anyone on here ever make headers?

[andis65]

greetings- my question is basic- online they sell FE header flanges but most of them (patriot H7829 for example) do not come with the stub pieces that adapt the rectangular port shape to the primary round tubing. anyone on here ever fabricate from this point? how did you do it?

[turbohunter]

Just fab yourself up a little tool.
These photos should be pretty self explanatory.
Some round stock in between whatever size thick tube (split) or channel you need. Then slap one end in a vise, apply elbow grease and swish bam boom, custom stuff.

[gdaddy01]

that is a cool tool , you should put that on the home made tool forum .

[GJCAT427]

I did something similar with a rectangular piece of barstock and ground it to shape. I them used a hammer to drive it in the pipe and left it longer than I needed to make the ends.

[hwoods]

https://www.racemufflers.com/Ford-FE-428-High-Rise-Custom-Header-Build-Kit-p/ford-fe428-na-hbk.htm

[andis65]

wow, thats incredible forming tool turbohunter! and that master kit is turnkey hwoods! thank you!!!

[HvyFt4spd]

 That is a really cool way to do it. I usually make a pair of dies that replace the vice jaws and just reverse it. In other cases a simple male press die and a stop if not just a distance mark for repeatability. It's more setup but often faster production depending on the design needed.

[babybolt]

If your making headers for a car that has a steering box sitting right besides cylinder #8, the tube will need to make a sharp turn right outside the header flange.  I bought a set of off the shelf headers to get this turn, and just cut up the header for parts.

[66FAIRLANE]

Here be mine. Great tool Turbohunter!

[Falcon67]

LOL, no but I know a guy that does.

[KMcCullah]

The round peg in the square hole isn't too bad to deal with once you try it. Turbohunter's swaging tool looks pretty effective. Edit: I see now its a squeeze type of tool. What a badass simple tube jig!

 I just squeezed the tube in a vise to get two sides close. Then leave it in the vise and use a C-clamp to squeeze it square. Use a small gas welding tip to heat the tube in the corners. Make em red and hammer to fit the flange.

[cammerfe]

Answering your question, yes, I did make a set of headers once. But the stubs to fit the port shape came with the flanges. The way I've seen the stub shaping done, is by the method mentioned, where a spud is hammered into the end of the round tube to create the squared-off shape. The spud was made on a belt sander and case-hardened.

KS

[turbohunter]

Kevin you were right about the Bridgeport.
Just happened to have one handy. Figured most don’t so I know a nice vice will take care of it too.
Have to thank a friend for the idea. Some guys just see things.

[TomP]

Don't make stubs... why? It makes a messy job having the extra welds and most car headers have no space for tubes to go straight out from the ports.
 I shape the tube, usually a J bend cut in half, even on the curve, quite easily with a hammer and vice.  Hammer one corner to a 90 degree point, check to see if the tube aims where you want and adjust the corner up or down. The tube can be squeezed in a vice to flatten the sides and then tap in the ends, put them in the vice and flatten (edit, the C clamp idea is better) and fine tune the shape by hammering over the edge of an anvil or steel block.

 By the way Turbohunter, where did you get those nice looking flanges? Many aftermarket ones come with way too small ports. Yours is what they should make.

[turbohunter]

Specialty Products Design out of Rancho Cordova, Ca.
http://www.spdexhaust.com/index1.html
My brother turned me on to them. Nice folks. They do little extras like bevel the edges. The fit is tight as a tick.

[HvyFt4spd]

  Every application is different but using stubs allows for pressforming, less destortion at the flange and easy straightening if it occurs. Once the stubs are fully welded you then add the tubes while bolted to a head or fixture. Without them the flange joint is welded last... For this reason some companies blob mig wire around the ports so the flange remains it's full thickness after being plained. The length of a stub can be ajusted or angled and there is no reason one more weld in a multiple piece header has to ruin the look. As with any joint it can be metal finished and polished on stainless or sets to  be chromed. Should one  not use them the expansion method is still viable for a full primary tube.  You may need to adjust them here and there but it's a significant saving in time vs hand shaping each one from scratch. More important is that guys who tack, torch and hammer are introducing carbon at the flange weld. Carbon hardens the weld, increases burn in temp, the possibility of contamination and cracking. You certainly don't have to use stubs and at times I choose not to but they are a viable time and problem saving method.