Which headers to use?

I was thinking about putting headers on my 71' . It has a 225 :v6: and currently has stock exhaust manifolds and exhaust. The muffler has a hole in it because while in the woods I got too close to a rock oh well. Although my JEEP sounds kind of cool I would like to have headers and pipes out the sides. Where should I start looking and what do I need to know? I have another question about the exhaust.....why is the part of the pipe by the engine crimped? My guess is this could restrict the exhaust flow just a bit. Thanks for any help.

-Jim-

1971 CJ5 225:v6: w/ HEI 45,000 +/- miles
2005 GMC 6.6L Duramax Diesel - Daily driver and tow rig
1994 Tucker T1000 cummins 4BT turbo diesel, 12,000lb warn winch - used for grooming snowmobile trails.

-Real trucks are diesel- unknown

 

I have the same set of Hedmans on mine that I put on in 1992. They have no holes in them and have been repainted once (2 years ago) with Eastwood exhaust and Header paint. The drivers side has leaked for the last 1 year or so, I dropped it after repainting it and the flange seal was slightly bent, I straightened it but it didn't quite hold a seal and started leaking about a year after installation. The new ones have the ball seal on them and are pretty much impervious to leaking at the collector like mine is doing now.

 

Thanks guys. I forgot about the search feature. I will try that.

-Jim-

1971 CJ5 225 OF w/HEI
2005 GMC 2500HD Duramax Diesel
1994 Tucker T1000 sno-cat

 

if i had my time over i would have never put headers on my 67 cj.when my headers wear out i will put the original exhaust manifolds back on for the same reasons sparky said.

 

advance adapters make a great header, many guys here have said they last a very long time, i bought them for my 71, but i am not at that stage in my rebuild yet, im sure they are going to be loud, but oh well.......

 

make sure you put the longest muffler on the header. I got 2 noise tickets from the hedman mufflers (>92 decibals). Somehow I got 25" long glass packs to fit under the body.

 

Why would headers make your exhaust system louder? So long as you used similar components downstream of the header I cannot imagine any reason they'd be louder. However, it seems that most people inclined to use headers also have an affinity for glasspacks.

 

Gotta agree with the header owners. The PO on my jeep only did two major mods from stock. DUI, +100points. Headers, -100points. Soon as I can find a way to convert back to stock for cheap, I will.

 

i just fired the jeep today for the first time, i am running AA headers only right now (not on the road yet) and i was surprised at how quiet they were compared to my headmans on my 70'

 

FWIW, I've been running the AA headers for over 10 years with no problems! Thick flanges are major plus compared to other brands I've run on other vehicles. (read as NO leaks!) The only thing I'd do different is spring fo the Jet Hot coating, or some other similar quality treatment. Although they aren't even close to rusting thru, it would have made them stay looking better and assist in the exhaust "exit"... JMHO.

 

I have an inexpensive set of fender well headers on my '73 with glass packs and pipes to the rear of the Jeep. They are 1)rusty (guess I should repaint them), 2) Louder than stock (but not to the ticket level), 3) they are not hot (unless you touch them . . . that is they add no heat when in the Jeep or standing along side it), and MOST IMPORTANTLY, 4) they sound very cool!
Just the 18 year old (left) in me!

 

I think the trick is the pipes gong out the back (rather than dumping out the end of the glass pack).
If I've really got my foot into the gas pedal my headers will get hot enough to glow.
I also have those (big) Willys fenders on the front end . . . that may help some.

 

I think the thickness of the cast manifolds might muffle the sound a bit......but maybe I'm dreaming

 

I'd happily go back to stock manifolds if I could find some. I had all the same problems Sparky has. I have/had the same setup. I'm thinking about building my own between the rail headers during my build. Fenderwell exit headers= bad idea.