When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Having fitment issues with headers on my 65 with a 390. Purchased a set of Patriot headers (H 8406-B) from Speedway. Drivers side went in pretty easy, the passenger side is a totally different story. Had to lift the engine 3~4 inches and remove the starter to get them into the space. Whatever I tried I couldn't get the stock starter to fit even with the header just floating there, ended up picking up the smaller PowerMaster started. Was able to install the new starter and then bolted down the header but now it is touching the cross-member and looking at the collector I temporarily installed the stub flanges they provide to weld the exhaust to and it touches the C6 transmission.
One, is the cross-member on the 65's wider than the 66's and up?
Called Patriot, while they were helpful the only option they side would be to send them the header for them to check to see if they were made correctly, probably a 4~6 week turn around.
Besides that option, any others than a ball-peen hammer?
Can get around the transmission issue as I was probably going to drop down to 2 1/4 and use a reducer that I could weld right at the flange.
Oh, also, it doesn't look like any one sells an exhaust kit for the 65 with headers. I did call Heartthrob as they had a kit for the 65 with manifolds, and they did have header kits for other vehicles, but they said the only thing they would recommend is to get the manafold kit and cut/weld the flanges on. This is most likely what I will end up doing.
Welcome any ideas.
IMHO, get your $$$ back and order the Sanderson's. They are the block hugger and collect straight down just behind the block towers. You can run 2.5 pipes from there. Have an exhaust shop custom build the exhaust pipes. They will fit perfectly and the cost will most likely be close to the same as any kit you buy. I hate kits. But thats me. Don't forget to have the exhaust shop build in an 'H' pipe.
Masked Rider, thanks I did call one local shop and they quoted $800-$1000 for the exhaust, Which is way more than I'm wanting to spend, will be calling another one tomorrow. But the kit is only $289, I'm pretty good with my MIG or TIG welder so that isn't a concern for me. But take your point, there are people that do this for a living that are really good at what they do and can do it in the 1/10th the time it would take me. I'm just kind of cheap.
Masked Rider, thanks I did call one local shop and they quoted $800-$1000 for the exhaust, Which is way more than I'm wanting to spend, will be calling another one tomorrow. But the kit is only $289, I'm pretty good with my MIG or TIG welder so that isn't a concern for me. But take your point, there are people that do this for a living that are really good at what they do and can do it in the 1/10th the time it would take me. I'm just kind of cheap.
You can flatten a header tube up to 1\3 of it's diameter without affecting the flow. I had to build my own headers from a box of bending mistakes because no one makes a long tube for 4 barrel Cleveland heads in one of these trucks. I ended up with more money in having them coated than in the headers themselves. But I did have to notch the cross member for more clearance and make a heat shield to keep the heat off of the servo on my C6. The exhaust is a Summit Racing kit. It comes with plenty of tube and bends.
Crop duster, man it would be nice to have the body off to install the exhaust :-) Is that a heat shield you added next to the transmission?
Masked Rider, 1972RedNeck, is this the Sanderson's you are referring to? https://www.summitracing.com/parts/snh-ff427-p These are not the block hugger version, there doesn't seem to be a set of those for the F100's
FF427, yes those are the ones. Yes, they do set close to the block. Take into consideration the 'slant' of the exhaust ports when the heads are bolted on the block. There is a member on this forum that might be willing to post some pics of his for you. He monitors this board, if he wishes, he will.
Resonateur, Thanks for the pictures, I ended up just grinding about 1/8 in off the cross-member, I know some here will cringe at that but there was still plenty of material there in the lip.
I want to give a +100% recommendation for PowerMasters. I was still having issues with the starter I had, the PowerMaster 9606, once I adjusted it to where it would clear it was hitting the block and would not mount flush. I found out that PowerMaster was only 5 min away from me.
Give their tech support a call, asked what they might have that would be better, they recommended the 9506M while it's not adjustable its made to be very close to the FE block and they said to stop by and we could get something to work, I went to PowerMater this morning, they took me back to the factory floor by the new product development area so we could compare a number of starters, we had 3~4 of them out on the table, They even brought out a pre-production unit that was really small but due in 3 weeks. Did settle on the 9506M which they recommended originally. Can't recommend PowerMasters customer service enough.
Once installed the new starter there was a ton of clearance.
Thanks for everyone's input, Did wish is bit the bullet the first time and bought the Sandersons.
what are y’all using between the manifold and the heads? I’ve read countless threads and it seems most run nothing or a heat shield; but, more real world experiences are always welcomed.
Sanderson specifies that no gasket be used on their headers. They are provided with a surfaced bead for head sealing. Still, I run a bead of high temp copper silicone just to take care of any minor imperfections.
what are y’all using between the manifold and the heads? I’ve read countless threads and it seems most run nothing or a heat shield; but, more real world experiences are always welcomed.
