Thread: My first header build

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you are doing good .i have built alot of headers for customers here are some thing that may help someone ?? i like to buy J bends and cut the header flanges out of 3/8 steel on my mill . getting the tub to fit up good some times takes a bit i use a belt sander with 40 grit and use a band saw to cut the tube a good set of rigth cutting tin snips come in very handy. i like to space the flange off the head with very thick 3/8 washers and cut the tube a bit long and when you get the tub were you like it hold it up and go around the out side of the flange with a marker and then pull it out . add 3/8 to the mark and cut with tin snips. so when done i weld the tub to the inside of the headder flange this gives them a clean look . getting the tub out of the head will be sometimes the hard part making room for spark plugs . i also do the hard side first? this some times maybe a toss-up when you get in to 2 1/4 + size tube . i look at the car or truck alot??i try to think were the tubes can go. i mark the tubes so i know how long they are. when i think they are close to being the same length . block up the collectors so they are 1 inch from the car floor and move them to where the best shot is for the ex. and try to hit the collector with the primaries tubes and think were you can put the tubes. i try to cut down on welds and try to move the welds so they will not line up with another tubes so that the weld do not hit each other. with a mig sometimes you may have to hit the weld with a sander this is not to big of a deal if you tig them the weld are flat alot of the time you may have to work the tubing some times it not round i use a body hammer and some round stock for the dolly. oh and i try two make the last two tubes run on the bottom of the collectors this add length to them