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By M_S - 18 Years Ago
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I was installing my headers (on a bird) and sent an email to Stan asking the following questions:
1. There is no relief in the header flange for the spark plugs. I have tried every wrench I have and none can get in the recess to tighten the plug. A 13/16" Snap-On socket will not fit between the flange and the plug (thinnest walled socket I have). The only remedy I can imagine is a 5/8" plug that will fit the Y. Is that the answer or am I missing something obvious?
2. I have only fitted the driver side header and it seems the steady rest needs to be installed before the header is tightened. Is this correct and if so, how do I get the threaded rod short enough to fit the header (there does not seem to be enough adjustment in the threaded rest you provide)?
I just thought I would post here as well and see what the brain trust can come up with. I know a few of you have these headers and I recall at least one pair on a bird, so some one must have encountered one of these. I have heard nothing but good things about them so, I can only imagine I am missing something.
Thanks
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By M_S - 18 Years Ago
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Ok, I have #1 solved. I just needed to trim the gasket (feel stupid). Still a very tight fit but I can grab it now.
This forum make it so easy to get help I have forgotten how to solve my own problems.
Still trying to tackle #2.
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By bird55 - 18 Years Ago
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#1 trim the gasket AND loosen the header. AND keep them loose for installing the rods, just enough so they wiggle.
# 2 Can't remember the exact sequence I used BUT, remove all the old steady rest stuff off course. Thread that extension piece on to the longer rod. Extension end goes to the bottom side or frame side .
You will need to loosen the front Motor mount. The engine will then rock side to side.
Install one of the insulators at the top of the rod and insert the rod up thru the heim joint, keep it loose at this point so it will swivel. Install the insulator on the frame end and stick it through the frame staedy rest bracket.
STOP.
Now do the other side the same way BEFORE you install any nuts or tighten anything.
You should be able to use a baR OR maybe even by hand and tilt the engine the other way to get the second side in.
Sound complicated or could be I'm leaving something out. But I just kept messing around with it and figured it out.
At first I thought no way.- you'll get it. If not let me know and I'll do some more figuring.
Most important Final step
Don't install the reducers at first!
Get out your cam corder. Start engine and record that yblock with open headers and stick it on utube so we can hear it!
http://frakesdesign.com/mov02213.mpg
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By pegleg - 18 Years Ago
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55 Bird OR bring your 'bird to Columbus over Labor day. You'll hear Eatons 9 sec YBlock Altered. Jerry Christianson's 9 second Blown T'Bird, Wally kerstien's 12 second '56 Mainliner, The Hoosier Hurricane, and others. I may even decide to take the caps off my F code this year. Just for the hell of it.
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By MoonShadow - 18 Years Ago
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I like to run with the lake pipes open on my Vicky. Keeps the rocker panels well oiled! Chuck
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By M_S - 18 Years Ago
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Thanks for all the help. I ended up dropping the steady rest down with the header and it weemed to work ok (takes 3 hands).
Here is the video, the engine was cold and didn't want to disturb the neighbors so I didn't rev it too much.
Well, I tried to post it. A .mov file is not accepted by this server and mine is full. I will work out a solution when I can free up 5mb.
Lets see if this works now...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=192077638729451574
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By bird55 - 18 Years Ago
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yeah, You're gonna make old men cry.
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By GREENBIRD56 - 18 Years Ago
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Looks like you kept the Demon carb on there - I figure you got the sparkerizer and fuel mixer doin' what you want by now? What kind of tin cans are you going to attach to those nifty headers? I like Al's set-up myself, the only thing I'm going to do different is put some cut-out Y-pipes on there and some black bolt-on caps peeking under the doors.
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By M_S - 18 Years Ago
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I've "narrowed" it down to Flowmaster 40's, cherry bombs, Borla turbos, or whatever cheapie glasspack the muffler shop has on hand. Borlas are out since I am not trying to squeeze every last drop from the motor and can't justify the expense. Cherry bomb's (either their glasspack or flowmaster-ish welded baffle) might be good just for the sound. When installing the headers I hacked the cheapie Midas-esque exhaust off of it, and it did not sound bad like that so cheapie might be the way to go. I posted in the street forum for suggestions and might try to find the brockman's or Smithy's. Still trying to decide between 2" and 2.25".
The only thing I did decide was not to order cutouts for it. I took it out for a test drive uncorked (where did all my low end go) and it was just too loud. I figure a good exhaust will sound great with out being uncorked. The exhaust decision is taking more out of me than choosing wheels/tires did.
I havn't stopped messing with the carb/timing yet. I figured I would wait until I had the headers in to level the engine (old steady rests had it tilted) and set the float bowls a little more accurately. I am sure I will be asking for more help when that time comes.
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By pegleg - 18 Years Ago
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Ask Y Blocker what he runs on His 'Bird. It sounds BAD from behind, but isn't too loud. My Flowmasters have a resonant point around 2000 rpm, and very little rap coming down. They also work, car is as fast with the mufflers hooked up asi tis with the plugs open. But they're 3 chamber mufflers and 2 1/2 inch pipes.
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By M_S - 18 Years Ago
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The choice has been made. 2" with 28" glasspacks. They are not cherry's or smithy's but sound very, very 50's. A little bit louder than the Midas turbos that were on there but not enough to annoy.
Thanks to everyone for the input and help.
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By HoLun - 18 Years Ago
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On glasspacks, make sure they have perforated core instead of louvers, the louver types are not worth a damn, might as well run straight pipes if you got the Louver ones.
I have smithys, and it sounded like fire crackers going off at when i floor it, until I got those resonated tips in, they made the car sound so much better, all rumble, no firecrackers
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By PF Arcand - 18 Years Ago
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Re the mufflers, as I understand it, Flowmaster 40s are in effect racing mufflers so may not be a good street choice. Further, as Holun alluded to, many of us are still laboring under the misconception that 1950/60s straight thru style mufflers sound good & are better for performance. First once a guy gets over 21 years old, many of them just sound terrible & are flat out annoying. Further, many of the old standbys, possibly incuding Smittys & Cherrybombs, were designed with louver type perforations for limited sound control. Modern tests have shown that most of those mufflers are just noisy & do little or nothing to improve performance. Frank/Rebop's Flowmasters & some Turbo styles are a good examples of none straight thru mufflers, that actually improve performance, & or reasonably control noise. Forget about those 1950s/60s straight thru junk mufflers!
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By MoonShadow - 18 Years Ago
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Yeah but you cant "rack off" a Flowmaster!
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By Cactus - 18 Years Ago
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I agree, sound is important, especially to this old guy trying to relive his youth. 
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By M_S - 18 Years Ago
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I wasn't trying to squeeze every last drop of power out of it. If I had been, I would have gone with the Borla's (only muffler I have ever seen that increased hp over straight pipe) and probably 2.25". Since everything I am doing on the car is of a retro flavor I decided on the glasspacks for their sound. The car is normally driven (almost every day) under 2k rpm so it just made sense to go with 2". I am waiting until I talk to a local shop about doing an AOD conversion (very doubtful it can done w/o cutting frame in which case I won't) and then the muffler shop is going to install a crossover. We found a place to stick it very close to the collectors and it will cross in front of the tranny pan. From listening to others here it seems that the motor has to come out w/the tranny instead of dropping from under the car, so having the tube down there should not cause much trouble. We did talk about having the mufflers to the rear of the X-member to allow for the crossover but it should work better closer to the collectors (about 14" after tube convergence).
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