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1986 f150 5.0L EFI 2wd looking for a set of headers and going to be getting a custom dual exhaust installed just wondering what headers will work without causing problems?
I like the shorties on a truck. Seems every pass side stock manifold have cracks in them, and shorties dont get in the way of shifter parts. If your going custom exhaust there are a ton of different 302/351 80-96 headers out there. SOme might have O2, or EGR ports.. but if your going custom you can work with that.
Pay once, cry once when you're buying headers, or most any truck parts for that matter, I have had good luck with Hedman's before, cept it looks like they only show long tube, I would think you would be able to GTS and find some shorty's (GTS - google that *****, learned that from my millennial co-workers yrs ago when they were giving me crap about being "old" lol)
I had BBK ceramic coated shorty headers on the ‘89 F-150 (302) for about nine years. I actually still have them and still look good. The reason I am not using them now is that I went with long tubes on the 351W. Before that I went through three sets of JBA shorty headers. The weld where the tubes join at the collector kept breaking. At least in my ‘87, ‘89 and ‘94 302 engines there is no EGR or oxygen sensor in the exhaust manifold. I assume the same was true in ‘86.
The shorties work better also because the crossover pipe can be tucked up high under the oil pan like the stock pipe. You most likely will have to run a y-pipe up front, and then split it back apart down the pass side. If you get under there and study the situation, you will find the gas tank is in the way on the driver's side for running a true dual system down that side.
Here is a example sold by LMC Truck. You can see how it crosses over to the pass side to avoid the fuel tank.
my 86 has the o2 sensor on passenger side exhaust manifold but if i can find a reasonable price set of headers without it i can install a bung in the pipe if needed
I had BBK ceramic coated shorty headers on the ‘89 F-150 (302) for about nine years. I actually still have them and still look good. The reason I am not using them now is that I went with long tubes on the 351W. Before that I went through three sets of JBA shorty headers. The weld where the tubes join at the collector kept breaking. At least in my ‘87, ‘89 and ‘94 302 engines there is no EGR or oxygen sensor in the exhaust manifold. I assume the same was true in ‘86.
Sorry, late to reply, here's the O2 in my 86 302EFI. It's in a hard to see spot.
Last edited by Max Capacity; Apr 10, 2026 at 06:45 AM.
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