I have recently tried to obtain four tube stainless steel headers for my TR3A
and thought I would share what I found & ask a question.
First neither Moss nor The Roadster factory carries a stainless steel four tube
header. The Roadster factory and maybe Moss (I didn't check) carries a mild
steel Monza four tube header. Moss carries a weld it yourself mild steel
semi-header kit. Both Moss and the Roadster factory carry a mostly stainless
steel semi-header. Both the Moss & RF stainless semi-header look like they were
made by the same company in the UK. The only differences I noticed between the
pair is the label glued to the semi-header and that the RF's version costs
$US100 more than the apparently identical one from Moss. The semi-header is
what Moss or TRF would sell you if you asked for a stainless header for any of
the TR2 through 4A Triumphs. You will get a weld it yourself semi-header kit
from Moss if you ask them for a mild steel header for a TR2 through 4A.
A description of the SS semi-header: I call it a semi-header because the four
tubes flow into a collector above the starter motor. This means that the four
exhaust passageways come together just a very little farther downstream than
does the stock TR exhaust manifold. To me a real header has the tubes come to a
collector below the crank and behind the engine, the length tuned for optimum
scavanging at a certain RPM range. I suspect that there is no advantage to the
semi-header over a stock TR exhaust manifold other than weight. One advantage
of the semi-header over a real header is that it can be used with both short and
long nosed starters. The real headers tend to have clearence problems with the
early long nose starter.
The semi-headers available from both Moss & TRF, have a mild steel plate that
bolts to the head, four stainless tubes welded to the mild steel plate. The
tubes come together into a collector above the starter motor, and a single tube
comes down & curves around to meet the front muffler. The mild steel plate and
collector welds are painted silver. I hate to think what it would look like
when the paint gets burnt off.
Does ANYONE know where I can purchase a REAL stainless steel header that will
fit a TR3A with short starter motor??
Does anyone know a place in the Monterey or San Francisco bay areas that could
custom fabricate a real stainless steel header?
TeriAnn Wakeman Large format photographers look at the world
twakeman@apple.com upside down and backwards
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