Hey guys I was hoping a few of you have a bit of experience with this... I have been trying to install a 1960 394 in my 55 olds 88. The current obstacle I am faced with is the exhaust manifolds... In particular the driver side. It dumps near the front for the crossover pipe, but not as far forward as the manifold on the 324 that came out of the car. This puts the collector directly over the steering gear. Is there a different year or model that had a manifold that might work? Or will I have to make something? Any help would be appreciated... Apologies if I left out any critical details. Thanks guys!
Have you tried putting a right hand manifold on the left side. It should exit toward the front of the left head.
Years ago I put a 59 371 in a 53 and I know where you are coming from,I am glad it did not have p/s or I dont know what I would have done. I just dented the crossover pipe and ran a single exhaust,I dont think there is a factory manifold that will work better so you might check with Sanderson and see if they make a shorty header.
Thanks for the replies... I have not tried a right hand manifold on the left... You might be on to something. It really depends how far forward it exits, so I will check that tomorrow. The catch is, I have no crossover pipe. I have duals that were snaked around all of the obstacles, but I already knew beforehand something new would have to be done. Right now, the studs sticking out the bottom of the manifold are resting on top of the steering gear... So as it is, nothing short of a subframe or steering gear conversion will make that manifold serviceable. I know guys have done this transplant plenty of times in the past... So I'm trying to avoid making mountains out of molehills.
Also, the exhaust manifold bolt pattern is used until 60, the later 61-64 have a different pattern, so it makes the choices harder to find alternate stock manifolds. Not sure of how early that pattern goes. I have a 60 394 also and I have the same issue, no good stock manifolds for a dual exhaust setup.
The earlier manifolds wont bolt on and it been too many years since I done the swap to remember if they were even close enough so adapters could be made,if the 61-4 manifolds would work better the heads would have to be changed due to the different bolt pattern.
Thanks for all the input so far. I'm just trying to find something that will fit... I am trying to avoid something as extensive as a head swap. The motor I have has been fully rebuilt, and a good set of 394 heads is not all that easy to come by these days... Let alone the manifolds. Worst case scenario I'd have something made... But I've never heard this issue come up in all of the research I've done so far, so I am trying to make sure that I don't take the sledgehammer approach to a thumbtack problem.
The right hand manifold of a 371 (59 and 60) are setup for a crossover pipe. The manifold has a front and back opening for crossover and rear facing front exhaust pipe. The opening lines up with the rear of the right cylinder head. So if it is put on the left head, it would line up with the front of the left cylinder head. This in mind, a block off plate is used at the opening toward the rear of the engine, and a crossover pipe is fabbed to go down and under the front of engine and back to (another) right manifold, on the right cylinder head. See if this works, might be the easiest.
Thanks for the input. It looks like it could potentially fit, but it will route the pipe towards the front and go straight out... It might try to occupy the same spot as the control arm... The original manifold puts it down and around to clear. It is starting to look like custom exhaust time, so much for "bolt in" haha. Any more input is greatly appreciated, thanks for the help everyone.
Another thing to be aware of, 371/394 Olds engines are externally balanced. If you are using a "56 or earlier hydro, you need a flexplate with a balance weight attached. When I put a 371 in my " 50 Olds, with a dual range hydro, in 1962, I got the flywheel/ flexplate from B&M, don't know where you would get one now.
The engine came with a '53 hydro that has been balanced and ready to go. Thanks for the heads up. And thanks to the guy that rates every thread with 1 star
This is what we did with the plymouth manifold it saved time and money the collecter is a newer chevy.
I had a '60 394 in my '56 Olds....I was lucky enough to find a custom exhaust shop that cut little segmented sections of exhaust pipe, and snaked it around my steering box. That was about the only way it could be done. It was still very tight. Good luck!
That is really cool. Is that welded? Do you think it would hold up if it was brazed together? Sounds like a *****en tech thread... Was that pipe run off the manifold? The issue I'm running into is that the manifold itself is way off... Thanks for the replies. You all have been really helpful
after we cut the stock off we cleaned the cut and fit the flat stock in place then heated till the area was red hot and used a miller to wire feed it on high. we did the same on the dump it never leaked and according to the new owner works just fine. the high point was we moved it to where it worked best.
Was that pipe run off the manifold? The issue I'm running into is that the manifold itself is way off... ] Yes, If i remember correctly, it was run off of the manifold, and the crossover part was blocked off, I wish I still had the car and could take pics, but I sold it a couple years ago.
If you haven't already try adding a 1" spacer under the front motor mount and see if that gets you enough clearance. I'm dropping a 394 in my 56 Olds right now. Might be some info here that will help... http://webpages.charter.net/dhomstad/394 SwapFrame1Source1.htm
This should help you out dude, This guy went step by step in putting a 394 in a 56 Olds. 55's are the same. http://webpages.charter.net/dhomstad/394 SwapFrame1Source1.htm
The Jalopy Journal
