Projects Header Hitting

Guy
Installed small block ford (347) in my 55 ford Customline , stock 5.0 manifold are hitting the spring pitch and steering box . Any suggestions?

 

Without pics , a guess would be move the motor over ?

 

It's usually a good idea to have the manifolds on the engine before you make the mounts, so you can put the engine in the right place so it won't hit anything.

 

Dish the headers to miss. After seeing Friberger’ show on how much denting and beating them did not perfect performance to worry about I disk a notch and weld in a contoured plate.

 

Change the steering box.

or

Change the spring perch.

or

Alter the steering box.

or

Alter the spring perch.

or

Change the headers.

or

Alter the headers.

or

A little of all of the above.

Or...

Sell the car, let someone else worry about it.

Seems a pretty simple fix to me !

Mike

 

Photos of the interference would help.
Sometimes just raising the front or rear of the engine just a little with spacers will help. There were many different exhaust manifolds used on small block Fords, including some tubing manifolds, there might be a better option out there.

 

You say 'Header" in the title, and "manifold" in the post, so I'm confused. Is this a stock 5.0 Mustang tubular header or a cast manifold from an non-HO vehicle?

Hedman #88420 fit Windsor engines in '52-'53 Ford cars.

 

Suggestions would depend on the heads on the motor. GT-40P heads have a different spark plug angle and "traditional" SBF manifolds will not fit. I used shorty SS headers for a 65-66 M word in my 53 and it cleared the steering box and Z-bar.

 

Try a Headman 88400 header. That's what I use in my '54 Ranch Wagon with a 302 and AOD. Fit with no issues.

 

if it's tube "headers" just have someone move the one tube

 

Tube header from fox body mustang

 

can you post pics of how much interference you have?

as mentioned, you can whack the tube with a hammer to dent it, to provide some clearance. But if it's an area on the header that is near a joint, or it needs to move a large area, that won't work. Sometimes you can cut a hole and weld in a patch.

sure would help to see what you're seeing

 

"Tube header from Fox Body Mustang" sounds like GT40P heads and their issues. As Jim says, pictures....

 

#88420 for 52-53 cars, #88400 for '54+ cars.

 

Probably the worst header to use on any conversion not installed into a Fox-Chassis based vehicle.
Those engine bays can swallow FE and 385 series with ease. Better than the Mustangs that came with FE/385s.

Fuelie 5.0 headers are not block hugging, primaries point out then back and angle down into the collector, which tends to dump right where the frame is on most other vehicles.
Those cars used R&P, there is no provision to clear a steering box.

If the headers are factory fuelie 5.0 headers and not cracked, sell them to someone restoring an 80s Mustang.

Stock 302 manifolds of that era are garbage too. 351 are better, but you would be better off with some aftermarket headers, unless you can cut and weld.

 

I bought a set of block huggers for the 331 hemi I put in a '40 Plymouth. Had to cut and weld reroute a couple tubes on the driver's side. Both looked like the one on the left originally.

If it is a minor interference, just dent the tube with a ballpeen hammer. Won't affect performance in the slightest.

Done and JetHot coated


Passenger side was fine

Had to rebuild the driver's side

 

You could always resort to the way the factory dealt with it on the Y block

 

And that is how Ford put 10lbs of crap in a 5lbs bag!