Will headers from 1971 sbc work with newer style vortec sbc I seam to have problems with exhaust leaks?

Answer 1

Yes, the 1971 headers should work well on any head for a Gen 1 (pre-LT-1) Chevy small block. Header leaks are a common problem with all headers mating to all heads on any engine. The solution is to make sure that the headers that you buy are of a thick enough guage steel (usually 16 guage or thicker is best; and thicknesses are greater the smaller the number, so 14 guage is thicker than 16 guage) and that the flange is also thick enough (usually around 3/8" or thicker.) The flange thickness should help prevent warpage leaks and the tube thickness should prevent weld and stress crack leaks. Weld leaks usually occur when the tubing is thin because it is harder to weld thinner metal (turn up the heat and the weld pierces the tube, turn it down and the weld is weak, so thicker metal equals better weld) and stress cracks occur when heating and cooling a metal repeatedly, as this hardens the metal and causes it to be less pliable and easier to crack/harder to bend. The other considerations are torque pattern of the header bolts (nuts if your head has header studs) and gasket material and prep work. The head itself may have to be machined if it is an older/used head to ensure the mating surface is flat. The header and head should be thoroughly cleaned before placing the gasket or gasket sealant and you should follow header manufacturer instructions for 1) whether you need sealant, 2) what thickness and material the gasket should be (whether the engine is supercharged in any way affects this as well,) and 3) what the torque pattern and tightening spec's are for your headers (there is a specific order you MUST follow for tightening header bolts/nuts and a specific torque to tighten them to; often tightening is done in stages where you must tighten each bolt/nut in a specified order/pattern to a certain torque, then you must repeat the pattern of tightening again, and sometimes yet again, tightening slightly more each time to exact torque specifications each time to prevent warping the header flange by over-tightening one spot on the flange at a time.) If you follow all of these instructions you SHOULD not have any header leaks. There is always the question of quality though so I make no guarantees, but the horsepower and torque gains from using headers over stock exhaust manifolds is undeniable! I hope this helps you!

Greyrat70