cast aluminum headers?

The original Pontiac manifolds had a tendency to melt when the fuel mixture wasn't right--I don't remember if it was a lean or a rich situation, but a little time with the wrong tune on the carbs sent them to the dumpster.

Using boat manifolds and plumbing them for water kind of defeats the purpose of aluminum, weight-wise... pick up a gallon of water and strap it to each manifold, then tell us if the whole thing is lighter or heavier than iron manifolds, let alone headers.


-Brad

 

Cast aluminum headers- my first thoughts: they would look super cool, but I don't think it would be easy to keep them "cool" . Cheesy. Sorry. My second thoughts: it would have to be a fairly simple header design due to the complexity of the cores. Unless you're amazing with patterns and core boxes, or know someone who is, I think that would be just as challenging as keeping them from melting once they were cast. I like the ceramic coating idea one of the posters had above. That's pretty interesting. Good luck if you decide to give it a shot!

 

brad
Lean condition makes them hot.

The water is already in the system, it is just cooling liquid. I guess one could run a seperate radistor for the headers and a pump.

I don't think that the melting is going to be as big a concern as everyone makes it out to be, cast aluminum would work like a big heat sink. Think about how much zot it takes to weld up a piece of cast aluminum.

Just food for thought.

 

this is a not very good pic on my 1957 safari but if you want aluminium only on outside this is how my exhaust looks like after 10 years of use

 

call SANDERSON HEADERS: 650-583-6617 i have cast on my '33 willys i'm building. very heavy walled. speak to them, they pick the phone right up. no bull-****.

 

Motorcycles had air cooled aluminum heads and some had aluminum collars to clamp the pipes to the heads. It may work on a car if you have an open engine bay like in a t bucket or something that has a lot of air flow around them. Worth a try.

 

Late timing will make them VERY hot - ever seen a set of glowing orange header tubes?

 

I saw an aluminum turbo mounting spacer/adapter melt on the dyno the first time it was used.

For a variety of reasons, aluminum is not the best material for the job. Thin-wall stainless would be lighter and many times better.

 

Yeah, I know the water is in the system... but the added capacity in the jackets is going to add more water, and therefore more weight.

As someone else said, you'd really have to beef up the cooling system too.

Just seems like there's better places to use aluminum on a hot rod.

-Brad

 

I remember seeing a photo of Mickey Thompson cast aluminum headers for the 215 aluminum BOP V8.

 

A friend has been running a set of the reproduction Pontiac aluminum manifolds on the street for a number of years now. They were Jet-Hot coated and they work fine.

 

So it's decided ..if made right and in the right conditions they work well..if made badly and in the wrong conditions they fail and make you look stupid .

So...gonna do it.. I've got to snag some quality
Alu miniyum...and. Make a few sets.. Some with fins.. Some with water jackets and some with both. Their going in my 31 Ford roadster so airflow will be plentiful .