Header options.

[Wunjee]

'Evening!

So yeah. I've got a bunch of questions. Sorry, but you guys are an enormous wealth of information and I'm still new to these trucks and basically anything that's not an old Honda, so forgive me.

88 Blazer, we're replacing the heads on the TBI 350. Since we're changing the heads I want to do headers at the same time. Have to be SMOG headers, because California. I'd like to keep the stock exhaust tubing for the time being and I've heard that shorties are better for these trucks anyway..?

These are the only headers I've found that have the air injection for the smog pump. Everything indicates they'll fit, but I want to ask first - anyone have any experience with these? Are they pretty good? They're a little pricy, but if they'll work and they're the only option I don't mind a little pricy.. Is there an option somewhere I'm missing that someone could recommend? Maybe from experience?

Thanks in advance, and again, sorry for the thousand questions.

 

[Bent77]

1. Price isn’t too bad for stainless
2. Brand is fine
3. Shortys are better for upper rpm. Long tubes have a tendency to get into the shackles
4. Presumably using the stock intake, so not going to a vortec head? The vortec head had an offset bolt pattern on the exhaust and intake

 

[Wunjee]

1. Price isn’t too bad for stainless
2. Brand is fine
3. Shortys are better for upper rpm. Long tubes have a tendency to get into the shackles
4. Presumably using the stock intake, so not going to a vortec head? The vortec head had an offset bolt pattern on the exhaust and intake

No we decided to just go with the stock heads for now and got a pretty good deal on some really nice super-clean remans. Didn't want to run into SMOG issues or anything. California sucks.

Thanks for the info! Feeling better about it.

 

[Bent77]

Nothing wrong with that. TBI stuff is pretty reliable when it’s left alone

 

[Jimmy85]

I have those headers. If you do purchase them, spend the extra $$ and get them ceramic coated. With what I paid for them, the shiny stainless look doesn’t last long.
No complaints other than looks from me.

 

[6872xtc]

I have those headers. If you do purchase them, spend the extra $$ and get them ceramic coated. With what I paid for them, the shiny stainless look doesn’t last long.
No complaints other than looks from me.

How tight are they to the spark plug boots? Looks like a bear to change plugs to me. Interested in your experience, because I killed a set of plug wires on a set of Sanderson headers with boot sleeves on them. Then the headers broke at the collector merge.

 

[Jimmy85]

I’ve found that #8 requires taking the header off and leaning it back. Which also makes #6 a lot easier. To which a stubby 3/8s saves a lot time & swear words.
Also #5 needs a straight spark plug boot. And I swear I have a small miss due that plug wire getting hot. I need to make another plug wire and put a heat sleeve over it.
(I’ll get a pic tomorrow).
But the headers aren’t any worse than other headers I’ve dealt with in the past. No cracking or warping so far after 3-4K miles.

 

[dyeager535]

'Evening!

So yeah. I've got a bunch of questions. Sorry, but you guys are an enormous wealth of information and I'm still new to these trucks and basically anything that's not an old Honda, so forgive me.

88 Blazer, we're replacing the heads on the TBI 350. Since we're changing the heads I want to do headers at the same time. Have to be SMOG headers, because California. I'd like to keep the stock exhaust tubing for the time being and I've heard that shorties are better for these trucks anyway..?

These are the only headers I've found that have the air injection for the smog pump. Everything indicates they'll fit, but I want to ask first - anyone have any experience with these? Are they pretty good? They're a little pricy, but if they'll work and they're the only option I don't mind a little pricy.. Is there an option somewhere I'm missing that someone could recommend? Maybe from experience?

Thanks in advance, and again, sorry for the thousand questions.

Two comments. On Summits site they say CARB for carbureted vehicles. I know CA is really painful to deal with about these sort of things, are you sure you'll pass inspection with them?

Second, do you really want to deal with headers? There are multiple reasons to not get them, and the single pro I can think of is that they might make a bit more power, unless your manifolds are broken anyway, then two pro's.

Your truck, do as you wish, but if I knew I wasn't going to make significant power from the swap, I wouldn't consider the hassle worth it. Coming from a guy running mid-length stainless headers on my truck. But I don't need to pass visual, I started without manifolds, I don't have AIR, and I can tune my ECM.

 

[Jimmy85]

 

[upsman928]

'Evening!

So yeah. I've got a bunch of questions. Sorry, but you guys are an enormous wealth of information and I'm still new to these trucks and basically anything that's not an old Honda, so forgive me.

88 Blazer, we're replacing the heads on the TBI 350. Since we're changing the heads I want to do headers at the same time. Have to be SMOG headers, because California. I'd like to keep the stock exhaust tubing for the time being and I've heard that shorties are better for these trucks anyway..?

These are the only headers I've found that have the air injection for the smog pump. Everything indicates they'll fit, but I want to ask first - anyone have any experience with these? Are they pretty good? They're a little pricy, but if they'll work and they're the only option I don't mind a little pricy.. Is there an option somewhere I'm missing that someone could recommend? Maybe from experience?

Thanks in advance, and again, sorry for the thousand questions.

Typically 88s did not have air injector rails.

But the jba headers seem to work the best that's when I've always used for my 88 and now on my 90

 

[upsman928]

'Evening!

So yeah. I've got a bunch of questions. Sorry, but you guys are an enormous wealth of information and I'm still new to these trucks and basically anything that's not an old Honda, so forgive me.

88 Blazer, we're replacing the heads on the TBI 350. Since we're changing the heads I want to do headers at the same time. Have to be SMOG headers, because California. I'd like to keep the stock exhaust tubing for the time being and I've heard that shorties are better for these trucks anyway..?

These are the only headers I've found that have the air injection for the smog pump. Everything indicates they'll fit, but I want to ask first - anyone have any experience with these? Are they pretty good? They're a little pricy, but if they'll work and they're the only option I don't mind a little pricy.. Is there an option somewhere I'm missing that someone could recommend? Maybe from experience?

Thanks in advance, and again, sorry for the thousand questions.

Carb in California stands for California Air Resource Board not carburetors

 

[dyeager535]

Carb in California stands for California Air Resource Board not carburetors

The manufacturer of the headers in question state that the headers are CARB approved for carbureted vehicles. Since this isn't a carbureted vehicle, the OP will want to make sure they are CARB approved for the TBI application. It could be a typo or omission, but with CA, I wouldn't want to gamble.

 

[Jimmy85]

I got a sticker for the headers like this when I bought them. You're supposed to put the sticker under the hood for during inspections. But I'm in texas, so no sticker needed here.

 

[MrHappy]

Typically 88s did not have air injector rails.

But the jba headers seem to work the best that's when I've always used for my 88 and now on my 90

When I got my 88 with TBI it has JBA headers on it, problem I have with them is the collector is right next to starter & solenoid, I didn’t realize they were shorty headers. They don’t have a big enough heat shield & thus it fried my starter solenoid.