Hey all.

I've got a '92 F-250 with the 351W in it, all bone stock.

Now I happen to have a spare set of BBK stainless headers off of a Mustang sitting around, and would like to put them on this truck (Yes, I'm aware modifications will need to be made to the head pipes to get everything to seal up).

My problem is, on this truck, there's a heat pipe running from the front of the passenger side exhaust manifold, up to the thermactor valve on the Upper Intake Plenum near the throttle body. My headers obviously don't have the port to plug this into.

Is there anywhere else I can tie this in, or can the thermactor just be disconnected, or is this just an upgrade that can't be done without modifiying the EFI setup?

Please note, I don't live in an Emissions controlled area, but if tossing the headers on this thing, and just disconnecting the Thermactor valve is an option, but that's gonna burn up the cat, I'm not real keen on that plan either....

I've been googling for a couple days now trying to find good info on doing this, and so far have gotten bupkis. I'd appreciate any help.

 

That is the EGR tube, not the thermactor...

 

If the Mustang headers are shorties they will not mate up to your factory Y pipe either. If your planning on redoing the entire exhaust system they can probably be made to work. My personal opinion is to just leave the manifolds since the engine is stock. I have fooled with headers before and they can be a pain.

Now if the engine is going to be reworked with a cam and heads and so forth, then headers would be more beneficial. Thats just my opinion.

Also, be careful. You may end up with a bunch of bolts busted off in the heads.

 

Shorties with the stock cats are a complete waste of time.. no gains to be had, but if you plan to also replace everything behind them as well then they are beneficial.

 

Ok, so I'm going to try not to come off as an ungrateful jerk here, since I came here and asked, and none of you are under any obligation to help me.

I didn't ask if anybody thought it was a good idea, nor even what sort of changes in performance I might expect to see with a stock catalytic converter.

I'm well aware of the modifications needed to the headpipes in order to mate up with these headers (I have a very similar set on my '89 F250 with the 302 in it, which definitely made a difference even with the stock cat, and even more once I moved to an aftermarket high flow converter.) and there's every intention of replacing the exhaust system at a later date, and probably an aftermarket throttlebody, Port and Polish work on the Stock Intake manifold and Upper Plenum, and some Headwork, if not aftermarket heads, I just happen to have a broken exhaust manifold on the drivers side at the collector, and don't like cast manifolds to begin with.

This isn't my first rodeo, and I've dealt with a number of 302EFI engines in F-Series, E-Series, Mustangs, and even Briefly a Crown Vic. And none of those have had this EGR tube to the Exhaust Manifold, being as this is the first EFI Equipped 351W I've dealt with, I don't know how the EGR Valve affects the Performance of the EFI overall.

All I need to know, is if one of the following three things can happen with what is apparently the EGR valve and tube to the manifold.

Can it be rerouted, and perhaps attached downstream after welding a bung into the headpipe?

Can it just be bypassed in some manner?

Or can it just be disconnected, perhaps even with a blockoff plate where the valve currently sits?

If No-one knows, or thinks I'm just being an insufferable jack*@s, I completely understand.