Header flanges?

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KWTownsend
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Header flanges?

Post by KWTownsend » Tue May 06, 2025 3:48 pm

How thick should flanges be for an exhaust header?

: ^ )

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Mark Chaffin
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Re: Header flanges?

Post by Mark Chaffin » Tue May 06, 2025 4:23 pm

3/8" minimum. 1/2" better.


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Re: Header flanges?

Post by ModelTWoods » Tue May 06, 2025 8:36 pm

KWTownsend wrote:
Tue May 06, 2025 3:48 pm
How thick should flanges be for an exhaust header?

: ^ )
Keith, if you are thinking of making a homemade header, yourself, I have a commercially made header flange that might save you some time. it is 1/4" thick if I remember. Contact me if you are interested.


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Re: Header flanges?

Post by Dodge » Wed May 07, 2025 1:22 am

3/8 minimum.


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Re: Header flanges?

Post by ModelTWoods » Wed May 07, 2025 6:05 pm

ModelTWoods wrote:
Tue May 06, 2025 8:36 pm
KWTownsend wrote:
Tue May 06, 2025 3:48 pm
How thick should flanges be for an exhaust header?

: ^ )
Keith, if you are thinking of making a homemade header, yourself, I have a commercially made header flange that might save you some time. it is 1/4" thick if I remember. Contact me if you are interested.
Keith can't use my header flange because it is for use on a T without an overhead. He has a "Fronty" and can't use it. someone who didn't give their name, messaged me that they would take it if Keith didn't. They are a mystery person.


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Re: Header flanges?

Post by AndyClary » Wed May 07, 2025 9:41 pm

As I recall the header plate that Mark supplies with his Rajo kit is 1/2 inch thick. I still managed to put a minor warp in it while building my header.


Andy
CCB683EA-F4C4-4488-96A3-2508F912598A.jpeg

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Re: Header flanges?

Post by babychadwick » Thu May 08, 2025 8:39 am

Working slow with a drill press, oil and a hole saw it's pretty easy to make one.
"Those who fail to plan, plan to fail"


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Re: Header flanges?

Post by Shannon_in_Texas » Thu May 08, 2025 12:04 pm

https://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/8 ... 1543505202

This old post has a .pdf file showing the dimensions to make your own. Chad, I just noticed that this was from your inquiry about it years ago!

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Henry K. Lee
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Re: Header flanges?

Post by Henry K. Lee » Thu May 08, 2025 6:29 pm

I have been building custom headers since my teenager years, 3/8" is your friend, bevel inside and out, match distances within 3% flow check if you can!

Hank

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Re: Header flanges?

Post by TRDxB2 » Thu May 08, 2025 10:47 pm

KWTownsend wrote:
Tue May 06, 2025 3:48 pm
How thick should flanges be for an exhaust header?

: ^ )
From previous discussion
By Scott Elliott, Tigard, OR on Wednesday, November 28, 2018 - 06:32 pm:
Here is a pdf of a Header flange. It shows the dimensions between the ports and the bolt hole spacing. You might want to make the 2.25 dimension 2.50
Include the picture instead of the PDF of it
Attachments
flange.jpg
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KWTownsend
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Re: Header flanges?

Post by KWTownsend » Thu May 08, 2025 11:46 pm

The header will be for a Frontenac. My son will do the fabrication and satisfy a "design and build" requirement for his welding classes at the local community college.
He will make one from steel, and if all goes well, a second one from stainless steel.

He made flanges 1/2" thick.
20250506_181437.jpg


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Re: Header flanges?

Post by TeveS-Nor Cal » Fri May 09, 2025 5:07 pm

What is the best tubing to use to fabricate the rest of the header?


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Re: Header flanges?

Post by Kevin Pharis » Fri May 09, 2025 9:50 pm

Stay away from aluminized and galvanized tube. Bare steel or stainless steel is best for welding. Stainless is a pain to work with, if you’re gonna build a bare steel header as a pattern, consider having it ceramic coated and be done with it!

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Re: Header flanges?

Post by RajoRacer » Fri May 09, 2025 10:26 pm

Yes, have it CermaChromed after completion - Zoom-Zoom !
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Racer2.JPG

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Craig Leach
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Re: Header flanges?

