Block Hugger header Question...

Sean · February 13, 2004, 04:30:00 PM

Do SBC "Hugger" type headers hang straight down, or do they angle in towards the block a little?

I am getting ready to put a new engine in my F100 and I need to do away with the Full size Headers that I have on it now. The passenger side header had to be heated and bent because it hit the frame, and it eats exhaust gaskets like crazy.

I also looked at Heddmans S-10 headers, and while I know for sure that they will fit, Huggers are about $40 cheaper.

The original 352 was offset an inch or two towards the passenger side and since the Chevy set right down on the original Ford frame towers I just left it that way. If the Huggers hang plumb, they will hit the frame, but if they angle in, I think they will work.

HotRodLadyCrusr · February 13, 2004, 05:04:56 PM

Sean, when I get home from work (midnite) I'll e-mail you my buddy Neil Matranga's email address who works in R & D at Hedman. Maybe he can cut you a deal and get them to cut $40 bucks off their price. Worth a shot if they are the ones you really want.

purplepickup · February 13, 2004, 05:10:30 PM

They angle in. That's why they call them block huggers

Some hug more than others. I needed some that hugged the block real tight to clear my steering linkage and had to try 4 different sets before I found some that would work. The local speed shop was real helpful by letting me take different ones home to try. It was well worth paying them a little more for a set.

I'll sure miss the local shops when the mail order places run them out of business. :evil:

Sean · February 13, 2004, 05:34:21 PM

I wish we had a local Speed Shop. The closest one I know of is Wise Speed Shop in St Louis.

I went ahead and Bid on a set thats on ebay. A lot of them looked like cheap chinese chrome, but I found a set of no-name Black Painted Huggers with 3/8" block flange. They should be good enough for what I am doing. The Flange on my Full length headers is only 1/4", and they're Heddmans.

Thanks Denise, but the price difference isn't very much on name brand headers. The $40 difference I was talking about was the "no-names" on ebay. I was prepared to shell out the money for the Hedmanns, but since the Huggers will work, I'll spend the $40 on something else.

I am going to try and hit the HAMB drags this year, so I decided a new Engine would be my best bet for avoiding total embarrassment on the strip.

HotRodLadyCrusr · February 13, 2004, 05:45:05 PM

Quote from: "Sean"
I am going to try and hit the HAMB drags this year, so I decided a new Engine would be my best bet for avoiding total embarrassment on the strip.

TRY??? You live in MO... there should be no reason, besides death, that should keep you away! I'll be arriving in Joplin on that Thursday and hanging out at JimC's place Thursday nite, baking cookies on Friday morning before we hit the back country roads on the tour that WZJunk and MoJunk are planning. I'll be REALLY disappointed if your not there :cry:

Sean · February 13, 2004, 06:01:34 PM

I fully intend on being there. I didn't go last year mainly because of the injury that has me off work now. The Dr. should release me within the next month or two though, so by August I 'ought to be in fine form.

I can never be sure of anything on weekends though. 90% of my work is Stainless Fabrication and Repair for the two big Food Plants in Columbia. Most of the major work has to be done on weekends while the plant is shutdown, since people don't care for their Rice cakes and Weenies to be flavored with drill shavings and Grinder Dust.

Beck · February 13, 2004, 06:48:37 PM

Some of the big mail order houses are selling angle plug block headers for all aplications. The angle plug headers differ from the straight plug headers in the area that the tubes enter the connector. On one the center tubes are on the outside of the collector. On the other the outer tubes are on the outside of the collector. It doesn't sound like a big deal but it makes a major difference on some instalations. I'm not positive but I think the straight plug versions have the center tubes on the outside. On my 32 the angle plug versions hit the hood sides because the front tube was out further. The pinched nose on my car was the main reason for the problem. Just the little difference in header design solved the problem.
Beck

model a vette · February 14, 2004, 04:04:12 PM

The only block huggers I've worked with are on my friend's car. They are a cheap version of Sanderson's sold thru Speedway I think. They are VERY close to the block at the oil pan level. I don't think there is even space for a drain cock to replace the plugs at the pan rail. My friend has had problems tightening the lower, inside flange bolts, near the block because of clearance problems.

Jimc · February 15, 2004, 10:16:28 AM

Quote from: "HotRodLadyCrusr"
Quote from: "Sean"
I am going to try and hit the HAMB drags this year, so I decided a new Engine would be my best bet for avoiding total embarrassment on the strip.

TRY??? You live in MO... there should be no reason, besides death, that should keep you away! I'll be arriving in Joplin on that Thursday and hanging out at JimC's place Thursday nite, baking cookies on Friday morning before we hit the back country roads on the tour that WZJunk and MoJunk are planning. I'll be REALLY disappointed if your not there :cry:

HRLC, That's the best news I have had.
Looking forward to seeing you again. The cookies are just icing on the cake.
Got a full size bed for you now.

No more sleeping on that ol greeeezy shop floor.

Jim

Sean · February 15, 2004, 10:29:28 AM

Hey JimC, where is Webb City? Thats one I've never heard of.

Jimc · February 15, 2004, 12:25:39 PM

Webb City is just north of Joplin in the southwest corner.
Right on 71/171 hyway.

Did you notice I refrained from saying Webb City is in a Spider's posterior?
Jim

Jimc · February 15, 2004, 12:30:02 PM

Quote from: "model a vette"The only block huggers I've worked with are on my friend's car. They are a cheap version of Sanderson's sold thru Speedway I think. They are VERY close to the block at the oil pan level. I don't think there is even space for a drain ##### to replace the plugs at the pan rail. My friend has had problems tightening the lower, inside flange bolts, near the block because of clearance problems.

I like mine. I do not know the brand, as i bought them from a friend.

Sean · February 15, 2004, 08:03:09 PM

Jeez, look at all the shiney stuff..... Good looking engine, whats it in?

Jimc · February 15, 2004, 08:12:55 PM

Thanks for the kind words.
.030 Trw flat tops, Crane energiser, .484 lift with .274 duration on both valves(triple angle)202 intakes, 194 ex. Crane roler tips aluminum rocker.
750 AFb heads are 882 castings.
It has the generation x rods and modular steel crank.

Motor runs pretty well, but I cant shift the TH350 with the manual shift setup, It is a Greg Cantrell built transmission.
Jim

Crafty · February 16, 2004, 09:24:18 AM

I forget who it was but someone posted pics of their '38 on the old board, there was a short piece about good fitting and junk block huggers on that thread, if I remember rightly the guy had used one make of headers before and they burned up the plug wires, he then switched to another brand with no problems.
The main difference between the ones available seems to be if the outside tubes join the to collector behind or in front of the centre two..