I have a set of headers for a 1966 2wd 352. I was wondering if they would/could work with my 66 4wd 352. I realize they are not designed for the 4wd but has anyone made them work? What is different? I didn't know if a modification could work or are they just shelf ornaments? Any suggestions are appreciated

 

Headers vary a lot from one manufacturer to the other. Shape of tubes, collector angle and length. They might have a different design for a 2wd truck with automatic or 3 on the tree than for a 2wd floor shift model. Junk like that which they have to take into account.


The 2wd trucks use the side engine mounts that are tucked under and don't tend to interfere at all. The 4wd trucks use the bellhousing mounts with a substantial metal cross support underneath that can often interfere with about where the header dumps out.


My buddy has owned his 1966 F250 4 x 4 with 352 (changed early on to a 427 side-oiler with 428 crankshaft, but same block shape) since 1967 and he used a set of the shorty 390 PI/406 cast iron headers - and he had to put a small notch into his frame on the passengers side to make those work. Benefits are they are cast iron and breathe good - and, of course, don't even come close to the support member under the bellhousing.


Jay Brown did some exhaust comparisons in "The Great FE Intake Comparo" and says this about the shorty headers.


"The factory short cast iron headers [...] were found on early Galaxies. They are excellent performance manifolds, and will provide a performance boost over any other factory exhaust system except for the long tube Galaxie headers. They are a four into one design, with a large 2 1/2" exit."


But, I can't recall seeing a set of aftermarket headers on a 1966 F250 4x4 352 of the few I've been able to check out. Hopefully someone else can chime in on that aspect.


This is a somewhat interesting thread - some pictures of the cast iron shorty headers in post #11.


https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/6...on-390-fe.html


So, if your headers are long tube and do have too much interference you can always consider some sort of shorty header.


As Dave would say...food for thought...anyway.


EDIT: Here's someones gallery showing a 1972 2WD with the frame notch that is needed to run those shorty cast iron headers.


https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...148760&width=0


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TA - Thanks for the info - I should have mentioned that my truck is an F100 not 250. I'm not sure if that makes much of a difference under the truck and I have a 4 speed - NP 435 tranny.

 

Yes, it makes a huge difference. Yours is much more similar to a 2wd truck than the F250.


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