Headers on 1st gen
 

Who's got them?
I've done a search and it didn't turn up much...

Was it hard?
Anything in the way?
What's recommended?
Etc, etc, etc...

Not planning on doing anything yet but with my exhaust has seen enough weld patching. My next trip may be its last as I don't know how strong the welds are and how much abuse the pipe will take.

I have a ceramic coated header from LC engineering. Had it for 5 years now and never had any problem with it. Of course that was after I double gasketed it then, no leaks, no worries.
It wasnt hard to install at all.
My friend has the chrome downey header on his 87 and like it also.
Those are the only 2 I know about

Okay cool...
I just got an e-mail back from LC engineering:

"You can probably see a picture on line of them. The cost is $296.53 and they are 304 stainless steel, ceramic coated and 50 state street legal. You will get the gaskets needed and the header kit includes the connector pipe that gets it back to the cat.

Let us know. You can also order online if you would like and the part number is 1041036. Please let us know if you order online by sending your vehicle information. Our system doesn't collect that yet and we would need it to make sure the right connector pipe is in the kit."

I may go for this as someone mentioned to me that the fix on my exhaust would probably be about $100 and the guy at the shop yesterday said that the "Y" was a weak link on all these engines and it would continue to crack until I replaced it.

So you used double gaskets? Did you have problems with just one? Or did you anticipate having problems and doubled up on it the first time?

I put a set of LC headers on my '85 4Runner before having the new exhaust put in and even with pulling the old manifold and cat while they were both still hot from having driven down to the muffler shop (I was tossing the old manifold in the trash so I wasn't worried about warping it) I had the headers and new cat on in around a half an hour to forty-five minutes tops; no B.S.
If there aren't any frozen bolts or similar difficulty, sticking a set of headers on a 22re is one of the easiest mods out there IMO.
Don't pay the bozos at the shop to do it. This place wanted something like $150 to install the headers. Major rip-off. It is definitely a DIY project. Now if it was a V6, the story would change completely from what I hear. The only caveat would be the possibility that the IFS may get in the way more than it did on my solid axle set up.

i have the doug thorley headers with a copper gasket and it does great..

Yeah, I had a bit of trouble getting mine to seal with one gasket.
I also installed one of LCs street performer heads. After I had leaks< talked with a guy who had also had that problem ( not with LC headers) and he told me he double gasketed it. So thats what I did. Havent had a problem since. Bain was having trouble with his Thorley header leaking until he installed the copper gasket.
I may try this next time. 2 OEM gaskets are expensive!

Where do you find the copper gaskets?
Is that an OEM part? Would LC Engineering carry that as well? Actually, I should e-mail them on that...

My father in law had LC's headers and didn't like them. I have NWOR(North West Off Road) headers and love them, father in law said mine did right what his did wrong.

Interesting - was there a reason why he didn't like them? LC seems to come highly recommended.

summit also..they are like 27 bucks

I will ask him and let you know.

Downey Header Here........Works for me. No Probs and sounds great in front of a DynoMax muffler! :bigok:

Im looking for some more low end power, for hill climbing, but I have heard headers are not good for low end power. How much extra power has everyone got out of there headers?