Top End Header or stock manifold?

[paradime]

Holy crap! If the head is ported it would almost be unthinkable that the valves aren't hogged out as well. I'm curious, are the exhaust ports square now? Have you removed the valve cover to see if it has a cam, beefier springs? If so, you might want to invest in a long header. It could really wake up the top end. 

[datzenmike]

The W53 has the same valve sizes as the 219 head. The intake ports are a bit small though.

[jbcottrell]

Intake ports look freshly enlarged.

Exhaust ports are square

[wayno]

As far as I know the W53 head came to the USA on the low mileage used engines imported from Japan, here is what the "The 620 Resource" @ www.olddatsuns.com has to say about it.

 

This head is from the Japanese market. Some of these castings are for factory fuel injected engines and have notches in the intake ports to accommodate injectors. 1.25" intake ports and square exhaust ports. 1.65" intake valves and 1.38" exhaust valves.

 

I also have a open W53 head in my possession, they do exist in the open chamber form, but is is very rare to find one.

The W53 head was one of my favorite heads to modify until I finally found a 219 head, I will have less money into the 219 head by the time it is rebuilt, and it don't need modified.

[paradime]

Wayno, are you talking about this specific head, or all W53s. As far as I know, it came in stock US market with a 35mm exhaust port.

[wayno]

Wayno, are you talking about this specific head, or all W53s. As far as I know, it came in stock US market with a 35mm exhaust port.

As far as I know, all W53 heads came from Japan on low mileage used engines, a shitload of them engines came over here in the 70s and 80s.

When I found that open chamber W53 head at the wrecking yard, I didn't check to see if the block numbers matched the VIN plate engine numbers, but I would bet that they didn't, and if you go to the wrecking yard and find a W53 head on an engine, I again would bet that the block numbers will not match the VIN tag block numbers on the one you are looking at either.

As far as I know, the USA got 210(open sort of), A87(open), U67(open), and W58(open) heads, the 219(closed), and W53(closed) were imported along with the closed chamber A87 head on used engines from Japan, do you see a theme here.

Here is the source I get most of my head info from.

http://www.olddatsuns.com/html/tech/head_ID_2.htm

[datzenmike]

Had a closed chamber W58 once. I don't care what people say they didn't come on L20B engines.

 

Here's the thing, a closed chamber head ups the compression of an L18 to 9 to 1 and an L20B to 8.9. (it lowers the L16's compression) No friggin way N America would allow these smog makers in during the '70s on imported Japanese cars. Hell every auto maker had to get rid of their high comp engines in '72-'73... you may not remember but I do. EVERYTHING was about low compression. The removal of leaded gas... again I remember it. These heads (and engines) slipped in under the smog radar in the '80s as a cheaper alternative to doing a valve job. Where did you think the L series dual SUs on a Nissan intake came from???? What about the long doglegs???? The 219 head?? These all came here on low mileage import engines. Thousands and thousands of them and after 30-40 years they are everywhere.

 

I have access to some Nissan parts numbers and there were only one L18 head and four L20B heads.

 

L18

11041-U2000* used on '74 620/710 and '73 610 ... that's it.

 

L20B

11041-U2000* on the '74 610 L20B only. Rare. U20 may be A87? I have a 22k '74 710 and it's an A87

11041-U6700 on all '75-'77 L20Bs

11041-N5800 on the '77 S10 only, then W58 after

11041-W5880 On all '78-'80 vehicles

[wayno]

Fact is that I would not worry about the header now, if it is bought and installed just drive it till it leaks, since you are in southern California, it may last a long time, up in the northwest they only last me about 5 years before I have an issue, but it rains a lot around here.

In the meantime collect everything you need to convert back over to the stock early L16 exhaust with a larger down pipe after it combines the 2 into 1 near the transmission plate.

The header will likely last longer if ceramic coated, I just put them on and fix them when they leak, after they start leaking the second time I replace them with a new one and start the process over again, I have about 3 more of them in my inventory, I find them on craigslist for cheap around here.

[scooter]

I have the top end header, I ended up welding the tubes on the outside of the flange, die grinding the fuck out of the inside to port match it. Out of the box they probably make less power than stock for this reason, I've had mine for 2 years now and it's holding up well.. It's the bare mild steel version. It looks ugly now from being really hot. Works Allright if you don't wanna look for a good manifold or don't have the money for an expensive header.

 

Next ones going to be custom stainless steel, bigger primary tubes, tuned length with a proper merge collector.

[banzai510(hainz)]

JB

2.1/4 is amost to big unless you got turbo

 

 

Steffgren. Thats the shit right there for the Y pipes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

I buy a lot of tubing and bends from Columbia River. Their parts are a good bargain.

[datzenmike]

If you have the L16 exhaust keep it and run it. It's more than good enough and best of all you don't have to do a thing, it's already there, it fits, it works, it's quiet. it's cooler running, it never wears out and needs replacing.

 

If you don't have one you have to choose if you will run one for all the reasons above plus they are $25 (or free), or a $200 header because noise, heat, replacement costs and poor fit do not matter.

 

If you have a modified engine carbs, head work, increased displacement, cam and compression you may want to seriously look at a header over a stock cast manifold.

[racerx]

Been running my stock L16 exhaust manifold for like 14 years, no leaks, no cracks and who knows how long thats been there. On the other hand had headers on 75 celica, datsun wagon and 240 z, leaked and always got loose and needed tighthening once a year at least. Some how though my headers on my 65 mustang have been good, maybe because i hardly drive it. But its a tri y style.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

What makes a cheap header cheap? Mostly it's the flange. If you have a good thick flange, it won't blow out gaskets.

 

The gasket is another aspect of running a header. Most of the "high performance" gaskets suck. I make my own using a cut up 240Z gasket. The steel construction gaskets are the best.

[wayno]

I have found that the weak spot for me in the Top End header is in the center of where the 4 tubes combine into one, to fix it I have to cut the end off just past the 4 tubes, fix the hole in the center, then weld the end back on, I have done this a few times now.