Well, the guys at F UK seem to be sleeping..... I need a UK spec 308 Carb car Front (5-8) bank exhaust manifold in stainless steel, also a distributor cap for same car (points ign). Does anyone have recent prices/sources for these parts, or recommend a good source.....
Phil Ask QV London (01344 622011). My guess is they have/can source etc. They make 355 headers from stainless all the time. I think Jeff (of Ferrari UK) is/was in Monterrey. Philip
Man, good luck to you. I've cracked both mine and replacements are getting hard to find... Do you think the guys at Quicksilver have fabbed one yet for the carb 308s? I went back with used ones both sides and I'm sure I'm on borrowed time. Of course mine were wrapped and that probably stresses them more than the open ones. A fresh set of stainless open ones would be just the ticket. Let me know what you find. Any used ones here would most likely be the wrapped style....
The guys at Superformance in the UK have headders and they are nice parts. Check them out at www.superformance.co.uk
Hi I can vouch for the quality of Superformance headers. I needed to replace my original front one (19976 308GT4). Fit was perfect. You can see photos at http://dino308gt4.com under Repairs tab. Gerrit
As I looked over the site, I find that they do look like quality pieces. (somebody ought to tell the webmaster that the pics of rear headers are actually front ones though). I have quite a bit of years in tube work, usually TIG (heliarc), and based on what I have seen on 308's is they are often welded too hot at the flange. It appears to be either MIG (wire feed) or stick welding. Either way, the results I have seen are as too much heat is put intothe weld, when the shrink occurs, it draws from the metal on the inside of the tube. This in pipe welding is known as "suck back". It weakens the weld, right where the stresses are some of the highest, right at the flange that bolts to the head. I is an easy fix providing the welder has tube experience, in Stainless. Stainless, while being an excellent corrosion resistant material is by nature very prone to expansion and contraction due to temperature changes at a rate easily double that of mild steel. This causes them to move around considerably, which helps the cracks form, as the stresses are focused on certain ares, but not others. One trick I would suggest, is to cut the flanges in between the tubes. Just a hack saw wide cut is usually enought to allow a bit of movement, which the copper gaskets should easily absorb, to do the job. I've used this trick many times to eliminate cracks from forming later. One other quick note is the tube must be purged with Argon, or a similar shield gas to insure a good weld. HTH Kermit
Thanks guys...I'll give superformance a shout I think. Need another quick rack and some wishbone bushes too, so I'll put an order together I think.
My 308 QV header has a small 1" long hairline crack in one of the bends. Is this stock header stainless steel? Also- what is the best way to repair this small crack. Verell suggested grinding a "v" in the crack, fill with weld, and grind smooth. Sounds good to me. Thanks, John Image Unavailable, Please Login
How do you guys feel about removing the aluminium sheilding that covers the headers? Mine is a 1980 308 GTSi. If removal is a good idea should I have them ceramic coated inside and out?
SS does not rust like carbon steel does. The stock headers are steel. Verrell is correct on your fix. If they are still thick enough, get them cleaned and ceramic coated. It will lower the temps in your engine bay. You should be able to get them done for about $200 each. Removing the covers is a PITA though. You'll need an air powered cut off wheel for sure.
There ya go Walt. I sent email also. Superperformance looks like good work. When the stock ones blow out your fan belts catch fire.....don't ask me how I know.........
Actually, the stock headers are constructed out of stainless tubes, welded to mild steel flanges. Check it with a magnet. Coating the headers is a great way to go. I would caution on cutting with a wheel, a they are full of insulation, and can be hazardous to breathe the grinding dust.
Are you talking about the insulation that's packed inside the heatshields that enclose the US spec headers? These are euro headers, don't have the insulated heatshields. As far as we can tell they're just solid tubing about 1mm thick. (See photo @beginning of this thread). Can't verify all types of SS with a magnet, especially the high nickel SS which tends to be quite magnetic & also rusts slightly.
Not to highjack the thread, but is it possible to change the front header without removing the engine? From all the times I've been under the car, it looks near impossible to snake the old header out and a new one in. The rear header looks much easier to deal with.
