't care if I had to replace them in 3 years. The only headers my FLAPS could get were $469 each!

 

I've found there is a wide range of wall thickness, too. I don't know which brand uses what, but my own headers are very thick walled, whereas I've got buddies with headers that I swear I could dent in with my fingernail.

 

I have had mine headman's for 3 years. after I installed them, I really laid on the exhaust paint (to the point of it dripping off). had to run the motor for an hour to dry the paint, but I have surface rust only (that I plan on fixing this summer).



<forgot> to prevent the bolts from loosing up: I used grade 8 bolts that are an 1" and a quarter long, the headers came with (not making this up) grade 2's that were 3/4" of an inch long. Don't forget to use alot of neverseeize on the bolts so that you could take them out later on.

 

My Hedmans have been on since 1992, they have approximately 10-11k on them. They have no holes or leaks in them at all, and for the last 2 years have been coated with the Eastwood header and manifold paint. Mine are the standard Hedmans, I paid $89 for them back in 1992. YMMV

 

I ran headers on the built 350 in my truck for almost a decade. I doubt I'll run them on any other rig...it was just too big of a headache (for me anyway). The bolts were constantly loosening up, then the gaskets would burn. I got pretty good at replacing them though . I think the only way to make sure they wouldn't back out would be to safety wire them. I know others have had better luck (see above) but for me the power increase probably isn't worth it. Maybe I'm just getting old R) . The only time I think I would run them now is if I was building a motor that was all-out, and I wanted every last HP I could squeeze out of it. YMMV, of course. I could never keep a coat of paint on them either, but that's another issue. I never tried anything other than rattle-can hi-temp black (like BBQ paint). There are other coating out there that will hold up better now.

 

I am running the Elites on my '70 with Flowmaster Delta 40's. I put them on after bending the previous set coming down on a rock. That dinged the tube but what ruined them was how it bent the mounting flange at the head. No amount of bending, welding, grinding, double gasketing, etc. was successful in sealing the exhaust ports.
The Elites are way heavier in construction (14 gauge tubes) especially at the flange ( 3/8" thick). The coating is awesome, inside & out - they look like the day I put them on my 37 year old Dauntless R) . Mud and dirt wash right off. The initial outlay is steep compared to a "standard set" but I agree that you would end up buying a couple a standard sets at least for the same amount of time the Elites would last.
With all that said, I plan on running factory manifolds and dual exhaust to the rear on my current CJ-6 project. The exhaust pipes are much better protected tucked up in the frame. No matter how nice a set of fenderwell headers look, the noise and fumes are still right under your seat. Some members here have done a nice job of running the pipes to the rear of their Jeeps from the side mounted mufflers and I am sure that helps.
Good Luck