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Legal Headers on a 1979 Jeep Cherokee

By Rick Pewe
Photography by Rick Pewe
1979 Jeep Cherokee Front Under View

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01. Our Edelbrock T.E.S. headers came plain, even though they are available coated. We sent our set off to Jet-Hot coating for the most durable finish available. The coating keeps the headers cooler, makes more power, and allows for lower underhood temperatures.
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02. Edelbrock PN 6881 is specified for an '80-and-later Wagoneer and has the all-important CARB number stamped on a welded tag on the tube. This is what gets you past the smog police, along with the associated engine compartment decal.
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03. Our first step was filling the bay at Performance Products with our '79 Cherokee. The stock exhaust has a crossover pipe that loops under the front driveshaft and often hits. Top-technician Alfredo broke out a Sawzall and removed the old pipes in a snap.
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04. After the encrusted old manifolds were wrenched off the engine, the air-check valve for the air-pump system is removed. The valve screws right on to the new T.E.S., and the new headers slip back onto the engine.
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05. The bolts supplied with the new tubes were a bit long, with some interference between tube and flange. After a quick trip to the grinding wheel, the bolts slipped right in. Our problems began when we saw the left collector dumping right into the Milodon oil pan. The new pan interferes with the collector, while the stock pan would clear fine. Instead of just hooking up the Edelbrock crossover pipes for a bolt-in installation, we were stuck.
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06. Performance Products works closely with Luna's Performance Exhaust, located around the corner, so they suggested we get some custom mods. Manager Dan Luna took one look at the mess and said, "No problem," and proceeded to whack off more old pipe for a better installation.
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07. To keep the good sealing properties of the donut-style connector, Luna cut the collector halfway through, then heated and bent the end into shape. This was the only way out of our predicament, short of changing the oil pan to stock or going back to stock exhaust manifolds. Luna precisely formed the end into its new location, then welded it back together.
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08. Luna has been in the biz for more than 15 years and loves to do the difficult jobs on rods and 4x4s. We showed him our concerns for axle-to-exhaust clearance, and he started bending tube faster than we could snap photos. The passenger-side header uses a flat flange to a donut-type connector and required no mods.
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09. By simply routing the exhaust around the front of the pan, we gained tons of clearance for the front axle and driveline. Luna grafted the left tube into the right side just like the stock and Edelbrock system, so we doubt our mods will hurt performance. In fact, we could even hear ourselves talk after the job, and the Cherokee felt a lot spunkier.

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