Will 1974 SSI's fit an 83SC? Stud change?

[chrisp]

I heard there's a stud change. I have a clubmate who has a set of SSI's off of a '74. He says that it will fit my '83 but I have the change exhaust studs. Is this 1.) required 2.)a difficult job?

Anything else I need to watch out for (besides the standard oil line changes)?

[RickM]

This MAY help....SSI's

[Bill Verburg]

Chances are better than good that you will break some of the studs when removing the old exhaust anyway. Just replace them and the ones that didn't break but will next time. Be prepared to use case savers on some of them.

[Superman]

I don't believe you have a problem. My hazy recollection is that the '83 exhaust has the thicker flanges, and therefore the longer studs. So, the studs on your engine are longer than they need to be, but not too long. My '83 has heat exchangers from a '73, and they fit just fine. I did not change, nor shorten, the exhaust studs. If I were you, I'd use heat (oxy/acetylene) to get the nuts off your existing system. DO NOT break an exhaust stud.

[fintstone]

I believe these are the nuts you seek. http://store.yahoo.com/eagleday/nuts.html
I am sure Wayne must carry them, but this is a good pict.

[fintstone]

Here is a poor picture of the install of '74 SSIs on an SC engine. The guys at Supertec bolted them on for me. They bolted right up. They used a combination of the barrell nuts (where the only access was up through the slots in the Heat exchangers and the regular ones elsewhere.

[fintstone]

Finished product...SC engine with '74 SSI and SS muffler.

[Vipergrün]

You can fit a 12mm socket thru the holes in the SSI's. That's why those 12mm copper nuts are so handy when using thin-flange SSI's and long studs..... No need to dork with those barrel nuts.

-B

[fintstone]

You would just need some pretty thin-walled sockets. None of my 12 mm craftsman sockets will fit.

[john walker's workshop]

use some thick walled 8mm ID tubing, and cut 12 short spacers from it. better than stacking washers.

[Superman]

Okay, now that John mentions it, that's what I did. Approximately 1/2" long pieces of small pipe.

[chrisp]

Why doesn't SSI just sell the thin flange with spacers? Seems like there must be more to this and more reason why they have a thick flange and thin flange. Maybe they are striving for perfection when in actuality it's not necessary.

[john walker's workshop]

thick flange has a ring that goes up into the port for the later cars, like the stock ones.

[chrisp]

Is this a necessary piece? If so then putting early SSI's on a later car is not such a good idea. In my case...putting '74 system on an '83.

[john walker's workshop]

i wouldn't worry about it.