From all that I am reading on here, is that headers greatly improve performance. I have an 82 f-150 4x4 that with a few minor mods slipped a 67 390 into. I'm running the stock 67 T-bird manifolds with a 2 1/2 inch dual exhaust. Has anyone else put an FE in one of these trucks? What headers will fit and clear everything( cross member, front drive shaft, clutch linkage). Truck also has 4" suspension lift. Any help here will be greatly appreciated. Thank You

 

I imagine any long tube header would work fine. I have some low cost headers. Not too sure about the 82 model. Frame changed a bit after 79.

 

I am very please with "Stans Headers". Top notch quality and a tri-y design which is good for a truck. No clearance problems.

 

I am doing my 360 manual 2X4 right now and I will tell you can talk and post and still might run in to something differant when you do your own truck. I will also tell you 1/4 inch is a lot of room when you are trying to jimmy something around the frame or suspension. The big block isn't stock in your frame, I guess you could pull alongside a buddy's truck , lift the hood and get busy with a tape measure. that still wouldn't be a guarantee anything but it would get you a little closer.

That said, and looking back at all the headaches I am having now. If both my exhaust pipes would have been like my drivers side exhaust (rams head), I probably would have left them on and just ran duals. I don't have a lot of "Hot Rod" dreams for this truck, so dual exhaust would have been fine. I think that if your exhaust manifolds dump from the center instead of the end that they would be OK.

I still haven't figured out or ran into the reason that none of the instructions or that no one here mentioned removing the first crossmember to ease the headers in without jacking the engine up.

I need to get back out on my truck now and bolt up half the engine and suspension I un-bolted to get the headers mounted I guess, Good luck with your ride.

 

You might want to try a set of FPA headers on that 82 ( tri-y's) or a set of Sanderson block huggers for an FE. They're both pricey, but will probably fit better than a set of long tubes. What oilpan did you use in the 82? Rear sump 4x4?

 

Yes I have the 6 qt truck rear sump pan with the dip stick mounted in it.and boy is it a tight fit to get the motor in and out. But there is plenty of clearance once in. The real problem though was the oil filter. I used an adapter from an early seventies truck FE that bolts to the block and brings the filter location up about 3" and out from the block about 4". This cleared the frame and cross member just enough to run a remote filter adapter. The filter is mounted to the radiator support on drivers side( really does make oil changes easy, just put large coffee can under it and unscrew, no spill at all). Without remote filter would have never gotten a filter on it

 

You might try the 4wd oil filter adapter if you can find one, I sold one recently on ebay, this adapter comes out from the block like the car one but tilts the filter towards the front at a 45 degree angle.

 

TD products also had a remote filter adapter that bolted to the block that stuck out an inch or so and had 2-1/2 pipe thead ( or larger) holes to screw the remote hoses to.

 

All I can add to this is: Spend the big bucks up front to get ceramic coated headers. I went the cheap route and bought $200 hookers that are already chipping and have slight surface rust in some spots. They still function just as well, but it's always a bummer when I am under the truck and the headers match the 30 year old engine for looks. ; (

-Patrick

 

Yes this what I used to hook to the Ford adapter. I believe mine to be from a 4x4 truck, but it goes at a 45 up, not forward. Even with this adapter there still isn't room for a spin on filter( cross member design for the independent suspension) and I'm happy with the remote.It seems to be doing the job. Thank you for your opions. I'm always learning more.

 

From what you described about your adapter, you used the common 70's pickup truck ( 2wd) FE block adapter. The TD products unit I'm talking about replaces the Ford adapter and bolts directly to the block, doesn't screw onto the factory adapter.

 

Glad to see someone else has tried this. I am in the process of putting a 390 into an 82 F150 4x4. Will the stock fuel pump work or will that need to be changed? I figured the oil filter would need to be relocated. Any other insight would be greatly appreciated.

 

jmh1 sorry I haven't been here in awhile. With my swap I needed to get a bell housing, the truck rear sump pan and dip stick,'76 electronic dist.,the 351m radiator gets the inlet and outlets right from a bronco, but you will have to step down the bottom hose the 390 water pump has a larger outlet, stock fuel pump is fine,I modified the stock six cylinder mounts to accept the 390(in case anyone ever wanted to go back ) But on my 4 wheel drive the early '70's block adapter for the oil filter was a must, because the oil filter adpter wound not clear the frame. After you obtain these parts and modify the mounts it's a simple bolt in. But that oil pan is going to be a very tight fit around the independent suspension cross member. Good luck. It is well worth the time.

 

Think about the added work to install these headers...really worth it? Especially in your "custom" application.

The headers do add to the performance, but after several melted starters and re-tightening the bolts to those headers...I finally used a torch and removed. Just wasn't worth the extra attention they needed. PS...the headers I had were Headman...try and stay away from that brand.

If you do still feel the need, then the FPA's seem the best.

Just my 1+1 cents...

 

I like my hedmans, work great for a cheap header..JMO..