Header hell

[ChuckN]

This post is well over a year old. And I think the issue was blueprint makes their own heads with raised exhaust ports.

Came here to say exactly that. That’s pretty much the only reason I avoided them.

 

[xm20k]

Didn't notice it was necrod

Either way I doubt the ports are moved enough to cause an issue.

 

[Ricko1966]

Didn't notice it was necrod

Either way I doubt the ports are moved enough to cause an issue.

Lol got bored last night 3am nothing to do ,so I looked up some blueprint stuff. On their web site they claim they've raised the exhaust ports .500 So, I think people are stuck reworking their headers flanges or buying the ones that blueprint has teamed up with the manufacturers to make. You know what though,just occurred if blue print raised the studs also most headers should still work. I will never know. None of their stuff is in my plans.

 

[Rustisbest]

I mentioned it in another thread but yes, the ports AND the bolt holes are raised 1/2". So the headers move up and outwards a that little bit. If your headers are tight in either one of those areas you may have issues. The AFRs on my Tahoe are raised 1/4" and I believe the Edelbrocks are raised too. So its not anything that only Blueprint is doing.

It helped mine because they needed a couple of dimples to clear the control arm with the stock engine. But they fit it and the same crate I bought being discussed by the OP.

As far as header size goes on the headers I've had the tubes measured OD. So if they're 16 gauge you lose almost an 1/8" when measuring inside the tube right out of the gate. Then depending on how they welded them the welds may cover part of the port. Some of em they build up the weld and machine it flat or some, like mine are tig welded to the flange and the entire flange is flat.

Some headers have round or oval holes, some have squares with rounded corners. Gets kind of tricky when youre covering a squarish or d port shaped port with a round flange or vice versa. Easiest way to check is to get a piece of thick paper or an old cereal box and lay it on the head and tap around the ports and holes with a hammer to get an outline, then cut it out and lay it over the headers to check.

These are what I used, and if you read the reviews Im not the only one with em on a C10.....Equal length, 409 stainless, 3/8" flanges, slip fit collectors with a merge spike. There will be clearance issues with the control arms unless they're tubular then they should bolt right in. Just gotta use the short oil filter. Delco PF25, PF1218, PF454, Wix 51069 or equivalent.....On a 4wd they MIGHT bolt right in since theres no control arms in the way. Driveshaft clearance would be the only thing I could think of but they dump pretty short on that side? I also have an aftermarket transmission crossmember to keep the exhaust tucked up in the framerails so that might be another thing to look out for. For what they are the little extra work and the hassle of getting em put on was worth it to me.

Pardon Our Interruption

Sorry for the novel, that's just my experience, YMMV

 

[xm20k]

Mine are 210cc intake, 2.08 valve, 70cc chamber, hydraulic roller .650 max lift performer RPMs and they do not have a raised port the only thing bigger is a Victor head for .700 lift mechanical rollers, but I don't think they are raised either, at least they don't say they are.

https://www.edelbrock.com/performer-rpm-210cc-small-block-chevy-cylinder-head-60215.html

With all the castings available that they could buy and finish how they want, not to mention the already assembled heads, why make your own?

Not to mention If a ton of other aftermarket head manufacturers can support 450+ HP and not move the ports around what's the point. Greed is the only thing I can think as they sell the solution to the problem, they themselves created.

 

[Turbo4whl]

necrod

necro'd, new word for me, I looked it up!

 

[Rustisbest]

They dont sell headers but have manufacturers they "recommend"
The further up you move the exhaust port the straighter shot out of the combustion chamber and air/exhaust doesn't like to turn.

AFRs are now claiming theyre only raised .100 vs what mine were years ago

195cc SBC Street Cylinder Head

Cylinder Head Specialists

www.airflowresearch.com

The GM fastburn heads are raised .200

Circle Track Supply, Inc. > 604 and 603 Crate Motors and Parts > GM Performance 604 Crate Bow Tie Logo Fast Burn Cylinder Heads

GM Performance 604 Crate Bow Tie Logo Fast Burn Cylinder Heads

www.circletracksupply.com

Profiler heads are raised

You must be registered for see images attach

Just not raised as much as Blueprints ports.....its nothing new, its just not discussed or widely known.
1/2" is not the big deal everybody makes it out to be IMO.


