Hello!
So I'm having a tough time finding headers to fit the '68 Camaro, which seems silly because it's got soooo much room in the engine compartment.

Setup:
'68 Camaro RS
Crate 350
Manual trans
unisteer rack & pinion conversion kit

The problem:

Most headers sweep back, which, on the drivers' side interferes with the lower swing arm on the clutch z-bar. Most block huggers dump straight down in between cylinders 3 and 5, where the steering shaft is in the way.
What I really need is a driver's side header that dumps straight down between cylinders 5 and 7.
I *thought* I found the perfect set at summit racing:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HOK-2466-1HKR
But the picture is misleading:

... The header looks to dump down exactly where I want it, but when I ordered this part all I got was 2 shorties with swept-back collectors.

... and looking at the bolt pattern in the stock pick from summit, it actually looks like an LS1 bolt pattern, even though the gasket paired with the headers in the pic is a standard straight-across bolt pattern. So apparently summit is confused as to what they are actually selling (even though I verified TWICE on the phone that the picture I referenced was the part I was ordering).

Anyway, does anyone had an idea as to which headers will fit my combo? I'd rather not pay to have them fabbed.

Thanks in advance!
-Mike

Oh, and here's the car:

With the R&P you will have a problem.

looks like custom header time with the R&P

May have to go for a set of "Lemons". Big money. http://www.lemonsheaders.com/

Hedman has a great reputation for fitting. Stick with 1-5/8 tubes.

And flowtech (holley) makes a 1-1/2" tube set of shortys that have tons of clearance:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/bi...ro?prefilter=1

I saw these dyno tested against bigger headers on a 383 and they didn't lose any power.

I have S&S ony 67 small block with R&P.

Look at a big block steering shaft set up with an added pivot

Going to try the Hedman set. Summit was nice enough to cross-ship and give them to me for what the Hookers cost.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/hed-68646
I'll post back here to let you all know how it went.
-Mike

If the swept back headers are only hitting the lower "swing arm," flip it around, so the arm is on the oil filter side...

When installing the Unisteer R & P I had to call their tech dept. to find out what header they used on a 1967 Camaro with a 454 engine. I was told that they used Patriot Headers when mocking up the system. Look at these headers and see what you think. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/pte-h8056-1/overview/ These are the headers I use on my big block http://www.summitracing.com/parts/pte-h8013-1/overview/ The primary tubes are 1 7/8" in diameter.

For a big block, there was probably a 3 section shaft swinging around and out of the way. On my small block it looks like the driver's side patriot is going to go straight down into the shaft (since the majority of the down section is between 3 and 5). I'll keep them in mind, though... if the hedmans still interfere with the clutch z bar I might try the patriots and just get a 3rd joint for the steering shaft.

Thanks!
-Mike

I had problems using on two swivels on my setup. There was a hard spot when turning the steering wheel. Adding the second swivel, the big block setup fixed that and gave me at least 3" of clearance to the headers. I used black power coated Sanderson Headers (Model CC16). My steering is great and drives like it's on rails. http://www.sandersonheaders.com/Sand...-Firebird.html

Sandersons are great, pricey but an excellent product. I might point out that with a shorty header you are close, but not quite close enough to loose the principle advantage of running headers in the first place. That is the segregation of the cylinders so that two cylinders firing in sequence (5 & 7) do not pollute the adjacent cylinder with exhaust gasses from the other. This problem is aggravated by a long exhaust duration.

Without sufficient total length of about eighteen inches of separation the high pressure charge from cylinder seven will rush into cylinder five before the exhaust valve is fully closed. This reduces the amount of fuel and air that can be sucked into cylinder five and thus reduce it's power out put. This is what accounts for the twenty or so horsepower gain in the upper RPM range that headers provide over a stock exhaust system.

Below 4,400 RPM a pair of 2-1/2 inch cast iron ram's horn exhaust manifolds will produce equal horsepower and torque figures on a dyno.



Since most of your driving on the street is below that figure (unless you are cruising on the street with a set of 5.13 gears like I did with one of my Camaros back in the seventies when gas was cheap and no one had heard of Global Warming, Ecology or the EPA).

This dyno chart was off of a Team Impala members 383 that he built to look exactly like a 1964 327. He tried a set of shorties and compared them to a set of stock ram horn exhaust manifolds.



Big Dave

If you have issues with a hard spot you may have had your u joints clocked 180* off.