Post by Craig Leach » Sat May 10, 2025 2:44 am

Speedway Motors sells very nice U bends for making headers in all sizes. First time buyers if you sign up for email you get a 10% discount.
Good quality VW J tubes work also but the cheaper ones don't have the best looking bends. The ends of the J tubes are smaller than the tube
this makes them easier to fit in a flange if that is the size you are using. I made the header for my speedster out of J tubes. The smaller end
can be pushed through flange & welded on the engine side of the flange so if there is any warpage it is in the direction that causes the least
issue.
Craig.

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Re: Header flanges?

Post by babychadwick » Sat May 10, 2025 7:53 am

TeveS-Nor Cal wrote:
Fri May 09, 2025 5:07 pm
What is the best tubing to use to fabricate the rest of the header?
Not recommended but my grandfather would use electrical conduit as it was cheap and available then paint it black. I bought the bends from summit last time. His header is still going great after 30 years so it it possible to cut the holes out with a torch, pick up material at home depot and build it in your backyard under a shade tree.
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Re: Header flanges?

Post by AndyClary » Sat May 10, 2025 9:05 am

I used long u bends that came from speedway motors via Amazon. That gave me two primaries from each one. Same source for the cones. I gout the straight 3 inch tube from a muffler ship since normal shipping is only 4 foot pieces. I had them bend it a slight bit to follow the contour of the body.

Andy

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KWTownsend
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Re: Header flanges?

Post by KWTownsend » Sat May 10, 2025 9:16 am

A big box of material ordered from Stainless Headers arrived yesterday. Stay tuned...

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Re: Header flanges?

Post by KWTownsend » Sun May 18, 2025 8:48 am

Here is what he's got put together so far...

Mild steel, 3/8" flanges, 1-1/2" steel pipe (1-5/8" OD).
Frontenac steel header 2.jpg
Still learning about heat and warping...

Now I need to find some 1-5/8" ID flex pipe.

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Re: Header flanges?

Post by KWTownsend » Thu May 22, 2025 8:21 pm

Spencer is now working on the stainless steel unit...
Resized_20250522_152537.jpeg
Resized_20250522_152545.jpeg
: ^ )


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Re: Header flanges?

Post by Kevin Pharis » Thu May 22, 2025 9:34 pm

Lookin good! Noticeable improvement with both tube fitment and welding. I like your flange bracing, did it keep the flanges in place?

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Re: Header flanges?

Post by KWTownsend » Tue Jun 10, 2025 11:04 pm

We got the engine running but it was running really rough. Very sputtery and the intake manifold was really cold. I arranged a heat tube from the carburetor to an area near the exhaust header and it ran considerably better, so we made a heat collector and plumbed it into the carburetor. It runs much better.
20250609_174108.jpg
: ^ )

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KWTownsend
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Re: Header flanges?

Post by KWTownsend » Tue Jun 10, 2025 11:13 pm

We got the engine running but it was running really rough. Very sputtery and the intake manifold was really cold. I arranged a heat tube from the carburetor to an area near the exhaust header and it ran considerably better, so we made a heat collector and plumbed it into the carburetor. It runs much better.

20250609_174108.jpg
: ^ )
Last edited by KWTownsend on Tue Jun 10, 2025 11:17 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Header flanges?

Post by RajoRacer » Tue Jun 10, 2025 11:15 pm

My RAJO has to have HEAT !
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Winfield (2).JPG

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Re: Header flanges?

Post by KWTownsend » Tue Jun 10, 2025 11:17 pm

What carburetor is that, Steve?


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Re: Header flanges?

Post by Kevin Pharis » Tue Jun 10, 2025 11:37 pm

^^^^^^^^^^
Hmmmm… carb looks kinda familiar ;)


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Re: Header flanges?

Post by 49willard » Wed Jun 11, 2025 7:02 am

Keith,
Looking good! I do not envy your son making the flanges out of stainless steel unless he has access to plazma or better still abrasive water jet.

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KWTownsend
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Re: Header flanges?

Post by KWTownsend » Wed Jun 11, 2025 8:54 am

Bill,
He cut them with a plasma cutter.
: ^ )

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Re: Header flanges?

Post by RajoRacer » Wed Jun 11, 2025 11:37 am

My Racer sports a Winfield SRBD.

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