exhaust help!!

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Nov 15, 2011 | 12:32 AM

joogie22

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exhaust help!!

this is my first post here and im in a bind with my truck. i just bought a 77 f150 "frankinstine" truck aka it was a 77 f150 4x4 auto with a 351. the guy i bought it from made it into a 77 f150 4x4, 4 speed from a 76 bronco, 390 from a 65' merc. bored .30 over with 428 mustang heads. the issue im havin is with the exhaust on the passenger side i dont have any room for a pipe to run between the frame rail and the starter. i saw that the manifolds are different between a truck 390 and a car 390. (the truck comes stright back the car points down a lil bit) but what im wondering is does anyone know what headers will fit this i was lookin at flowtech for a 76 f150 4x4 with a 390 but im not sure if i can even fit a header on that side based on the pic of the header it looks like two pipes would go infront of the motor mount and then back. anyone used these headers or know of anything that could help me out? is the frame on a 76 wider than a 77? i dont know any help?

Nov 15, 2011 | 01:10 AM

Sleepy445FE

Fleet Mechanic

Joined: Nov 2010

Posts: 1,501

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From: Axtell, TX

Welcome aboard.

Your trucks not as bad a "frankenstein" as you think. Just a engine and trans swap. Both were a factory option from 196?-1976 so it should be no different than any of those models.

What casting numbers are your heads? The number is located between the middle two spark plugs. The same head castings were often used on a number of displacements. If they happen to be the Cobra Jet castings then you will have good performance, but a port misalignment with all the headers made for these trucks. Truck headers can be made to work with CJ heads, but you need to lengthen the slots and some mounting holes on the header flange so that they can slide about 1/4" UP.

Any header made for 73-76 F150 4x4s with an FE will work. If you want to go the fenderwell exit route, I've just learned that Mad Dog makes them for dentsides with FEs.

Nov 15, 2011 | 01:24 AM

joogie22

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ill have to look at the casting numbers tomorow the guy i got it from said they were mustang heads thats all i know ill try and take some pics of the passenger side too so you can see what im seeing

Nov 15, 2011 | 03:58 AM

7Ford6

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Link to another thread - https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...0-headers.html

Nov 15, 2011 | 12:56 PM

joogie22

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ok so the casting on the head is C8AE-H and i have some pics of what im lookin at with the frame rail and the manifold its pretty tight.

Nov 15, 2011 | 01:05 PM

joogie22

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Quote:

Originally Posted by 7Ford6

Link to another thread - https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...0-headers.html

thanks man, guess im not the only one out there with this issue he said his went on fine guess ill give them a shot. thanks for the link

Nov 15, 2011 | 04:29 PM

Sleepy445FE

Fleet Mechanic

Joined: Nov 2010

Posts: 1,501

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From: Axtell, TX

Those "428" heads were also used on 390s. They have the lower port location that most 66 and later heads have. So you'll have no problem with a port mismatch. ANY header for a 73-76 f150 4x4 will work. I would do something (starter wrap, heat shield,etc.) to protect your starter from heat though. It's a fairly common occurence to have problems with starter heat soak leading to difficult hot starts when there is nothing between the header and starter. Good luck!