[alfa] Shankle Headers - Flexible Exhaust Tubing

["Leslie Wong" <lesliewong@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have installed a set of new Shankle headers that I bought on eBay on my
'79 Alfetta Sprint Veloce. I am trying these headers because they have the
connection for the air injection rail. The original one piece US manifold
that I got from APE when I moved from New York to California really choked
the engine and it felt like it had no torque.
 
With the Shankle headers, catalytic converter, center muffler and ANSA rear,
there doesn't seem to be much of a seat of the pants difference vs. the
European 2 piece header, center muffler and ANSA rear.
 
I'm not sure of the history of the engine, except that it had been rebuilt
by Bobcor in the 80's to "European specifications." I had asked here about
the camshafts once but there are no numbers on mine.
 
I have read on the Digest about many of the two piece headers cracking at
certain points. I have had the European 2 piece cast iron headers on my car
for many years without any cracking even though I had a lot of scraping of
the catalytic converter due to low ground clearance. I thought I saw a
reference (that I can't find right now) that the Kartalamakis book mentions
flexible exhaust tubing. I thought that might be a good idea between the
catalytic converter and the down pipe. Does anyone have any experience with
this?
 
Thanks,
 
Leslie Wong
Pacific Grove, CA
1979 Alfetta Sprint Veloce
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