T70 style headers

redhouse53 · Apr 11, 2007

Hi, bit of an unusual request this one, but I'm building a mid-engined car using a Chevy engine through renault box, and need a set of headers similair in style to the ones fitted to T70s and the like. I've spoken to a couple of exhaust people, and the cost of a one off is prohibitivley expensive, so I'm looking for a more "off the shelf" solution.

I've been in touch with Ultima, who apperantley won't sell to non-Ultima customers, so does anyone have any ideas? I'm based in the UK, but could buy from the States if needed, and at the moment will probably be looking at mild steel,

so, it's over to you,

cheers

MikeDD · Apr 11, 2007

How about making them yourself? Non-crossover shouldn't be too difficult.
You can tack them together and have a pro do the real welding.
Take a look at Neal's website for an idea of what's required.

MikeD

redhouse53 · Apr 11, 2007

hmmm, that's certainly worth considering.......

Iguess you could buy preformed bends and collectors, am I right in thinking all the primaries need to be the same length?

Fred W B · Apr 11, 2007

I made these from bends. E mail me for the nitty gritty detail if you like.

Cheers

Fred W B

MikeDD · Apr 11, 2007

Thousands of hi-performance cars were shipped from the factory without
equal length headers....just a matter of how much additional time/expense
you want to invest to gain that extra 10 or 20 horsepower.
Race-car of course is another matter.

MikeD

roclery · Apr 12, 2007

Those headers look sweet, Fred - the bends out of the heads look just like on the 1:12 Tamiya T-70 MkIII, except they end up low down rather than high up.

Magnificent work. How's the rest of the car going?

markpreece · Apr 12, 2007

Hi have some formula 5000 headers might do the job for you they foul my chassis rails they are solid just need repainting and altering to suit. They have no silencers the pipes are equal length in the silencer like chambers (novel approach!!) have sent you a private message

redhouse53 · Apr 12, 2007

markpreece said:
Hi have some formula 5000 headers might do the job for you they foul my chassis rails they are solid just need repainting and altering to suit. They have no silencers the pipes are equal length in the silencer like chambers (novel approach!!) have sent you a private message

sent one back at you, very interested.......

Fred W B · Apr 13, 2007

Magnificent work. How's the rest of the car going?
__________________
Regards
Richard

Thanks for the kind words Richard.

Progress on the body pattern is slow but steady. I will add some more pics to my "scratchbuild" thread after the weekend.

cheers

Fred W B

redhouse53 · Apr 13, 2007

Fred W B said:
I made these from bends. E mail me for the nitty gritty detail if you like.

Cheers

Fred W B

Those do look great, but I bet theres a tonne of work in them, do you have build up shots, or even a "shopping list"of parts! It would be a buzz having a set of headers like that on the project. How do they sound?

Fred W B · Apr 16, 2007

Yes they were a lot of work, but they do sound fantastic!

I used 26 off 90 deg carbon steel mandrel bends and laser cut 10 mm thick head flanges. Pipe welds are metal finished flush. Each header pipe is 850 mm long, (tolerance +/- 10 mm). Collectors taper to 2.5", fabricated from 3" pipe. Silencer cans are 500 mm long, made from 4" stainless thin wall tube, with 2.5" perforated tube inners. Carbon steel parts sandblasted and painted with matt silver high heat paint. Once they are proven I plan to ceramic coat them.

What I did:

Bought 90 deg mandrel bends in 38 x 1.6 mm mild steel.
Had head flanges laser cut, so that pipes are fitted with a butt joint to flange.
Bolted flanges to head with wood plugs fitted sticking out of flanges to give me a positive, but movable location for the first bend.
Drew circles on plank of wood the same diameters as inside and outside radius of mandrill bends.
Marked off angles 15, 30, 45 etc, on circles to use as a template to ensure I always cut the bends true to the pipe bore.
Made up first pipe for #1 cylinder as this had longest straight section by tacking elbows, cut elbows and straight pipes together. Try to cut to exact angles where possible.
Cut #1 pipe to desired length, using calculated length along mean pipe radius to determine total length (straight length+x deg+x deg etc).
Now that position of collector is established, by trail and error join #2 pipe to collector, by joining bends in more than one orientation where necessary.
Don't cheat by cutting joining planes not perpendicular to pipe bore.
I found it easiest to work from rear to head, and keeping the flange to pipe joint loose till the last join.
Repeat for #3 and #4 pipe.
Depending how keen you are on keeping the pipe spacing more or less consistent and parallel, this can drive you crazy.
I found it helped a lot to make some square frames from flat bar to fit around the 4 pipes where they ran parallel, to keep them in position while tacking bends
Once all pipes are tacked up, remove from flanges again.
Weld up all pipes fully, using TIG if possible, or MIG.
Metal finish if required or desired
Reassemble manifold, and do final head flange to pipes and collector welds. Remember to fit closing plate between pipes at collector.

I am having some trouble with my web access but will try to post some more pics.

Cheers
Fred W B

redhouse53 · Apr 16, 2007

WOW!!

Fair play to you, that is some serious fab work, thanks for taking the time to post the info, any idea of the cost of materials and who supplied all the bends?

cheers

MarkT · Apr 16, 2007

Nicely done Fred

I have a set of laser cut headers already... so I think I'll be copying your set-up (imitation's a form of flattery right???

)

I see you're using the trusty Audi 'box - What are you doing about the Engine??? I have to make up my mind about what I'm using soon - Can either go the Ford 302 route as adapter plates are easy to get, or go for the Chev 350, that seems more correct for the Lola...

Fred W B · Apr 17, 2007

Hi Mark

I am using a Rover V8. You can see details of the flywheel and adapator plate I made on this thread on LocostBuilders

Latest engine news in this thread LocostBuilders

Cheers

Fred W B

T70 style headers

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Mike Dozier

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Fred W Ballinger

Mike Dozier

Richard

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