Re: alfa-digest V7 #1221 - Alfa Headers and Vendors thereof

[AlfaNeely@domain.elided]

    Are your headers attached to the back of the transmission?  My Shankle 
headers had a bracket that I bolted to the stock transmission mount and 
welded to the collector after everything had been bolted in place and the 
entire exhaust system had been built.
    Your idea of connecting the headers to the block should not hurt.  
However, the engine and the exhaust system need to move a bit independently.  
The transmission mount has rubber in it and the rest of the exhaust hangs 
from rubber.  If it was all too loose, it might be acting like a long lever 
prying the headers at the tightest point, namely the flanges that bolt to the 
engine.  The clunk at the rear may indicate too much stress to the headers 
from the rest of the system.

    By the way, I originally ordered IAP headers for my race car.  However, 
the tubes butted against the ports off center.  There was 1/8 inch of flat 
surface obstructing the port.  I thought about porting the headers, but 
headers should fit without modification.  I called and their tech guys did 
not seem too concerned about it.  I returned them and ordered from Shankle.  
A friend checked the IAP headers he had for his race car.  He is also going 
to get a different set.
    I will say that the bolts on the front sides of the Shankle headers are 
quite tight.  Perhaps the IAP headers were built to give bolt clearance 
rather than exhaust flow.  I need to find some 8 mm brass nuts with a 12 mm 
head instead of the stock 13 mm wrench fitment.
    By the way, I have had good success dealing with IAP in the past and will 
continue to buy from them in the future.  When I did not like their headers, 
they took them back without question.  I also deal regularly with Centerline, 
Alfa Bill and occasionally Shankle (I have a resentment against Shankle as 
they will not send me a price list).  Recently I have been using Vick Auto 
http://www.vickauto.com/ mostly because they are in Fort Worth and parts 
arrive at my door the next day.  Your results may vary according to location. 
 Plus Vick bought out the late lamented Maduko Motori and they are nice guys.
Ciao,
Russ Neely
Oklahoma City




In a message dated 12/15/1999 1:27:32 AM Central Standard Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:

<< 
 Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 17:48:52 -0800
 From: "Stefano Iachella" <iachella@domain.elided>
 Subject: More Shankle header woes
 
 Hey cats:
 
 Am I the only one who's Shankle headers are falling apart?
 They've cracked three times at the exit to the head. First
 on cylinder 2, then on cylinder 1, then 2 just cracked again
 almost all the way around. 
 
 The exhaust guy who's been fixing it each time says my 
 engine rocks more than he's ever seen. He's not familiar
 with Alfas though. My Alfa mechanic says it's OK.
 
 I've got a spare used Shankle header that is free of cracks
 that I'm going to put on. I'm thinking of asking him to 
 fabricate a brace to hold it down by the motor mount
 on the engine side. I'm thinking that near the bottom
 it must be swinging like a pendulum and stressing the
 top of the bend. If the bottom swings with the engine
 and not away from it, it should be better, no?
 
 The bottom is not scraping the ground, by the way. He
 made all new custom secondaries that hug the bottom
 of the engine pretty well. A common response might be
 that they bang on the ground too much and cracks will
 form. This is not the case, I have plenty of clearance.
 
 Anyone got any ideas?
 
 Thanks everyone for telling me about the exhaust clunking 
 at the rear axles. I did see some scrape marks on the
 pipe near the sway bar mounts. It looks pretty far away
 though, hard to imagine it actually touches.
 
 Thanks.
 Stefano.
 Oakland, CA
  >>

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End of alfa-digest V7 #1222
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