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I'm at this crossroad myself. I have a 289 in my 50 and I was under the impression the speedway shorty block huggers w/ a mustang mini starter was the only possible choice. I was shocked to see those full length headers fit with a full size starter and the stock steering box. They are double the price, but long tubes are more ideal than a shorty header.
I also have the TCI IFS unit that I am installing. The crossmember is already welded into place and I am preparing to get the engine/transmission/rear axle setup for all the mounts. That is one reason I need the headers as I would like to know if I can mount the engine offset to the passenger side. The Explorer rear axle pinion is offset by around 3" to the passenger side so I am considering moving the engine a couple of inches over to minimize the angle and create more room for the steering mechanisms. If I have the headers, I'll know if by moving the engine over I am creating an exhaust issue while trying to fix a rear axle issue. It will also let me know if I will have any other interference issues I need to deal with that can be alleviated by where the engine is mounted.
Steve, thank you for all the pictures as this is a great help. Is your engine center mounted or did you offset it?
It is offset 3/4" to the passenger side. It can probably go as far as 1.5", but no more than that due to the shackle pin on that side.
Just wanted to pose a question to the collective group:
I am looking at the pictures that were posted of those long tube headers and wondering if any of the Tri-y offerings would also fit. The reason I think this could work is because mustang shock towers are very narrow, so if that is true, then I would assume the steering box clearance would take some of the space into account. The other interesting thing is that, compared to say a speedway shortie header that requires a mini starter, the Scott Drake tri-y's do not mention anything about needing them on their application. Also, there are many installs showing how the headers fit inside a similarly cramped space.
Going to reach out to a few suppliers and ask, but just wanted to ask here as well.
I just wanted to report back my findings after a few calls yesterday. Called Scott Drake tech support. The gentleman I spoke with has a 53 with a SBF and said his clear without issue. I looked over a few pages on the ford barn site that shows the difference between a 48-52 steering box and a 53-56 version. I think with a little wiggling, tri-y headers would be a go. Take your pick on speedmaster, flowtech, Scott Drake and even summit have a pair, but only in temporary black paint, no stainless or ceramic coated. Anyways, just wanted to give everyone my feedback.
I am using a different 351, a Cleveland. The location of the Jaguar ifs steering shaft started a domino set of problems for me. All models of the Cleveland stock exhaust LH side all exit right where the steeing shaft is, also all of the headers I could find LH exit there as well. I was lucky to find a set of Sandersons with both sides exiting in the middle which gave lots of clearance for the steering. However they are so tight to the block that the stock motor mount location can not be used, which led to fabricating motor mount brackets forward of the headers. Next comes the header collectors which will be a challenge to fabricate. But it is all about the journey I guess. The point being there are a lot off things that header configuration can affect. Had I been willing to offset the engine I might have been able to use the stock exhaust, but I did not want to do that.
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