My stock, unmolested 360 has two ears cracked and a 1.5" split in the center that runs parrallel to the head on the driverside exhaust manifold. Does anyone know if this can be welded and what type of "rod" should be used? Either that or where can I find a good used one?
I'm too new to use the swap and contrary to popular recommendations from here on the forum, I've heard stock manifolds are far more reliable than headers on a driver.
it is just cast iron an' can be welded ..but is a lot cheeper to just replace them from the wrecking yard ..as the manafolds need to be preheated befor welding..good luck on finding a welder to do it it iss a talent to do it right!!
The biggest thing with FE manifolds is that they need to be able to expand and contract as they heat and cool. Ford says no gasket, and use anti-seize between the block and manifold so it doesn't corrode to the head and stick, and then crack.
Junkyard, ebay, are good sources for manifolds.
I went through it with the 360 in my '74 highboy. Twice. Then put headers on it and they lasted 15 years even through a 390 upgrade
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'74 F250 Highboy FE390 deceased! I've been wrong before, I'll be wrong again. Just wait and see.
Ya, manifolds are "longer lasting" if they are taken care of. I'd say you could get them welded, but might as well buy new by the time you get them done right. Weld and remachine the surfaces so they are perfectly flat. If not, it WILL crack again. New repops aren't cheap and a generic set of headers will last some time before needing fixed. I ran a set for 6 yrs on my '67 and still solid. Never replaced the gasket either(used stock cheap paper ones in kit). Proper installation goes a LONG way.
Yeah, I could understand good headers being OK, but at this point I just need to hear the motor. Some of those nice headers are more than what I have in the whole truck.
I would prefer to run stock equipment, especially since the preheat tube is still on the right side. I guess I'll have to track down a good bone yard out west to find a solid manifold that won't need to be torched off.
But then again those $132are appetizing, even though i would have to have the pipes adapted to fit...
1965/67 is the same. 1968/72 is not the same as 1965/67, and is not the same as 1973/76.
Car manifolds are not the same as they have the inlet pipe location in a different place.
You need a left manifold with an marked ID number prefix of C8TE, or DOTE, or D2TE.
C5TE is 1965/67 only.
The right side is the same 1965/72.
WOW ...umm i better check ...I have several old maifolds and chances are good that i have the right one....i will let you know as soon as i know... a little more to it than i realized....thanks for the information !!!!a picture would help
ya know in some ways its a loaded question... im a welder myself... and ive heard 2 sides to the story from veteran welders... some say yes... others say no... but it can be done.. it just takes the know how to do it... the manifolds on my 400 are welded... found that one of the manifold had a hair line crack in it between 2 of the ports.. grinded it down till the crack was gone.. (mine was just a surface crack it didnt go all the way through) and then welded it back up till the surfaces were flush again...
just depends on if you get a welder that knows what he/shes doing...
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