Driving car with only HP manifolds installed

[1971SE440]

I just replaced my headers with a set of HP manifolds and I need to drive the car about 1 mile to the muffler shop to get some new head pipes made. Is it all right to drive it about a mile with only the manifolds on or should I tow the car to the shop? Thanks

[69chargeryeehaa]

I was faced with the same situation on my 69 charger r/t.  First off it will be LOUD Seccondly you might burn the paint near the manifolds.  I just bought a complete TTi system and installed it myself.   

[RECHRGD]

I wouldn't do it.  With cold air so close to the valvetrain after shuting it off, I would think there could be a chance of warping the valves.  Just my  .  Bob

[Charger-Bodie]

I wouldn't do it.  With cold air so close to the valvetrain after shuting it off, I would think there could be a chance of warping the valves.  Just my  .  Bob

[tan top]

I wouldn't do it.  With cold air so close to the valvetrain after shuting it off, I would think there could be a chance of warping the valves.  Just my  .  Bob

  yeah i have heard of this before .... but thinking it might be if you try to run with out manafolds  just a open exhaust port ...   ................

[Rolling_Thunder]

I dont know guys - I have run an engine with no exhaust (open ports) before and it did not have a problem after...     

I would still tow it though

[Mfr426]

My concern would be the paint issue. It will be loud as hell too but hey...there nothing like that noise! 

[FastbackJon]

Hopefully you don't have a rubber fuel line run next to the frame rail.

[Nacho-RT74]

I don't see any problem... IS JUST 1 MILE

[69chargeryeehaa]

I don't see any problem... IS JUST 1 MILE

It takes about 30 secconds for the manifolds to get stupid hot, the only real thing i would be worried about like i mentioned is the paint/hoses in the area, it would for sure melt the paint on the firewall/frame rails in about 1 min.   

[bordin34]

Go to home depot, get some of the dryer vent tubing and hose clamps. Clamps the tubing onto the manifold and zip-tie the tubing to the frame rail to dump wherever you want it. It should hold up for a mile.

[Ghoste]

For the sake of one mile I would tow it just based on the warped valve thing.  It may be nothing more than urban myth but it doesn't sound unreasonable to me so if it were my car, I just wouldn't chance it .  It isn't going to be much more trouble to tow but it will be a LOT more trouble and expense if it turned out the valve warpage thing was true. 

[RECHRGD]

I wouldn't do it. With cold air so close to the valvetrain after shuting it off, I would think there could be a chance of warping the valves. Just my . Bob

The reason I thought of the valve warpage comes from an incident about 40 years ago at Erwindale Raceway in So. Cal..  One cool (low 40's) evening I was racing my new Charger that I had just installed new custom headers on.  After several runs with the open headers I got beat by a new GTX.  I bolted the exhaust back up and headed home.  I heard a slight ticking out of the engine and it was getting louder.  The next day I went to several Dodge dealerships before I found one that would honor the warrantee because of the headers.  I got it fixed under warrantee and the problem was warped valves.  I'll never know for sure that cold air going up the headers during the wait between runs had anything to do with it.  But, it does seem odd that a basically new car just happened to have this problem immediatly after the above scenario.    Bob

[Nacho-RT74]

when I started up my car when engine rebuilt I had my engine runing for about 5 minutes. I didn't hooked at that time the exhaust pipes yet. No prob at all

[Mfr426]

How about an air lift to the shop? Do you have any friends with a cargo moving helicopter? 

(sorry, it's Friday).

[Bandit72]

i've drove many a vehicles alot farther than 1 mile with open headers/manifolds...hell, i drove an old truck around the yard with open heads (400) and aside from being really loud, i didnt' have a single problem with it

[1971SE440]

I ended up towing it to the shop.

[terrible one]

I wouldn't do it. With cold air so close to the valvetrain after shuting it off, I would think there could be a chance of warping the valves. Just my . Bob

The reason I thought of the valve warpage comes from an incident about 40 years ago at Erwindale Raceway in So. Cal..  One cool (low 40's) evening I was racing my new Charger that I had just installed new custom headers on.  After several runs with the open headers I got beat by a new GTX.  I bolted the exhaust back up and headed home.  I heard a slight ticking out of the engine and it was getting louder.  The next day I went to several Dodge dealerships before I found one that would honor the warrantee because of the headers.  I got it fixed under warrantee and the problem was warped valves.  I'll never know for sure that cold air going up the headers during the wait between runs had anything to do with it.  But, it does seem odd that a basically new car just happened to have this problem immediatly after the above scenario.    Bob

Was more than one valve warped?