All standard street and race headers feature 5/16” thick flanges that are heli-arc welded on the inside and heli-brazed on the outside for maximum strength. The flanges are then flush ground and hand finished inside for proper fit and port sealing. We feel that this flange thickness is optimum for all but the most extreme conditions.

In these extreme environments (turbocharged, supercharged or prolonged high rpm operation), we do build headers using 3/8” or even 1/2” thick flanges to resist warping. If desired, thicker flanges can be substituted on any header for a small fee.

In certain cases, such as the small block Chevrolet and Fords with tube sizes over 13/4”, it may be necessary to use an adapter flange. This flange bolts to the cylinder head with countersunk bolts and “spreads” the bolt pattern to allow a larger tube to be installed at the port without having to crimp or dent the tube for bolt clearance. These flanges are typically made from steel or aluminum and must be port matched to your exhaust ports.

We carry a complete line of flanges to suit your needs. We can also custom cut what you may need from a provided drawing or gasket in a matter of days.

Tubing

We use only the highest quality CNC mandrel bent mild and stainless steel tubing in the construction of our headers. We are able to bend this tubing “in house” to ensure the strictest quality control.

The typical tubing thickness for all street and race headers in both mild and stainless steel is 18 gauge (.049”). This wall thickness gives the best overall strength without being too heavy for most applications.

In heavy-duty applications, the tubing thickness is increased to 16 (.065”) and even 14 gauge (.083”). Conversely, in some all out competition applications where weight is a major concern, headers can be fabricated in 20 gauge (.035”) material. Call us to discuss your particular application and we will be happy to make a recommendation for you.

We also stock a complete line of header tubing and weld up kits for the custom header builder.

Collectors

All of our collectors are formed with a long smooth transition to aid in building maximum torque. The collectors are available in the proper tube thickness to match the header material.

There are many options available in the area of the header collector. The first is the method of attachment. In most street applications it is desirable to use a welded on collector to avoid potential leakage problems. On most race headers, a slip-on style collector is used to give the racer the option to easily try different collector sizes or styles or vary the header primary tube lengths. These collectors are held on with a set of tabs that are bolted together (mild steel) or a tab and spring arrangement (stainless steel).

All of our race headers are equipped with a slip-on collector with a “merged” spear inside to provide decreased turbulence in the collector and help promote mid and high rpm torque increases. This collector has proven to work very well in most “standard” applications and is probably the most widely used type of collector today in brackets and the “super” categories.

The newest collectors available are the merged “velocity” or neckdown style collector and the Tri-Y collector. These collectors have proven to make more power and torque when used in the correct applications. These collectors require proper sizing for your particular combination and should be part of a complete header design. In most cases, camshaft tuning will be required to gain maximum benefit from these combinations. Please see the technical discussion for more information.

All collectors are available in both mild and stainless steel. They are also available separately for racers and header builders.