Technical Flathead exhaust suggestions

Going through the motions of putting a 59A in my 32 pickup. Trying to recreate a pre 50's hot rod if there was such a thing using a pickup. Starting to think exhaust mainly what bolts to the block. Looking for thoughts on manifolds or headers. Planning on using the stock steering box at this time as well. Thoughts ?

 

Since nobody else has replied, I'll jump in here. I am a real proponent of Fenton cast iron headers. I had a set on a '36 coupe and my '51 club coupe. Both sets took a bit of m***aging to get in, but once in worked fine. (I know Fenton's are not supposed to fit shoeboxes, but we're hotrodders, aren't we?) I sold the'36 about 20 years ago, but I still have the '51. Last summer, I pulled the engine to freshen it up. I installed the Fenton headers on it in 1988 and they are still in very good shape. They are much more durable and not so noisy as tube headers. I'll clean 'em up, paint them and put 'em back in place. The car sounds great in my opinion, and I won't have to worry about them for the next 27 years.

I don't know if they'll just bolt into a '32 pickup, but if they can be made to fit, they are what I'd use.

 

Thanks for the reply tubman.
I have looked at the Fentons as well and they may require extensive m***aging to fit on the drivers side around the steering box.

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/headers-for-your-av8-conversion.1005351/

I highly recommend Havlir House of Fabrication. He custom made a set for me on my flathead powered 1927 on a 32 ford frame. Send him an email, his headers are great quality @house of fab

 

Well if your Truly going to try to stick to pre 50's just just stick to stock manifolds. Fenton's weren't even around yet and lakes style was in it's first steps. Trucks were still pretty much just a Truck. If anything you might get away with a pair of Reds Headers being they look home built. That's my .02 worth. When in doubt got to the Little Books and look at the photos.
The Wizzard

 

In the 'old days', (early '50s) Belond 'Equa-Flo' was THE word. Sandy Belond made header kits for all the Ford V8 models, '32 to '51. The headers were only the front part:
'Equa-Flo' systems included head pipes, mufflers, and out-the-back tailpipes, complete system. No welding clamp-together kit came with all fasteners, a remarkable accomplishment for its time.
Belond advertised exclusively in Hot Rod Magazine, also in the 'little pages', IIRC.
So...Tube headers ARE period correct!
@Pist-n-Broke, I concur with Red's Headers: period 'kee-rect'!

My Mom went to Babe's Mufflers for dual exhaust on her '48 Cad (flathead)
She asked about headers, but the Cad exhaust ports were 'out the top'!
So, she was satisfied to keep the original porcelainized exh manifolds, sans crossover, and duals run out each side.
My fried and I (1955) took the A-V8 Coupe to Scotty Mac's in East San Jose, we had headers, pipes, and 24" gl*** paks ("Mellotones") run out the back, with chrome tips. Total cost: $60.00!
Scotty Mac said they sold more headers than they could supply! Had a 'waiting list'.

 

We have used 1950ish mercury cast manifolds, just cut off and welded a plate over the cross over . A large nicely flowing manifold and after the small mod this one exits at the rear and the other side curves down and back and still looks factory budget hot rod.

 

I like Reds Headers. Easy to slice and dice as needed.

 

I like Red's too. He probably has a set made especially for your set up.

 

701`s to be exact.
Anyone have a pic with them installed ?
Also like the idea above with the Merc cast manifolds.

 

I wouldn't waste my time with stock exhaust manifolds.The flathead is such a poor breather and then you stifle or choke it down even more with exhaust "logs" that are terrible.Only a car that is a total restoration should qualify for stock manifolds. Your car will run cooler and breathe better with a set of headers.

 

I don't want to be argumentative, but I don't think that's true. By the time the exhaust charge has made it's way to the exhaust valve, made the sharp turn in the valve pocket and finally found it's way between the cylinders to the exhaust port, it has encountered so much restriction that doing any improvements beyond the port does little if anything beneficial. I didn't want to believe it at first either but JWL (John Lawson) did extensive dyno testing on various setups and verified this. I still love my Fenton headers for the look and sound, but they don't help performance much if at all. Even adding dual exhaust instead of a stock single pipe hardly does anything.

 

tubman is correct. This has been proved over and over on many a Flow bench. Stick your Finger in the rear exhaust port on any Flathead block and you'll be asking yourself WTF? How can headers improve that? Headers and Dual's are only changing sound.
The Wizzard

 

Reds

 

I agree..headers don't help a flathead !!

 

Well if nothing else, it is turning into a great discussion

 

I like stock manifolds off early 24 stud blocks . They look clean and the driver side exits the front of the manifold leaving plenty of room to maneuver the exhaust around the steering box. Just my opinion.

 

Roger, I still have that Olds belond if you want to take a look at it, to get an idea of what the welding looked like and so on...

 

Thanks for the visual onekoolkat1950. What are the manifolds off ?

 

Thanks fg and looking at options as well as opinions. Transmission is back in one lump and may possibly get the motor early.

 

Hot DAMN! Lets drive it to Munroe!! More room for parts!!

 

I'm still plannin on runnin full length tube headers, three duces, & a lectric fan. I wanna squeeeeezzzzzeeee every last hp outta the ****er I can! Bill

 

I have Red's on my 8BA. Easy to customize to fit your car and they are well built. I don't have a lot of experience, my only flatty, my only headers.

 

It's not how fast you go , it's how you look going fast ..... This is how I see flathead headers on a low revving street flathead. Visually fast.

 

My flathead doesn't even go fast,......or look like it is going fast !
But it does have headers.

 

Most 39-48 flatheads have similar manifolds.

 

There happens to be a set of Belond equa- flow headers in the parts for sale section. Last I looked they were $700. Just search for Belond

 

Yeah and seen them. Out of my price range and do not need anything that fancy.

 

Is it your belief that Joe Abbin of RoadRunner Eng has a 335 h.p flathead(dyno proved) in his 34 sedan that runs mid 12's and his headers are of no value over stockers? Yes,I agree the end ports are very restrictive and the center port has to share 2 exhaust valves and the space occupied by the bores of 2 cylinders,but common sense dictates to me to try and improve the breathing in any way possible and I think(my own opinion) a set of headers accomplishes that task.