In a tight spot

[WileE]

I ended up buying three different sets of header bolts/studs/nuts for my Hookers because of the
same thing you are going through! What a headache!

Not needed. Why do you have 3 sets ? I've got studs on all except inside #1 and inside #2. Been doing it that way on this particular application since the early 70's.

 

[WileE]

Hell, you mnust be my age !!

I'm alot older.

 

[gkent]

There are some REALLY STUPID suggestions here !

 

[1 Wild R/T]

There are some REALLY STUPID suggestions here !

Frustrating when people don't realize you gave the single best answer twenty posts ago....

 

[Mopar Hunter]

Oh the joys of headers.

 

[fine69]

All my ratchet wrenches have a lever to change direction. Shame yours doesn't, would have made things slightly easier.
View attachment 1630195

That’s what I initially wanted but the plain Millwaukees were on sale…

 

[WileE]

Frustrating when people don't realize you gave the single best answer twenty posts ago....

I did ! And because I did the same mistake... yeah.. along time ago.

 

[flyingfeathers]

Gentlemen gentlemen all you have do is grind a 1/16 off of a 3/8 closed end wrench works like a champ!

 

[33 IMP]

Using two long bolts to keep the header from going too far away is a good one. As said above, just bite the bullet and loosen the whole header.
(And yeah , header bolts can be a giant pain in the butt! I have a short 3/8-7/16 combo that I ground about 2/3 of away. Works like a champ for header bolts.ill post a pic if I can find it.....)
Notice how the heads have been thinned in the second pic.

 

[flyingfeathers]

Sorry guys you still have to cut the 3/8 header bolt also.

 

[33 IMP]

Sorry guys you still have to cut the 3/8 header bolt also.

Why? If he removes the header from the head, he can get the wrench off. If you are talking about shortening the bolt head before you put it back, I'll buy that .

 

[khryslerkid]

Old Post!

 

[kiwigtx]

Old Post!

View attachment 1705781

 

[kiwigtx]

 

[33 IMP]

Oh well, I didn't catch it. I bet he got his wrench off by now.......

 

[kiwigtx]

Oh well, I didn't catch it. I bet he got his wrench off my now.......

 

[fine69]

Yes the wrench has been out for quite some time. Heads have since shook and lessons have been learned. Loosening all the other bolts did the trick.
I guarantee you I will be a bit more cautious the next time around which is coming up pretty soon. The exhaust is leaking on both sides now so I ordered some copper gaskets and I get to go through the whole ordeal again. Lucky me.

 

[Charlie Brown]

Yes the wrench has been out for quite some time. Heads have since shook and lessons have been learned. Loosening all the other bolts did the trick.
I guarantee you I will be a bit more cautious the next time around which is coming up pretty soon. The exhaust is leaking on both sides now so I ordered some copper gaskets and I get to go through the whole ordeal again. Lucky me.

I had a header exhaust leak on one side. I installed a copper header to cylinder head gasket. Leaked worse the the original problem. Remflex gasket fixed the problem.

 

[440 4 speed]

Don’t have any leaks, problems with manifolds, don't know if I would really notice the difference in hp.

 

[33 IMP]

Don’t have any leaks, problems with manifolds, don't know if I would really notice the difference in hp.

Nothing wrong with manifolds if that's what you want. My daily drivers have manifolds ( that was NOT true in the old days!). But if I have a car that is , or pretends to be, fast, it's gonna have headers. The cars I have headers on have custom headers, cause there are no shelf headers, and probably no manifolds that would work. I have a forty year old set of hookers, that don't leak, and I have no problems with, even tho they are in eight pieces.