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Bringing the Heat
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Everything you need to install a set of exhaust headers without having to worry about burning parts under the hood, or melting the soles off your shoes.
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While functional, the old restrictive factory manifolds were choking the otherwise free flowing exhaust system under the CJ-7. They needed to go.
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Save yourself some headaches; remove anything you think “might” be in the way. Manifolds, starter, battery and tray, steering column and spark plugs all got the heave-ho onto the shop floor. Leave the wires in place and tag them if you think they might get crossed up.
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This is where I realized my faux-pas. If I had actually looked at the part numbers Hedman stamps into all of their units, I would have seen that these were designed for a Jeep, Truck or SUV.
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At this point it was decided to go on with installing the rest of the new gear starting with Taylor’s 8 mm silicone wires and heat resistant boot shields. These high quality wires are part of a universal kit so cutting and crimping the wires to the proper length is up to you. Dielectric grease is your friend, and don’t forget to install the boot protector first.
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Install your wire looms, start at the plug end and route them back to the distributor. Do one wire at a time to keep from getting them crossed up. It’s a tight fit to get everything placed and crimped properly, but the final results are worth it.
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DEI’s Boom Mat is a high temperature reflective shield that can be used under the vehicle or inside under the carpeting (if you have any). Cardboard templates were made up and traced onto the matting, then cut out with a pair of tin snips. Using your wife’s good scissors will just land you another night in the doghouse, trust me, use tin snips.
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Clean off the area of any grease and grime. The adhesive backing on the Boom Mat is very sticky provided it does not come in contact with any petroleum products.
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TA DA! I covered the exposed edges of the mat with aluminum tape to keep any water out of the fibre mat, but this step is not necessary. The mat adhesive is pressure sensitive, so force it into place as best you can.
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Summit had our replacement headers in our hands in no time and without a scratch. These Hedman Elite ceramic-coated units feature ball style flanges with reducers, 3/8” flanges, plated hardware and gaskets all included.
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The Vibe-Lock fasteners are a very impressive design. The 12-point bolts feature a captured Allen screw that releases the locked bolt once the Allen bolt is tightened. This means that when the Allen screw is loose, the bolt remain locked down and you don’t have to worry about losing hardware on the trail or manifold leaks causing other problems.
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After squeezing the headers into position, install the outer most bolts loosely and slip the new manifold gaskets home. I use a little high temp anti-seize on the bolt threads without worry of them backing out with the Vibe-Locks. After that, you need to connect up your exhaust system and hit the dirt.
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Although I couldn’t keep the headers in the rig AND a front drive shaft, I still managed to take some before and after temperature measurement to see what the boom mat did for us. During the same trip, in the same ambient temperature at the same time of day, a 20°F drop in temperature was measured across the floor. I may wish for the heated floors come snow-wheeling season.
Story and photos by Bryan Irons
What I should have said is “No thanks, I’m fine right now”. But what came out of my mouth was “Free ceramic headers for my V-8? Ya, sure I’ll take them!” And like the flushing waters of a toilet bowl, my spiraling defeat of a header installation ensued.
The project started off innocently enough, the Hedman long tube AMC V-8 units were freshly acid dipped and ceramic coated, so why not plug them into the trail rig to try and draw a little more power from the anemic 304 under the hood? I’ve always been concerned with the excessive heat expelled from headers burning up engine components and melting drivers in the cabs of their chariots, so I wanted to avoid any of the drawbacks that I could.
Summit Racing’s catalogue is always handy in the shop, so an order was called in for goods to do the job right. Percy’s Seal-4-Good multi layer aluminum reusable gaskets were recommended, as well as their Vibe-Lock manifold bolts to keep the spent fumes in the tubes. The set of Taylor 8 mm Spiro-Pro plug wires on the motor were in good shape and served us well, so another set was ordered with a vertical wire loom kit and Space Age Boot Protectors good for 1200°F. That would keep the vitals running cool and to keep the interior cool, DEI’s Boom Mat got the nod so my safety sandals wouldn’t melt to the floorboards.
Deconstruction day commenced with the old boat anchor manifolds coming out and squeezing the Hedmans in. They didn’t seem to fit right and squeezed against the frame rails. After some questions and part number searching, it appears that the freebies were for a full sized truck, NOT a CJ-7. I could have kicked a kitten. While I pondered my options, the new plug wires were terminated and heat shielding fitted to the bottom of the tub. It was decided that I needed some help for the header install, I hade come this far, why stop now. Summit came to the rescue with a set of Hedman ELITE ceramic-coated units made for my chassis, shipped to the door.
Like a silver plated supermodel, the Elite’s have smooth lines, perfect curves and are sure to be loud and draw attention. I taped up the tubes to keep from nicking the finish and followed Hedmans directions. After getting them bolted in I skidded my carcass under the Jeep to start finish the job and get everything connected when my second rude awakening took place. With very little lift, clocked transfercase, and a high pinion front axle, the passenger header was occupying the same real estate that the driveshaft needed.
Don’t worry; I won’t take a hammer to the Elite’s just to make them fit. I’m not that butch. For now, the old manifolds got a rattle can rebuild and reinstalled. Not all is lost, I did manage to drop the temperature inside the cab by 20°F. And after being bolted and unbolted numerous times, the Percy’s Seal-4-Good gaskets are living up to their name, while I decide my next course of action. Remember kids, just say “no”.