Verell I was speaking to the isulation found in the US spec cars. While I dont know the makeup, I would doubt it is asbestos. However, years ago, nobody thought breathing asbestos did any harm, resperators were not used, and now later, we know better. I don't wanna be one of those who later find "That studies have now proven......" As to the properties of Stainless, you are quite correct in what you are saying about some types are magnetic, and may corrode slightly. All true. This would be in the 400 series of stainless, which has pracitcally no nickle in it. A common use everyone has heard is knife blades refered to as 440C. The lack of nickle has the effect of allowing the blade to remain much sharper, as nickle tends to be soft. However Blades break, as part of being hard enough to hold an edge, they aren't flexible. 300 series Stainless has nickle in it which improves the corroion resistance. Starting with the most common grade 304 has a smaller amount than 308 does, 316 stainless contains more than 308, and so the gradeing works. Exhausts are usually fabricated out of some of the lowest (302) grade possible for the folloing reasons: Cheaper, and as it is closer in makeup to plain steel than the rest, bends easier, thus making the choice in most Auto builders
The RH fuel Tank needs to come out for 5-8 bank manifold swap. It's easier than it looks though, about 6 hrs job done for a UK car, a bit more with US emission crap in the way. Stock carb car manifolds and 2V inj are all mild steel. Only QV and 328 had stainless as standard. Superformance replied to my fax within seconds, good prices but not all parts in stock. Will order parts from them though. And I told them about the photos being wrong too!
Hi With enough practice (I removed mine 3 times for fixes before giving in), you can go from 6 hours to 2 hours (depending on how full your gas tank is). My experience is that once you get the first hole, it doesn't matter how well you weld it up, there will be another one soon enough. You need 3/8" extensions and C wrenches (for get the term but they are double ended and look like a C shape). You will need to remove the alternator and the RH gas tank. Use new copper gaskets since you don't want to go through this again. Most of the work can be done from below the car or from the RH wheel well. The Superformance header has the welded nuts placed exactly where you need them for the Euro heat shields. BTW the Service Times Manual (http://dino308gt4.com under Downloads) says R&R is 3.0 hours, 5.0 with removal of tank. Gerrit
Shouldn't be any need to remove the alternator, or even the belt. Manifold just slides past it all. Don't even need to remove starter or even it's heat shield on UK spec car. All tricky nuts can be reached from ABOVE quite easily with a normal ring spanner, although blind. Ha 2 hours!! If you can drive the car into the bay where you're working, change a 5-8 bank exhaust manifold safely and get the car ready for return to customer in 2 hours, I'll give you a job immediately, $1,000,000 pa OK?
Hi Phil I should clarify: I can assure you that I have removed it in 1.5 h, safely (i.e. no pool of fuel on the floor.) The first time I needed 6 hours just to get it out. Thank you for reminding me though that the alternator doesn't need to come out, haven't needed to work on the header since it was replaced 2 years ago. Since the starter heat shield is held on by two of the header nuts it will need to be removed don't you think? The reason I use 3/8 drive extensions from below for most of the nuts is to reduce the fiddling with small swings on wrenches. Some of my knuckles already are swollen with arthritus from past abuses. I'll think about your employment offer next year, which is when I will be seriously looking to retire somewhere with warm winters I hear good things about living in Australia.
C shape = "half-moon" metric wrench or "obstruction" wrench or "starter" wrench or "manifold wrench." Good luck finding them in the USA. The metric type is only carried by Snap-on and made by one Chinese company, but I wouldn't buy those, only the Snap on. Not cheap either.
Hi Don Them's the ones. They are readily available here north of the border, we moved to metric a long time ago. Princess Auto (http://princessauto.com ) has them as well as Canadian Tire. Not sure though if they ship south of the border. Let me know if you are interested. Gerrit
Yup, I tried to open up an account and it won't let me, the computer geek that programmed the site won't allow for US addresses. Can you get me some price quotes for a set of the half moon metric wrenches? From 8mm - 17mm? Thanks. If possible, the brand name of the manufacturer of those tools. I can never have enough of those half moon wrenches.
I sure could use a set also, pls either post the quote (we might get a group buy going), or email: [email protected]
