I'm a kid in highschool and I just bought a 1976 f 250 highboy. There my favorite truck but I just need some help figuring out what headers, carb, and exhausts to get. I haven't found a good site to look on seeing how my truck is so old. So if any of you could help me out that would be great.

 

So when I was 16, I got a 1974 Ford f250 highboy with a 360. it had the original exhaust, intake and carb and I wanted to upgrade it. I made 8 bucks an hour (this wasn't that long ago, I'm in my 20's) and dropped a ton of hard earned cash on the same new parts you're talking about. the full length headers were a huge pain to install, and I had to get new dual exhaust to go with them. and the intake manifold was also pretty difficult. bottom line is I could barely tell a difference and the engine later crapped out on me. I felt like I wasted my money and should have left the original parts.

That being said, when I was 16 no one was going to talk me out of it- so make sure you get headers with a thick 3/8" flange, don't use the gaskets that come with them, I recommend Remflex header gaskets, and you'll probably be best off using a local shop to make the exhaust for you. call around before you get started for prices. out the sides is a lot cheaper than out the back. For the carb, an edelbrock 1406 is a solid and reliable choice.

 

^ This is good advice...drive it till it breaks or you have a lot of money. You'll need the money you have for gas!

 

This is very true however, My dad and I are going to start an truck restoration company. But this is the first truck that i'm super involved in and its all me doing the work. I just need a starting place and I do have money for this stuff. Thank you very much for the advice though. I also need a leveling kit but every leveling kit ive found is for the rear. I could take out the blocks in the back but that ruins the true beauty of the truck. Thanks

 

Your truck is amazing.

 

I would run through all of your basic systems and get them up to power first. There are a lot of "fun" projects you can do that won't cost a fortune and will yield good results. For example:

-Go through your brakes (don't forget about the three rubber brake lines)
-check and maybe replace your U joints
-full tune up with plugs, wires, cap, rotor, air filter, oil change, etc
-Go through your fuel system- rubber fuel hoses should be replaced if you don't know how old they are, and fuel filters are cheap
-Old rubber power steering hose lines are just waiting to burst
-if you're feeling ambitious, remove your engine, thoroughly clean it, put new gaskets in it, repaint it, clean and repaint the engine compartment, etc. it wil look like a million bucks when you pop the hood for about 200 bucks.
-look for black Friday deals online for new tires if yours are old- google how to check tire dates, this is very important.
-replace weatherstripping and glass seals as needed
-check diff and transfer case oil
-check steering joints and for play, replace stuff as needed and get it aligned


All of this can be done for about the same cost as the parts you mentioned and, from my hindsight at least, will give you much more bang for your buck.

 

Thanks...don't look too close lol.

Now that my 79 is about the way I want it I hope to get the body off the 74.

 

Thanks! I definitely should do all that first. I just finished rebuilding the np 205 transfer case and that was a pain but taught me a lot. I will do all those things first. Thanks!

 

Ok, so there are plenty of headers available for your truck, I have the same truck, I kept it simple and affordable with these

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/big-12542flt

The key to your header selection is they must specify 4x4 the 2x4 headers will not fit. Secondly if you haven't figured it out yet, the passenger side headers have to fit around and over the engine mount, now alot of the new headers will separate (2 piece) before the collector so you do not have to lift the engine, some will not and you will need to take out motor mount bolts and lift the engine off the mounts enough to get the headers around , i had my motor out of the truck so it was a none issue, but if had forgotten it would have been a Jim Beam event

I have ran both Holley 80457 600cfm and the Edelbrock 1406, they both have their strengths and weaknesses, as of today I like the Edelbrock, that could change next week ... and running anything over 600cfm isnt going to do anything for that motor... I kept the glass packs on my truck cuz its low on the priority list and they still sound and perform fine, but they were custom fitted by a shop, you have that drive line to contend with from the transfer case, so keep that in mind if your doing this yourself....

I dont know much but I did put the same truck together this past year, so if ya need specifics about something, just hola....

 

Ok Thank you very much! Should I get the 3/8th flange? And is your truck fully restored yet, I can't wait for mine to be finally done.

 

Welcome to the crew! Workin on these dents can be a PIA, but you gotta think about the era they came from. When everything was metal and the people were as tough as the metal they crafted. They can be done for cheap if you know what your doing a little bit, ( which is good cuz they do like their gas ) and they can be restored for a lot of $$$$. Point is, soak up as much info you can on this and other sites before making a decision on anything, most parts have 1-3 options that are just as good as the other but work a little better for what YOU want the truck to be, and there’s tons of different ways to build em

 

The thicker flange is nice and is less apt to warp, but is more difficult to deal with if everything dosent line up perfectly, and its not going to .

My truck will never be fully restored, my goal given my limited (lacking) mechanical experience was to learn, learn, learn and do the best I can to make it a dependable weekend, dirt road, coyote stalking piece of awesome Americana...


Sunset cruise

So the frame will never be off, the body as some rust that was painted over by the PO... and its gonna stay like that.... But she is almost mechanically sound, currently re-installing all the power assist steering components that i had rebuilt, my house got the flu, so im set back another week ...

Over the past 1.5 years I started with taking the motor out, I was going to start listing all the stuff ive accomplished, but at this point its easier to list what i haven't done yet

Transfer case rebuild
Tranny rebuild
U Joints
Front Axle/hub refresh

Every thing else has been done..... I think, Even got a badA $$ 8 track install thanks to a solid FTE member named @rougeriver...

 

I started the same way as you. My highboy had a 360, and the rest of the Truck was garbage. Had to swap the bed, front fenders, and grille right away. I rewired it, and after a ton of bodywork, painted it. The 360 died slowly. Tried getting it rebuilt, but the machinist took my down payment and returned no product. Bought another engine, a 390 this time, pulled it out of the truck it was in, cleaned it up, new seals and gaskets, aluminum intake, edelbrock performer cam and a 1406 carb. My flowtech long tube headers fit perfectly with zero modification. Just put on a pair of 3” diameter turndown flowtech purple hornie mufflers. Sounds like a monster truck. It’s fast and loud. During the motor swap, I redid ALL the brakes, shocks, steering parts, and restored the inner fenders. Made it look a million times better.

 

Do yourself a favor when putting headers on your FE. Get a torch and heat the top exhaust flange glowing red or you will likely break off bolts.