Headers For Cadillac 429 Engines

[EZ]

 Good News!!! For you performance minded guys and gals Sanderson Headers
will be offering headers for a Cadillac 429 in about 2 weeks. I just confirmed the rumor
with an e-mail to the Sanderson Company myself.

Pricing is pretty reasonable for a low production item like this. $325.00 for plain or
$475.00 for ceramic coated.

Figured you Modified Guys might be interested.  I know I am!  These headers should really help
with the new cam I want to install.  This ought to wake this ol' engine up!   

"EZ"   

[cadillackeeper]

Hey,Isn;t the 390 the same exhaust out of the head?

[EZ]

Sorry Cadillac Keeper.  I don't know.

I thought this was the Modified Cadillac Chapter?  Nobody interested
in headers for a 429?  C'mon, that's a simple mod.  Everybody should
have headers.  Cast iron manifolds suck!  Especially when they are prone to
cracking like the ones on a 429 are.

"EZ"

[The Tassie Devil (Bruce Reynolds)]

Wish I could get a set of Headers for my Eldorado.

I might just have to make my own.

More power comes with improved breathing.

Bruce.

[CarFreak]

Nobody interested in headers for a 429? 

"EZ"

I (currently) don't own any 429s. 

[Geoff]

Nor do I or I would be interested in a set.

[cadillackeeper]

Everyones Caddy needs headers,thats why I had to have them for my Eldo as
over the years I have had cracks over a dozen times since 1979.I had a few
bolts break aswell,woosh! Bruce why dont you just whack some on there?

[The Tassie Devil (Bruce Reynolds)]

I think it will be easier to make my own out of Stainless Steel, then the freight component would go a long way towards getting them completed.

Plus, if I do convert my car to RHD, then things might need changing.

Bruce.

[3caddyman]

headers would be great,better than the sucky stock manifolds that leak like crazy,even with the copper gaskets mine leak

[Geoff]

3caddyman,
Wouldn't surprise me at all if you found your manifold leak was actually at the intake manifold where the exhaust passes through from the right side to the left side under the carb. to warm it and the fuel mixture when the engine is cold.  Very common place for them to leak and sometimes difficult to determine if it is the exhaust manifold or the intake exhaust passage to block gasket that is actually leaking.  This problem often occurs because the "thermostatically-controlled heat valve" (as Cadillac calls it) seizes in the closed or near closed position forcing exhaust from the right to the left through the intake at all times instead of just when the engine is cold.  In time the intake manifold gasket starts to leak at the exhaust passage location due to heat and pressure and if not caught and fixed promptly the metal on the block and on the intake manifold starts to erode because of the hot gas and pressure.  Once that happens the leak is very difficult to fix, the intake manifold can be planed (but only to a limited extent) to try and make the exhaust port true again but the corresponding port in the block cannot.  In time this condition can also lead to cracks in the intake manifold.
 
This is one reason I always disable that valve by disconnecting the thermostatic spring and wiring it open; or remove the valve, gut it, plug the small shaft holes on each side, and put it back in.  One other option is to get under there and make sure the valve is not seized, if it is use PB Blaster until you can get it freed up and then check under there very regularly (oil change time or more often depending on the time between oil changes) and make sure it is still operating freely or lube it some more and work it until it does ---- that, to me, is the least desirable option.

Lastly if, your exhaust manifolds are leaking even with gaskets you may well have a crack in the manifold(s) somewhere where you cannot see it.  Cracked exhaust manifolds  are also a common item on these engines.
 
Geoff

[STDog]

Ditto what Geoff said about the exhaust crossover and valve.

I helps the engine warm up a bit faster and reduces emissions some. Only useful in cold climates though, an this is probably a fair weather vehicle now.

A lot of people fill the port (or block it at the intake) in the 472/500 heads to keep the intake temperature down. The warm intake/fuel/air is good for mileage but bad for power.

[EZ]

Good info Geoff.  Does anybody have a picture of this piece of engineering wonderment?
I'd like to disable mine or at a minimum make sure it is operating properly.

Does it mess up the cliamate control system or anything if it's disabled?

"EZ"

[STDog]

No picture, but no it won't effect the heat/AC.

[Geoff]

Just crawl under the right front side of the car and look at the exhaust pipe, you'll see it there just below the manifold, might be able to see it from the top, I forget.   It has a round counterweight and a coiled spring (that's the "thermostatic control").   See if you can open and close it (move it back and forth), if not it needs some PB Blaster and some muscle --- might take a mild hammer blow or two, or more, to get it moving.  Get rid of the troublesome thing.

Ummm is your car all disassembled?  Check out the right exhaust manifold or the crossover pipe, you'll see it unless someone got smart and already removed it.  If you find it gut it, and plug the shaft holes as I mentioned, don't throw it away, you'll need the body to act as a spacer or you'll have to make one.  Of course if you're going with headers you can put all this down as education but forget about it in your car. 

[3caddyman]

my heat riservalve was in disrepair beore i got the car ,it was leakin bad so i removed the manifold and riser valve to find that it had been welded,so i made a peice of alluminium to go there and bought some copper gaskets for the manifold,they still leak a little.that was just the drivers side