interchangable headers on 351W/M/C
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interchangable headers on 351W/M/C
hey im wondering if headers or manifolds for a 351 cleveland can be interchanged with a 351 windsor or modified, and visa versa. are there any differences in either the block or the header shape themselves that will prevent me from swapping? the headers im trying to get fit a 351 cleveland out of a mustang fastback. a buddy of mine has a set laying around and thats why im asking. i wanna know if theyll fit before i take everything apart and they dont line up.
FTE Legend
Joined: Jun 2006
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From: Ottawa, Ontario
Those pics don't even show the BIG difference between the heads. On the Windsor heads the exhaust port surface is sloped in with respect to the deck surface, so the port wall is nearly vertical when installed on the motor.
The C and M motors heads are block shaped... the exhaust port wall is parallel to the intake port wall, so the exhaust ports surface is angled down when installed on the motor. So even if the ports had similar size and spacing, the header flanges for one type does not sit flat on the other type head.
Mustang headers will also have frame clearance problems on a truck, and may hang too low.
The C and M motors heads are block shaped... the exhaust port wall is parallel to the intake port wall, so the exhaust ports surface is angled down when installed on the motor. So even if the ports had similar size and spacing, the header flanges for one type does not sit flat on the other type head.
Mustang headers will also have frame clearance problems on a truck, and may hang too low.
Last edited by Conanski; Mar 27, 2007 at 08:14 AM.
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Joined: May 2004
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From: The hills of No. Calif.
They can be interchanged between a 351C and 351M, with a couple of considerations:
The 351C was available in both 2bbl and 4bbl versions, which had quite different port sizes and required their own specific headers. The 351 2bbl heads are the same as used on the 351M so the headers will interchange between the two, but the 351M has a taller deck height which means it's taller and wider than the Cleveland which means in turn that in certain applications there could be chassis clearance problems when swapping the headers made for one application into anonther.
I have a 351C-4bbl in a '72 F250 and use the headers from a Ranchero/Torino. They fit well with one consideration: I had to remove the intermediate crossmember under the back of the engine (which simply unbolts) for header clearance, not an ideal situation. It was only intended as a temporary solution but it's been like that for years (the truck also hasn't been driven for years, but I did put several thousand mile on it like that with no apparent ill effects).
But as stated above, the 351W is an entirely different animal and the headers simply won't swap.
The 351C was available in both 2bbl and 4bbl versions, which had quite different port sizes and required their own specific headers. The 351 2bbl heads are the same as used on the 351M so the headers will interchange between the two, but the 351M has a taller deck height which means it's taller and wider than the Cleveland which means in turn that in certain applications there could be chassis clearance problems when swapping the headers made for one application into anonther.
I have a 351C-4bbl in a '72 F250 and use the headers from a Ranchero/Torino. They fit well with one consideration: I had to remove the intermediate crossmember under the back of the engine (which simply unbolts) for header clearance, not an ideal situation. It was only intended as a temporary solution but it's been like that for years (the truck also hasn't been driven for years, but I did put several thousand mile on it like that with no apparent ill effects).
But as stated above, the 351W is an entirely different animal and the headers simply won't swap.
Last edited by TigerDan; Mar 28, 2007 at 08:50 PM.
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From: Virginia
I tried 351m/400 headers on a 351c, and they would not fit. They would bolt up to the heads, but the collector hit the 351c bellhousing near the starter. The 351c has the 289/302/351w bellhousing.
