headers and air conditioning

I will be installing hooker super comps under the hood of my 1969 camaro this weekend. Summit said I wouldn't be able to run em with my ac, got em anyways. Is there some kind of bracket I can get to get around this or does the ac need to come off. The ac hasn't really worked right for over a year, if I need to pull it off what all do I need to do. As far as the compressor and hoses ect. Thanks Jon

not sure, ive heard the headers boil the coolant in your lines though. maybe a thermal wrap will work?

That usually means they just won't physically clear something related to the A/C- a line, a bracket, etc. Many times you can make it work with some home-made brackets and such. Buy if they tell you it won't work then it's usually a PITA to make it do so. Even headers that DO work with A/C are often times a bear to make fit.

Most of the time it means they wouldn't clear the evaporator housing on the fire wall.

I just put some Hooker 2451 coated headers on my 68 and the #8 tube is almost touching the AC evaporator box. I'm going to put some heat shielding or header wrap around that tube to make sure there aren't problems. There may also be an issue with the AC compressor mounting location and the headers, but I have a 94 LT1 in my car so it's not comparable.

put something to block the heat on the ac lines and box dont use header wrap on your headers it holds in moisture and will make you headers rust faster and voids your header warranty

Summit just told me that it wouldn't work with an air conditioner. I thought I would just have to remove the condenser. I never would have thought that it wouldnt clear on the passenger side, that were the big box type think is at, but I thought that was part of the heater. Jon

Which part # did you get? The evaporator box on the passenger side is the biggest problem with headers. The Hooker 2451 headers will fit around the AC box. Most headers won't so check your part # and you may need to return them before you scratch them iup trying to install them. Oh, I have no plans of using header wrap along the whole tube, just that small section that is close to the evap box. My headers are coated inside and out so they are protected.

Originally posted by jons69
Summit just told me that it wouldn't work with an air conditioner. I thought I would just have to remove the condenser. I never would have thought that it wouldnt clear on the passenger side, that were the big box type think is at, but I thought that was part of the heater. Jon

The condenser is in front of the radiator and is not a problem. The evaporator is in the box with the heater core, blower motor, and valves.

Jon,
I have A 69 with air. You will have a major headache if you try to install non AC headers and then you can"t return them. The suitcase box clearence will be the problem. I bought Headman hpc headers for AC A few years ago. They worked. I hope this helps.

Brian


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I've gotten the headers on the passenger side now. That wasn't a problem, the headers get extremely close to the evaporator box though, but dont touch it. The driver side is what is causing all my problems now. The steering box, is preventing the header from getting by. I think I will need to raise the car up some more, becouse While under the car, the headers are at a slight angle when I am trying to put them in. All I have is a jack and two jack stands, it wont go much higher. Jon


Thanks for all the replies!

Jon, it's not at all uncommon to have to undo the through-bolt on the engine mounts and jack the engine up a few inches to get it past various obstacles. Consult your directions that should have come with the header, but this is a common practice for header installation. Taking off the oil filter is also just about required in most cases on the driver's side.

I got both of the headers on now. But to get the driver side header on I had to take the bolt out of the motor mount. This is causing me a lot of trouble. I can not get the bolt back through the motor mount. The hole on the bottom mount that is bolted to the frame and the hole on the top mount that is bolted to the engine do not line up. Any advice to get the bolt through would be greatly appreciated. Nothing like installing brand new header and not able to drive it. Jon

I had to remove the oil filter to get the driver's side header in. But I was pretty confident that I was going to need to and I was ready for an oil change anyway. You may need to unbolt your trans to be able to move the whole engine/trans around to get the bolt to line up.

Thanks for all of your help guys. I will look at the motor mounts tonight, I have to get er dun tonight becouse my appointment for the exhaust work it tomorrow morning at 8:00 in the morning. Thanks again for all the help! Jon