Headers for wagon with 307 Olds engine

My 85 Lesabre has developed an exhaust leak. Right now it's too cold to verify exactly where, but it seems to be either the manifold gasket needs replacing, or the manifold is cracked. I'm thinking if I have to go through all that work to fix the problem and possibly have to replace a manifold, why not install headers instead. My question is, has anyone tried 80's Cutlass 307 headers in their B body? I refered to the wagons because I don't think you could get the 307 in a Chev otherwise.

Actually, I'm a bit surprised that there are ANY off-the-shelf headers available for the Olds 307. In my experience, you'll have more words about the headers than you ever did about the cast iron manifolds. If the stock manifolds are annoying you now, wait until you get some headers bolted on.

You might be lucky and find it's only gaskets. Either way, the exhaust bolts need to come out, so you might as well start soaking them daily in penetrating oil now, then plan on taking a look in a week or so.

Come on, I mean maybe he WANTS to retorque all of the header bolts once a week! He may be looking forward to replacing the header-to-engine gaskets on a regular basis. Perhaps he feels the upcoming summer isn't going to be hot enough so the headers will help to heat up the inside of his car for him!

Tongue in cheek, of course.

Headers are that bad huh guys??? Why are they such high maintanance?

Headers "walk" with every heat/cool cycle. They are usually made of a cut steel plate (flange) and thin steel tubes (pipes). Being thinner, lighter, and of a different material, they heat faster and cool faster than the heads without conducting as much heat to the heads. The heads don't expand as fast or as much, so the gasketed joints are subject to constant movement, and eventually loosen as a result. Their designs often make access to the bolts difficult, at best, and nearly impossible, at worst.

If you get headers, try to find some with at least 10mm thick flanges, and ceramic thermal coating inside and out. The thicker flanges are more stable, and the coating tends to reflect the heat back into the exhaust gasses and keep the tubes from getting as hot. It also helps keep the heat from radiating out into the engine compartment.

I've never had any real problems with headers. I figured headers would be easier by the time I start undoing the bolts, then find I can't get the manifolds back far enough with loosening the exhaust pipes, which won't happen cause the studs are rusty, and one of the cast ears was already broken off at the exhaust pipe connection, etc. etc. :banghead:

It's been about 1000 miles since I installed the headers on my 92 Chev pick-up and not one bolt has come loose yet. I only had the loose bolt syndrome once, and that was on a set of hooker competetion headers I had on a modified 454 in a 73 Caprice ragtop, but I think that had more to do with the lumpy 1200rpm idle. It didn't really matter though cause the hood was open every weekend to clean and polish under the hood. That was in the days BC (before children), so I had lots of time. I still have the 454, but now it's going to have a roller cam, rockers, and gear drive installed, then go into my 68 Pontiac.

I still have another set of hooker headers to install, this time in my 73 Centurion when I get around to it. Bought them brand new without box at a flea market for the grand sum of $35.00. The guy just said they fit a 350 Buick, but didn't know what brand they where. It wasn't till later when I was looking a little closer that I saw the hooker logo stamped in the collectors. :grinyes: