I have some Eldelbrock TES headers, have had them for about 3 or 4 years. I wraped them about a years ago. Now after changing the doughnut and header gasket I found a big crack in one of the tubes. Of course its in the worst posable place to repair. Was this crack caused by the wrap or the header just getting old.

 

Can't be certain, but I've always heard that header wrap really accelerates corrosion. Might consider a good coating next time, I know that Jet-Hot is a vendor here, & the headers they did for me sure look pretty good...

 

more than likely it was caused by both. 3-4 years is pretty good life out of headers. But yes header wrap is terrible, i absolutely hate the stuff. Either leave the headers alone, or get them jet hotted, which is really expenisve i might add...but i've heard of people painting them and whatnot, but if you get 4 years out of a set of 100 dollar headers, thats pretty good.

 

Perfect excuse for you to get rid of those junk Edelcrock headers and get a much better set of SLP's or Hooker's. And get them ceramic coated this time. It shouldnt cost more than $150 for the headers and another $100 or so for the y-pipe.

 

Was thinking the same thing, but just bought micheln pilot tires, and the holidays wont allow for that right now. I'm going to cut it up into pieces and weld it back together.

 

I installed my Edelbrock TES headers in April of 2000 on my 305. Then I reused them on my Minirammed 385. When new, I painted them with VHT 1600 paint. As for the headers being junk, well, lets just say my junk headers helped the MR385 make 400 RWHP on the dyno and I managed a best of 12.40 at 114 MPH this fall through them.

Want to see what they look like after SIX seasons? They look like this:



So there you go. Sixteen bucks worth of paint, six years worth of use, low 12's in the quarter mile, negligible exterior corrosion. Not bad for a $300 set of headers if I do say so myself.

 

Wow, just think how fast you would be with a good set of larger headers on that engine. Instead you're choking it off with a set of old style E's with the 1 1/2" primary tubes.

 

Err, yep. I've got the 1 3/4 Hooker Jet-hot coated Long Tubes (purchased in December of 2002) hanging up in the garage, but I havent figured out a way to snake a Y-pipe around my Spohn crossmember. That's this winter's project!

That and a new custom rear suspension with decoupled torque arm. Maybe a 12-bolt if I'm really really good this winter.