hey where in wi did you go? I live just east of madison, maybe I can help you out.

 

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/a...1&d=1274823092

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/a...1&d=1274823092

 

Really? I was in Monticello, about 3 miles south of the New Glarus brewery. I'm down in Rockford, IL. I'll PM you my contact info.

 

I'm using the exact same crossmember and mounts. Those look a ton like the headers I've got, but they don't dump straight down like yours. They angle towards the engine mounts. They literally dump into the side of the engine mount. Theres no room to get the collector flange down past the mount. I'd have to pie cut above the collector and weld it back together. I emailed her letting her know there was a problem. I just asked if there was anything that could be done. Simply put, she replied that I should just sell them on eBay like she did when she had a problem. I left her negative feedback and you would think I killed her dog. Now she's acting like a crazy woman and her story has changed. She worded the listing to imply that they were Hooker Headers, now she says they're cheap generic knockoffs and that's what you get when you buy cheap generic knockoffs. That tells me that she knew they were cheap generic knockoffs all along, and only used the Hooker name to push them off on some unsuspecting sucker like myself. I probably would have just fixed them and called it a lesson learned if she had handled it like a sane person.


By the way NorvilleBob, have you fitted plug wires on yet? Any issues with wires too close to the header?

 

I used angled plug wires no issue but #4 is kinda close and that's where battery tray is. (those are the old wires)

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/a...1&d=1277248037

here's my link. I'm waiting for the POS procomp folks to send my a new dizzy..they messed around for 2 weeks then fessed up they lost it and send a new one ground.. I'm out about a month messing with it. And my engine mount from CCP was a bit off. I think the headers were $129 they fit well, thick flanges, and were bench tested for leaks. not the prettiest welds...

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...-flatty-4.html

 

Sorry to hear of your problem. I hate that kinda stuff. It can be hard shop on ebay sometimes. Mostly I've had goodluck but haven't bought much. I'm lucky to find most things on craigs list so I can go see it etc.
Of course that's not always possible-- like in this case.

It sounds like she could have made a better description and her failure to do so is a bad practice. She thinks you made a mistake and bought the wrong thing. I'm more on your side as a seller--rarely but occassionally I try to overdescribe things with photos etc to make sure there's no misunderstanding. She should have done better. And I suppose she's saying something to the effect that you made the mistake-not her.
And therefore she expects you to bear the burden and just resell the headers with a better description. I guess she feels they'll fit something!
Who knows about that.

Ebay is handy--but things can go bad.

Goodluck

 

Wow! I'm really sorry to hear that the headers didn't fit, but as I read it, you are mad at and blaming the wrong people.
1. You bought a set of used headers on ebay without any stated warantee as to fit or anything else.
2. They were never described as being actual Hooker brand headers.
3. You never verified that the would fit on your engine. You could have asked for a tracing of the flange and bolt hole locations. Ford is really bad about changing parts specs and people are prone to swapping out parts. Do you know for a 100% fact what year heads you have and that they are indeed even 351W heads? Are you certain there were no other flange bolt patterns used on 351W or compatable heads?
4. You assumed that they would clear your motor mounts, the seller made no such claim.
5. IMHO the only bad faith move made by the seller is describing them as being for a 351W, but that could have been an honest mistake (for which the seller should have accepted a return) or they possibly could have been for a different 351W version which lets the seller off the hook. Without a maker and model # it will be difficult to prove where the fault lies.
6. Ebay nor Paypal did anything wrong, they were just the vehicle by which you made the purchase, badmouthing them is not warranted.
7. If you want to guarantee parts fit, authentic brands, and after purchase customer support and service, buy your parts new from an authorized dealer or from the manufacturer, otherwise accept that YOU are willingly assuming all the risks to save a few bucks (obviously then trying to buy another set of headers off Craigslist shows you didn't learn your lesson with ebay) and you have a high likelyhood of getting burned. You get what you pay for is never truer than when buying used.

 

Before the headers were purchased, did you contact the seller and ask her what specific years these supposed 351W headers fit?

There were myriad 351W engines, and from 1969 when first introduced thru 1980 were only installed in passenger cars and 1975/80 Econolines.

No F Series truck or Bronco was available with a 351W until 1981.

There was also 351C (1970/74 passenger car) and 351M (1975/79 passenger car, 1977/82 truck, 1978/82 Bronco, 1980/82 Econoline) engines.

Neither the 351C or 351M are the same as a 351W.

