Gonna try to make some headers......

with over 300k miles on my truck and very limited funding, Ive pretty well given up on searching for a turbo. I remember a while back their was a thread on FTE about headers for diesels like mine, but as i remember they were quite pricy and werent really worth how much they were charging for them when compared to the power gain. Anyone ever try making headers for a 7.3 IDI before? Also, any idea on what all would be involved in installing headers, more than unbolting the stock manifolds and bolting on the new headers? Mostly im concerned about clearance issues. whattya think about going with shortys?

IMO, your best bet would be to get a set of stock manifolds from the same year truck as yours, cut the stock tubes off at the flange, then weld a set of tube of whatever diameter you choose in. This way you know they will bolt right on and have no clearance issues.

in my own opinion unless your puting out alot of power stock headers do just fine.. i would look into smoothing out the casting flaws on your stock manifolds if anything.. all you really need is a air zip and the proper attachment for it.. i have learned alot about porting and such in the last year or so and unless you want to go with a crazy turbo and massive boost stock flows just as good if the runners are smoothed out..

If you plan to build your own header I'd recommend T136 steel and 3/8's flanges and tig welding it for strength

Hey !!! They do it on Horse Power TV Why Not make an awesome set of your own.

i am guessing you have a naturally aspirated 7.3...... if you do have a turbo, what size down pipe are you running?

Nope, no turbo. If I do happen across a turbo in the near future i was figuring on using a 3 inch downpipe. Thats about alll that will fit

what size of exhaust are you running? do you have it true dualed out? have you checked the compression on all 8 cylinders? i cannot say i have ever found a header for the diesels..... if it is something you want to build your own, go to a shop? have them bend you a bunch of 1 inch(ill bet thats alk you need) exhaust tubing into u shapes...... then, you can use a chop saw or whatever, cut the amount of bend you need out of the u shape, then tack it in place. then once all your tubes are sitting correctly, and you are happy, pull the header off, and tig weld all the joints. tig will give you the cleanest weld, without leaving a big bead inside the pipe, which will decrease flow...... use at least 3\8 inch plate for the block mounting flang, or you may get alot of warping, and find them hard to seal..... i built a set for my 78 ford, back in high school.... they worked out well, but by the time i factored in material cost, and my labor..... i could have just bought some..... but then again, you have a diesel

power block tv, extreme 4x4 did a deal on building headers a couple of months ago.... they may give you some good pointers, as well as some good ideas.

also, have you increased the air intake?? more flow on exhaust only goes as far as the air the motor sucks in. my dads 86 6.9 diesel, we added true dual 2 inch, no muffler exhaust, and a cold air, high flow intake system, and gained enough power to make him happy without a turbo..... but me, well, im still trying to find a banks turbo kit for that truck. but first, ive got to replace the valves on it first, it only had about 65(average) on the compression tester.....

batty1214 wrote:

what size of exhaust are you running? do you have it true dualed out? have you checked the compression on all 8 cylinders? i cannot say i have ever found a header for the diesels..... if it is something you want to build your own, go to a shop? have them bend you a bunch of 1 inch(ill bet thats alk you need) exhaust tubing into u shapes...... then, you can use a chop saw or whatever, cut the amount of bend you need out of the u shape, then tack it in place. then once all your tubes are sitting correctly, and you are happy, pull the header off, and tig weld all the joints. tig will give you the cleanest weld, without leaving a big bead inside the pipe, which will decrease flow...... use at least 3\8 inch plate for the block mounting flang, or you may get alot of warping, and find them hard to seal..... i built a set for my 78 ford, back in high school.... they worked out well, but by the time i factored in material cost, and my labor..... i could have just bought some..... but then again, you have a diesel

Currently it is all stock exhaust back to the muffler. The muffler has been replaced and it seems to flow pretty good. I figured on checking the compression when i replaced the injectors. Their was a thread on FTE a while back that had a link to some headers that could be bought for the IDI. Ive been meaning to learn how to TIG weld for a while now anyways lol.

Intake is stock, but i have tried to come up with a way to build a ram air intake for it. As you know their is no real good way to get air from the front of the truck routed up to the motor.

yeah, my dads ford, we built a box, and cut out the fender, and pulled air from the fender, it works pretty good.

spectre makes a kit that you can buy. it comes with an adapter for the throttle body, and a bunch of bends and streight peices. all you need to do is weld them together and you would be set for a cold air setup.. ram air is a little harder to do with a stock hood. if you where good with fiberglass you could mold in a scoop and then make a tunnel underneath to run to an air box but you need to incorporate some kind of water trap..

the easiest way to make your own ram air is to run an intake tube behind the grill.. then there's no modifying any of your body panels

79_bronco wrote:

the easiest way to make your own ram air is to run an intake tube behind the grill.. then there's no modifying any of your body panels

Its not that easy or i woulda done it already. Problem is theirs no easy way to get a tube from the grill to the intake without cutting out part of the rad. support........

that's why they make hole saws i've seen it done, there isn't much to it.. mostly just shifting things around a little

i was thinkin more along the lines of grinder with a cutoff wheel lol. Then a little dryer ducting and there it is lol

cant say i havent seen it done.. my favorite was a folgers can sticking out of the top of the hood and when it rained the kid would just put the lid back on it.. it was on a mid 90s buick skylack.. lol

hey, don't laugh.. that folger's can adds 100hp!!

lol that's great! I still like how some people in the mud bogging scene run their intake into the cab of the truck under the dash to keep water out of it!! It's great!

FaselZ71 wrote:

lol that's great! I still like how some people in the mud bogging scene run their intake into the cab of the truck under the dash to keep water out of it!! It's great!

that's the best way to run a snorkel in my opinion.. out of sight, out of mind.. and no fender cutting!

Yeah I've seen dome pretty custom jobs the only downfall to having one is they are really noisy on even a small block I can't imagine one on a high HP BB or even a deisel I don't think you'd even be able to hear the radio!

mine wasn't that loud.. then again, mine was run into a custom air box i made that was hidden in my glove box for easy filter cleaning lol