I've been looking at my options for my '65 dart 270, but I can't find a definitive Dutra Duals vs headers comparison. From what I've gathered Dutras cost less, are supposedly more durable, and still give a significant power/fuel mileage increase. Headers cost more, but give the best power increase.

Naturally this depends on what I'm building. I'm shooting for a nice street car--so better fuel economy and power. I haven't decided on a carb upgrade or go fuel injected, nor have I decided on what cam to get. (In other words, I'm still researching everything.)

What are the pros/cons of Headers vs Dutra Duals? Has anyone owned both?

BTW thanks again for the site, the Dart has been running very well for awhile! =)

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~Less think, more do

Easy pick, then: Dutra Duals.
With Dutra Duals you get to keep your automagic choke and your intake manifold heat (which is widely misunderstood to be just for cold weather or just some unnecessary emissions control; in fact it is crucial to driveability and fuel economy—see here). You are also much(!) less likely to have exhaust leaks and fitment problems with DDs than with headers, and DDs will not rust out like steel tube headers. With Dutra Duals, you support a very active contributing member of the slant-6 community; with headers your choices are to support companies who routinely screw us or companies who don't especially care.

Building a race motor for full-time-full-throttle blasts down the track? Then by all means pick headers.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I would also vote for DD's on a street car, unless going for all out power.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

I agree on the Dutras. I have had headers on my street slant,and with the fittament issues I had I wish I would have gone dutras. Also,the Dutras are a very thick casting,so you can open up the runners/outlets and get more flow.

My street car has Dutras on it,my race car has headers,whats that tell you?

Dan is correct. Dutra Duels for street use is the way to go. By using original Mopar castings, you get the benefit of manifold heat, and stock choke two devices that are critical to daily driver drivability.

My Dart has Clifford headers, and headers. During the mid summer the car will operate fairly well because of the warm temperatures. Once temperatures drop to the low 40’s, carburetor icingbecomes a problem making for crappy drivability and high fuel consumption. Fuel millage would drop from 17 to 9 mpg, and the car would not stay running below 1200 rpm when icing was present.

I got around the lack of manifold heat by making a hydronicly heated chamber attached to manifold under the carburetor, feed by the heater core loop. I also had to rig up a thermister to slow the action of the electric choke, as it would pull off to soon for a cold manifold which caused drivability issues until the engine was fully warmed up.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

And Doug runs his manifolds on his race car...

We can hash this around till the cows come home.

I run Dual Dutra Duals on the Hooptie. I could probably coax some more ponies out of her with Headers. Might even get .05 at the track with my build. The nice thing about the Dutra iron manifolds is, I have never had to fuss with them... At all. Marvelous.

A serious high spinning engine might make up more time, but that isn't a street use application. The Hooptie can legally motor to the track if I'm of a mind.

With a flat head surface, my Dutras, which came all surfaced and pretty, I could spit on newsprint and they'd seal up. No fancy gaskets needed. I've been running over the counter, whatever Ya' got gaskets. Never had one leak.
My true duals came gasket matched. There was a bit of grinding needed for clearancing to various manifolds, but I'd say ten minutes tops if you've any experience playing with a die-grinder.

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Ditto what Dan and the others said, and one more vote for Dutra Duals on a street slant.
I've had Dutra Duals on my Volare for years, not one problem.

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"Ja, Ich fahre ein altes auto."
'78 Volare 225
'67 Charger 318

Headers will also require replacement in a few years... sooner or later they tend to rust through.

Your Dutras won't rust through until long after you do.



- Mac

Thanks everyone, Dutra sounds like the way to go for me. I am curious, how much of an improvement have people seen with Dutra Duals over a stock?

Has anyone done an empirical analysis?

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~Less think, more do

wow you guys really give headers a bum rap. I ran them for 5 years on my mostly street driven Valiant. They only gave me trouble with the first set of gaskets, once I found good ones they never leaked. Headers rust out due to lack of use, mine were used when I got them and were still in great shape when I sold the car. As for winter driveability, I attached a small "U" of copper tubing to the bottom of my clifford intake plumbed into the heater core line and used heated air from around the headers. My holley had no choke at all and the car started almost instantly in 0* weather.

I'm not knocking Dutras but come on fellas headers are not the problem child you are making them out to be.

Doug said once that headers were worth almost a half second better in the 1/4 on one of his cars.

I have used headers and plan to on my next build but that's because I have a set off of a car I bought for parts. With my previous build I found headers at Carlisle, had I found a Dutra I would have used it instead.

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If that is true, then you were pouring gasoline money right out the tailpipe by the double-fistful.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

if your headers rust out your not using due diligence in mantiance..

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slant six's RULE!
http://www.usajon.com

No Dan I wasn't, that car got 17mpg around town and 21 highway.

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