for those of you that have used HEADERS in your tiger, is there enough Room between the frame rails and the head to install the headers? OR is there alot of Hammering and "Making ROOM involved ?? also, does it get in the way of the steering shaft at all ? all new to me. thanks
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Headers ?!
- Thread starter fonz
- Start date
spmdr
Diamond Level Sponsor
Fitting Tube headers can be a BITCH!
...at least the FIRST time.
...especially with a TIGER!
Usually, the first challenge is the Motor mounts, they are NEARLY Identical.
But they ARE different, right to left.
And THEN, the FACT is, not ALL motor mounts are the SAME, Brand to Brand, AND sometime, Batch to Batch!
And they don't live forever.
The second challenge is, Not all Tigers are the same!
Some have lived a HARD life!
...And some a HARDER Life!
And then there are the ones that have been Killed and brought back to life, ...multiple times.
...All bets are OFF with a Whacked Tiger.
Even the "perfect" Tigers very from one to the other.
The Third challenge is motor position.
Years ago I talked to a Tiger owner who said he HAD to "Massage" the Left side header for clearance.
I looked at the Left side and he was correct, there was very little clearance AFTER the Massaging.
I walked around to the Right side only to see an EXCESSIVE amount of Clearance.
Clearly there was a problem with Motor Position, the headers were NOT the problem!
When fitting Headers, be prepared to MOVE the engine around, front to back and side to side!
CAT headers (ca. 1994-2010 ish, old fixtures) had a "SWEET spot" (position) you HAD to get to.
That Sweet spot was quite small, but it WAS there! Most of the time you had to FIND IT!
Sometime you were lucky and it found it's self.
Sometime, to get to that sweet spot required opening the holes in the motor mount, to the engine block.
Sometime the motor mounts NEED changing and/or more drastic mods.
I consider motor mounts the first and primary subjects for modification when fitting headers.
Note, motor mount HANGERS (the cast all metal parts) are Tiger ONLY parts and should be treated accordingly.
I usually install the Left side on first, loosely.
Then the right side, loosely.
Then install the motor mounts and hangers, moving the engine as needed.
Then snug up the headers and assess the fit.
Then snug up the motor mounts and assess the fit.
Then move the engine as needed.
DW
...at least the FIRST time.
...especially with a TIGER!
Usually, the first challenge is the Motor mounts, they are NEARLY Identical.
But they ARE different, right to left.
And THEN, the FACT is, not ALL motor mounts are the SAME, Brand to Brand, AND sometime, Batch to Batch!
And they don't live forever.
The second challenge is, Not all Tigers are the same!
Some have lived a HARD life!
...And some a HARDER Life!
And then there are the ones that have been Killed and brought back to life, ...multiple times.
...All bets are OFF with a Whacked Tiger.
Even the "perfect" Tigers very from one to the other.
The Third challenge is motor position.
Years ago I talked to a Tiger owner who said he HAD to "Massage" the Left side header for clearance.
I looked at the Left side and he was correct, there was very little clearance AFTER the Massaging.
I walked around to the Right side only to see an EXCESSIVE amount of Clearance.
Clearly there was a problem with Motor Position, the headers were NOT the problem!
When fitting Headers, be prepared to MOVE the engine around, front to back and side to side!
CAT headers (ca. 1994-2010 ish, old fixtures) had a "SWEET spot" (position) you HAD to get to.
That Sweet spot was quite small, but it WAS there! Most of the time you had to FIND IT!
Sometime you were lucky and it found it's self.
Sometime, to get to that sweet spot required opening the holes in the motor mount, to the engine block.
Sometime the motor mounts NEED changing and/or more drastic mods.
I consider motor mounts the first and primary subjects for modification when fitting headers.
Note, motor mount HANGERS (the cast all metal parts) are Tiger ONLY parts and should be treated accordingly.
I usually install the Left side on first, loosely.
Then the right side, loosely.
Then install the motor mounts and hangers, moving the engine as needed.
Then snug up the headers and assess the fit.
Then snug up the motor mounts and assess the fit.
Then move the engine as needed.
DW
Last edited:
The OP intends to shoehorn a SBF 302 with auto gearbox into a Series 3. I had a lengthy phone conversation with him in September about V-8ing an Alpine (including the use of headers as opposed to manifolds)) but he seems hell-bent on doing it the hard way.
Mark ..... volvoguys
Warren
Bronze Level Sponsor
Amazing post Dan W. When you get a set from either Sunbeam Specialties or from CAT or If you happen to come upon a set made by Ballinger S and S or a vintage set of JC Whitney in the box as new old stock you'd be shaking the box going.... Insert shaking voice...
" Where's the instructions."
There should be something just like the post up above. They should also add may make changing spark plugs even harder. May create aggravating little noises when your car isn't idling smooth on startup. Radio and boombox not included to cover said extra new noises that you just can't get rid of unless you put a lot of unsightly dents in individual offending tubes.
They should also say measure twice massage or dent once.
Some headers are new and improved as production and vendor changes aren't.
Of course your results may vary....
" Where's the instructions."
There should be something just like the post up above. They should also add may make changing spark plugs even harder. May create aggravating little noises when your car isn't idling smooth on startup. Radio and boombox not included to cover said extra new noises that you just can't get rid of unless you put a lot of unsightly dents in individual offending tubes.
They should also say measure twice massage or dent once.
Some headers are new and improved as production and vendor changes aren't.
Of course your results may vary....
spmdr
Diamond Level Sponsor
Another note, beware of Carb fit!
When you move the engine around, you can get that 4 V carb hitting the fire wall.
If you put a SBF V8 in an Alpine, you WILL become intimately aware of exactly what is known as:
"Big burly guy WITH a Big mallet pounding on the Bulkhead"
A process the WAS part of the Tiger production!
The frame rails NEED THE mods (with a BIG hammer, after removing a section of metal) near the intersection of the bottom of the inter fender supports and frame rails.
When you move the engine around, you can get that 4 V carb hitting the fire wall.
If you put a SBF V8 in an Alpine, you WILL become intimately aware of exactly what is known as:
"Big burly guy WITH a Big mallet pounding on the Bulkhead"
A process the WAS part of the Tiger production!
The frame rails NEED THE mods (with a BIG hammer, after removing a section of metal) near the intersection of the bottom of the inter fender supports and frame rails.
THE FRAME TO ENGINE MOUNT brackets in this car are not cast, they are 1/4" plate. the holes for the 1 bolt from the engine mount is about 3/4" so there Is "wiggle room", up down-side to side. I've had the engine in and out 6 times in 1 day just making and remaking the firewall/trans tunnel. then the frame mounts. I'm sure it will be in /out alot more.
I am using an Edelbrock carb , so there are "No problems" with it at the firewall. I am a person who absolutely hates Headers ( The only reason I am asking is my mailbox is NOT FULL of mails telling me that they have stock Manifolds for sale !) otherwise I would use them. I have taken headers OFF 2 of my cars and they are hanging on the wall because of all the "Headaches stated". so, that being said, Does anyone here HAVE a set of exhaust manifolds reasonably priced ? Thank you.
alpine_64
Donation Time
You are on an alpine site... Asking for Tiger parts...
While there are Tiger guys here... The majority of Tiger guys use the Tiger focused forums and FB pages.... So maybe you'd have better results searching for tiger parts there...?
I donno I've got a V8 Alpine. I built my own motor mounts and fabbed my own headers every thing works just fine,as far as a Tiger prop the motor up fit the headers the install the motor mounts my headers are individual pieces put them on one at a time then slip the collector on.