 

If I'd been able to hold the eBay headers in my hands, I would have suspected they wouldn't fit. As soon as I opened the box, I thought Uh-Oh. With the Craigslist deal, if both headers had been there, I could have held them in my own hands. I told the guy that I only ASSumed they'd fit, I knew what I was doing. You don't know all the facts about the Craigslist deal, so you really shouldn't even bring it up. You're just making ASSumptions on that end. Not everyone has the money to buy brand new 400 dollar headers. I don't see where I've "badmouthed" eBay or Paypal, I didn't realize this was a touchy subject with you. I guess I didn't realize you were so sensitive. Like I said earlier, if she hadn't emailed me and told me I should sell them back on eBay, knowing that they don't fit...Like she does with "parts that don't work" It probably wouldn't have been an issue. Did you even read the whole thread, or just skip to the end? If she hadn't started sending me a barrage of nasty emails, I wouldn't have even started this thread. My anger lies more in how she handled the deal after the fact.

 

Thanks for clearing that up Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

It seems the sensitive one here is not me or ND. How would she know they wouldn't fit YOUR engine? Had she seen it? did you send her a flange tracing? Did you specify the exact year heads you have to her? As ND said there were many variations of the 351W, so it's possible that her headers do fit a 351W, just not the one you have.
Yes I did read thru all your posts, and the topic header "Ebay strikes again!".
What I have become sensitive to is the trend today of people not taking responsibility for their own actions, from the woman who spilled hot coffee in her lap to Lindsey Lohan.
If you wanted to hold the headers in your hand then you should have gone to a stocking dealer or bought locally.
My advice is the same as I gave my jewelry customers when the asked about buying jewelry or gems overseas while traveling:
"If you want to buy cheap, expect to occasionally get burned so don't spend more than you are willing to lose". For you I would add read the sellers terms carefully and expect to have to abide by them, they certainly will.

 

I have dealt with ebay & paypal allot since they started business. I have had maybe a dozen bad deals total and without a single exception, they have always been resolved. Sometimes it does take time, but they have always been taken care of. I wish you luck in your dealings.

 

Please don't compare my actions to Linsey Lohan's. What I have become sensitive to is the trend today of people getting all high and mighty on their soap boxes via the internet and letting everyone know how perfect they are. You just gave me crap in your previous post about trying to buy locally on Craigslist, now you're saying I should have bought locally. Seems like you just want to nit pick. As for NumberDummy, I was making a joke. That's why I put the smiley guy in there. Inflection is hard to determine via written text. I've seen his posts, he seems to have pretty thick skin, I think he can handle himself. What's the point of arguing with me? What does it prove?

She told me via email that her friend had the exact same pair on a 74 LTD with the 351W. I have a D4 block with the factory style car mounts. Going by her email, they should have fit. I could probably fix them, though it would involve cutting off the collector and repositioning it a bit. I just wanted to know if I had any other options before I cut them up, so I emailed her. So once again, please allow me to say, it was more the way she responded to the matter, telling me I should just dump them on some unsuspecting schmuck, like she did, that set me off.

On a side note, I was wrong for calling you sensitive. I've got alot of respect for what you've earned for yourself, and I think your garage majal is awe inspiring. I've got a feeling Ax, that if the shoe was on the other foot, and you were trying to scrape by, raising two little boys, and attempting to have some kind of a hobby on little to no budget, that you'd be right here complaining too. Like I said earlier, not everyone can afford to buy $400 headers. Shoot, I can't afford to buy a $400 anything right now.

 

Anyone that has a general knowledge of Ford parts, also knows that many ebay sellers haven't a single clue what parts fit what vehicles.

At least once a week, someone posts a link to an ebay Ford parts related ad here on FTE.

Once I look at the part/description, 90% of the time, the part does not fit the vehicle years and/or the engine the seller claims it does.

Myriad generic applications are used to describe said parts...like a NOS accelerator cable, for example that I looked a coupla days ago. The seller claimed: 1961/66 F100.

Uh huh... The cable is 34.06" long and fits 1965 N500/600's with a 240/300 I-6 ONLY!

And you believed this jazz? If I was buying these headers, and received an email so stating, I would be very suspicious, because in all probability, it's BS. Who in their right mind would put headers on a land yacht sized car like this?

Private sellers can lie just like used car dealers and lawyers. Anyone that buys something on ebay and believes what the sellers claim...without doing a shred of research beforehand, needs to take a course in Reality 101.

 

I have had a couple of items purchased on ebay and paid through paypal, items were shipped but were not what was pictured, filed a dispute and paypal refunded my cash and also I kept the product in which I then resold "Bonus"