Exhaust headers for a 4.2

absolutemoon

New member
I'm looking and pricing to replace my grossly cracked ex manifold. If I am going to spend the 200 bucks for a stock replacement, why not kick in a couple of extra bucks and put a set of headers on it. I have seen depending on the brand it says to be usually used with manual transmissions. Since I have an automatic tf999, what problem does anyone see me running into? Thanks guys! Bryan
 

No idea but I will follow along since I will have the same trouble
 
If you do buy headers. Don't go cheap. Cheaper ones use a thiner guage of metal and don't last long.
 
Guess what? I'm getting that bog down again. Noticed it today. Could a plugged cat really affect the acceleration? I think it's about 20 yes old. Gonna pull 3&4 plug and check if they r fouling. That's where the gaping hole is.
 

I don't think there's a problem between manual and automatic on a cj. I have a hedman two piece header for the 4.2. The collector is located in front of the bell housing. On cj's the exhaust exits on the drivers side so it's a pretty straight run. Yj's I believe have a crossover pipe and exit on the passenger side. Not sure about headers on those.
 
absolutemoon said:
Guess what? I'm getting that bog down again. Noticed it today. Could a plugged cat really affect the acceleration? I think it's about 20 yes old. Gonna pull 3&4 plug and check if they r fouling. That's where the gaping hole is.

Good call
 
Yes it can!! I just replaced the factory cat on my 77 Cj7 and it made a HUGE difference. Bad thing is when the cat let go it plugged up the muffler too. Acceleration and mpg both got better.
 

I'm looking and pricing to replace my grossly cracked ex manifold. If I am going to spend the 200 bucks for a stock replacement, why not kick in a couple of extra bucks and put a set of headers on it. I have seen depending on the brand it says to be usually used with manual transmissions. Since I have an automatic tf999, what problem does anyone see me running into? Thanks guys! Bryan
The problem that you will encounter is the exhaust will be directly under your automatic when it crosses over. the collector on the header sits too far back to get the pipe to cross over where the stock exhaust runs.
Then you will run into the problems of mounting the cat and muffler. It will have to be a totally custom bent exhaust if you are mounting a header on the 4.2L. So look forward to dumping about $500 into it plus the cost of the header(depending on how much your shop charges for custom exhaust work). The reason that they refer to manual trannies is the fact that the case is much smaller, and you wont lose ground clearance with the pipe crosing over, plus the fact of having to drop your exhaust everytime you want to change the trans filter and fluid.
It is possible to get a set of shorty headers for the 4.2L but it will still lead to custom exhaust work. I guess it depends on what you are into and how much you want to spend. If it were me, i would look for a used exhaust manifold at a junk yard.
 
0III0forlife said:
The problem that you will encounter is the exhaust will be directly under your automatic when it crosses over. the collector on the header sits too far back to get the pipe to cross over where the stock exhaust runs.
Then you will run into the problems of mounting the cat and muffler. It will have to be a totally custom bent exhaust if you are mounting a header on the 4.2L. So look forward to dumping about $500 into it plus the cost of the header(depending on how much your shop charges for custom exhaust work). The reason that they refer to manual trannies is the fact that the case is much smaller, and you wont lose ground clearance with the pipe crosing over, plus the fact of having to drop your exhaust everytime you want to change the trans filter and fluid.
It is possible to get a set of shorty headers for the 4.2L but it will still lead to custom exhaust work. I guess it depends on what you are into and how much you want to spend. If it were me, i would look for a used exhaust manifold at a junk yard.

I hear what your saying about the custom work but my exhaust doesn't cross over. Comes right off the drivers side and straight back. I wasn't sure because of auto linkage, if I would potentially run into that.
 

superj said:
Dammit, crossing exhaust will bey trouble

That's right, you have a yj. I think the yj was the first to cross exhaust to passenger side.
 
A friend of mine has a yj with headers, and the exhaust actually goes around the front of the engine below the radiator over to the passenger side. Maybe that's why his is quiet even with the headers
 

I stopped at the parts store tonight and was asking questions about the sound quality of some of their products. As it turns oh the dude I was asking has a Cherokee with a 4 ltr and glasspack. He went out to start it for me and it wasn't that loud. I was surprised. Sounded ok. Not great. But there is only so much rumble you can get from a 258 ya know.
 
If you do buy headers. Don't go cheap. Cheaper ones use a thiner guage of metal and don't last long.
True, spend the extra money for stainless or ceramic unless you want to put a new header on every three years or so.
 
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