hedder tips?

The tabbed and circlipped header bolts usually have an allen inset head to help get them tightened down but there is always one or two tabs that will have to be ground down to fit properly.

Old trick I learned years ago is to pre-soak the header gaskets in cold water overnight prior to installing them. Water makes them swell slightly and adhere when they get heated the first time. Of course, you then have to retighten them after one heat cycle to get them tight enough to keep from blowing out. Make sure the head surface is absolutely clean before putting the headers on. It only takes one little piece of old gasket to screw up the seal.

Good luck and save the liquid refreshment till after the cussin' is done ;>)

A buddy had a 1979 F-150 with a 351. On the driver's side, IIRC, some of the header tubes went OVER the motor mount strut, and some went beneath it. In other words, you had to undo the motor mount to get the header around it.

If your setup is like that, you'll be ANGRY before you're done!

Also, if the truck has A/C, access to the RH side exhaust is pitifull!

As the other poster said, use GOOD header bolts, even if you have to buy them separately.

If the tubes are arranged such that there is straight-in access to the bolts, Allen head header bolts are a LOT quicker and easier to get installed and tight than hex-head header bolts.

Also, there are header bolts on the market with locking tabs held on with a snap ring. These can be a great deal to keep the system tight, but, obviously, they are hex head, rather than Allen head, so installation will be slower.

On one car, the starter motor wouldn't last very long which I have always suspected was because of the heat from the header.

The exhaust gaskets never seem to last very long either, and spark plug removal becomes a PITA.

I agree, a dual exhaust with a cross over tube and low flow mufflers are much more practical for street use. JMO