Done with this thread that just wont die lol

 

[xm20k]

A Necromancer raises the dead hence Necro'd is used to refer to a thread/post raised from the dead. Surprised with your post count it's new to you, I've seen it used on forums since the early days of the web.

 

[idahovette]

Yeah, me and Wayne don't get out much

 

[Turbo4whl]

Surprised with your post count it's new to you,

Maybe I did see it, I don't remember? This time I looked it up.

 

[Durwoods85]

It should be relatively easy. They've been making SBC C/K headers for these trucks since, well, 1973.

I have a set of $200 Dynomax's that came off my personal SBC (now LS) C10. They sealed fine. There were a set of Jeg's ceramic coated $300 headers on a K10 I did a restoration on with a built 400. They sealed fine. It's not the header for the most part (unless it's an awful, import, $100 set from Amazon or eBay) it's how you install them, and the gaskets you use. Both sets fit fine in the chassis; with only minimal clearance on one tube in the K10. I build ten-ish cars a year as a side hustle for friends, many spend time on a dyno.

Once you reach all-the-gasses-your-motor-can-flow on the exhaust side, there's no additional benefit to be had.

Next; virtually any primary size you select for a 383 (1 5/8, 1 3/4, 1 7/8, 2, 2 1/8) will flow fine. Unless you're building a Bonneville salt flats 220 mph racer, and seeking to eek out the last 2 mph, there will be no measurable difference in performance. For reference, my '69 Corvette currently runs a KaTech built LS7 from a '08 Z06. I have dyno sheets for 719 crank horsepower when I built her. The same people who build the motors for the Pratt and Miller C5/C6/C7/C8 factory prep race cars told me 1 3/4s is the perfect primary for that car. I can and will guarantee she's inhaling and exhaling harder than a Gen1 SBC.

My advice? Query what fits the chassis best. What requires the least amount of 5lb hammer and 50mm socket clearancing to make it in there. You'll never see a difference in streetable horsepower and torque, unless you're speaking of radically different designs (Tri-Y, cast iron Sandersons, shortys, full-tube, etc.)

The LS in my C10? A cam'd, intaked, 5.3? I'm running Ceramic coated Summit/Thorley Tri-Ys. It's a truck. I use it like a truck when I need to do truck things. Torque is king, I'm not aiming for 160mph blasts down the highway. I want to move the trencher I rented for yard work this weekend effortlessly. Even the different design header, it probably shifted the torque curve down a few hundred RPMs, and gave me 5-10 ft/lbs versus a full-length tube header.

Give it a balance pipe (X-preferably, H if it's all your shop can do) before the cats; it'll do more for exhaust gas resonance/standing wave balance (if you don't know what I'm speaking of, I can share engineering data with you), and make the exhaust scavenge better. Get good high-flow cats. Spend your cash there, not on the biggest tube header that'll fit.

It would be easy except the exhaust ports on Blueprint heads are 1/2" higher than stock creating a fitment issue. My bad, just noticed old post. Starting to restore a 79 K10 and have a Blueprint 350 390hp going in it.

 

[75gmck25]

I initially used stock iron exhaust manifolds with my Blueprint heads, and had to grind them a little on number 7 to get the spark plug boot on. I used ceramic boot plug wires on all cylinders just in case.

Swapped to Sanderson headers and the fit was much easier. However, they are shorty headers, so on the drivers side you have the collector right next to the TH350 shifter linkage. The collector adapters are sized so that 2 1/4” pipe fits in them.

You will have to weld up a custom down pipe on the drivers side, since you have to fit it between the shifter linkage and the engine flange. The collector adapter that came with the headers was set at about 45 degrees, but any rotation I tried did not work for a straight down pipe that missed all the obstructions. I taped short pipe sections together until I found the right angles, and then welded it together. Passenger side was much simpler.

 

[Astar350]

What headers will fit a blueprint 383 stroker in an 86 shorted k10. I unfortunately know nothing about headers fitment and such and would greatly appreciate any knowledge anyone can share. It's the 450 hp 460 ft/lbs torque 383. Can provide any other information if needed and just FYI, couldn't be happier with the blueprint engine. Makes all other 4x4's in my area look ...small and rather ford-ish.

Doug’s long tube headers fit my 84 k20