Hi all, I just bought a 'rebuilt' '79 F150 Custom 4x4, with a built 302. THis truck caught fire at some point, and was brought back to life with some rather minimal work. The truck originally had a 300, but had a cracked block and was replaced by the former owner. THe former owner rebuilt the front end, brakes, dash, new bed, everything... even installing a nicely built 302. Here's the problem: the guy put long-tube headers on the engine, which of course don't fit since (from what I've heard) in '79 the 4x4s weren't offered with the 302. So, of course, the drivers' side collector and tube ends are in the way of the front driveshaft. So instead of putting manifolds on or a set of shorty headers, he left the front driveshaft out. I'm having a LOT of trouble finding long-tube headers that will clear the front driveshaft, and will fit a 302. I'd rather have long-tube but can use shortys if I have to, but does anybody know of a company that makes headers for this exact situation? As common as the 302 is, and as often as 300s are swapped for 302s, I can't imagine at least one company making them.

 

Cant help you with your problem, but welcome to FTE....somebody will have an answer.

 

I looked around the web and the best I could come up with is to see if headers for a 66-77 Bronco will fit your combination. Small broncs were offered with I-6 and SBFs. Contact Hedman or Hooker to see if they can help. Otherwise, SBF hot rod headers or shortys might only viable option.

If you can fab, then reconfiguring the driver's collector of headers for 2WD dents with 302s is a possiblility.

Btw, manual or automatic transmission? If MT, then you might have to fab your way around the Z-bar/bell crank, then up and over the crossmember.

 

Thanks guys, I was a member a couple years back, but rarely got on. You guys have been a huge help to me in the past, saving a lot of time and headache when working on my trucks.
HIO Silver; it's a standard. FOrd's favorite 4spd with granny. or 3 speed w/ granny?
I emailed the header question to my dad, who gave me the number of a gentleman that ran a muffler shop here in town for 40 years. So I checked on here to see what was posted before I called, and got a lot of info. What I was told was that the headers off the 66-77 broncos won't work, because (he's not entirely sure) that was before they went large with the bodies and different frames, and nothing fits from that era. Broncos up until the mid 80s were faced with the same problem I have now. I'm going to double check that though. He also said that many long-tube headers that would be built for this particular set-up might not work for a truck with any lift added, although I can't see where this would be an issue, but he's been around a lot longer than I have... Shorty headers will work, as long as they have the outlet on the bottom, otherwise the clutch linkage would be in the way of the pipe. Apparently there's quite a bit involved in bending a pipe to go around the driveshaft and bell housing as it is. So... next step is some half-decent shortys. I can't fab, but I know someone who does, but even with a discount (I fix his office and shop computers), he's still a bit too expensive. THanks again, guys! Glad to be back!

 

Here's a thread with my exhaust build noting the driver's side crossing over to the passenger side. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...-question.html

There was nary any room btwn the trans and frame. I pieced it together using a Jeg's hot rod kit... Nice mandrel bent tubes.

 

Fab shop makes rap around out side frame rails style headers that's what I have but I'm running a big block

 

Hmmm I have a 1978 F100 4x4 302 4sp with one long tube header. I dont remember which side was still on the truck though. Truck has been in my storage trailer for alomost 7 years now.

I bought the truck out of the local salvage yard to build when I finished my supercab project (that has been a never ending ordeal!) I do remember the F100 was missing one header. Makes me wonder now. I know the front driveshaft was in.

 

The thought of putting just one shorty header on the drivers' side is kind of funny, but have been advised against doing that. So, a new set of shortys it is. Can't find any bottom-dump ones used (that I KNOW would fit as they should) so it's looking like a new set of shortys. The price of a new set of shortys is going to be close to half of what I paid for the truck which admittedly wasn't much to begin with, but I can't justify paying someone to fabricate anything either. If the engine wasn't already mildly built, I'd just go back to manifolds, but that seems like a waste of a built engine... especially if I didn't have to pay for the engine parts or labor that have already gone into it

 

did a 351 cleveland in a 79 ford f-150 4x4. We had to heat up header and bend the tubes over. It was a pain in the butt but it worked. We had a 6"lift on truck and just needed some minimal movement like about 1" or a little more but it worked good for many years. Also sanderson headers is another place to check. Shorty headers is about all I know of also. Or like you mentioned is fab stuff up.

 

So here it is, about a year later, and still haven't come up with a header solution that doesn't involve paying someone to fabricate something. A friend tried heating and bending the tubes on the drivers' side, but cracked two of the tubes in the process... he meant well though... even tried to weld them back together, held for abut a week.
So, now looking into shortys for the truck. More problems there, there don't seem to be any that I can find where the sellers are confident enough to sell them as a fit for the truck. I found a set of bottom-dump ones listed as fitting up to a '76... from a dealer that sells only Mustang parts. Anybody know of a company that has a set of shortys (or just the drivers' side, not picky at this point) that will fit?

 

May want to look at the james duff headers for a bronco II swap. I actully have the driver side long tube header just sitting around from when I had a 302. If you want to try it your welcome to.

 

How about factory Mustang HO headers?

 

I know that 5.0 mustang (early 90's body style) will fit with an automatic. I bolted a borrowed set up on the truck I'm building last Saturday for mock up.

 

I tried a set of shortys from my '88 T-bird, and the collector rested against the clutch linkage. HAven't tried any from the '90s mustangs tho. They'd pretty much have to be bottom-dump tho. That actually might work, if I can convert the mechanical clutch to a hydraulic one, but that sounds like something that would be easier to deal with than fabricating something. I'll look into that.
rockcrawler_101; do you know the model of those headers? If I can poke around on the net for some specs and measurements, that might be something else to try.

I think I finally am getting an idea of why this truck wasn't finished when I bought it, and why it was so cheap...

 

The guy who was going to bend out the existing long-tube header to fit around the driveshaft said it would be cheaper for me to just get some shorty headers, and he says he knows a company that has them, and pay him to bend a pipe so that it hugs the block, rather than bend all 4 tubes on the long-tube header. If it were a stock truck he would have said no, but apparently the 3" lift kit gives a little extra working room. He told me that if I absolutely had to have long tubes, that he could bend the long-tube with no problem if I jacked the suspension up another 3-6". So, I guess I'm going with some bottom-dump shortys, since fabrication is out of the question.
Mustang and 5.0 car shortys won't work because the rear of the header, where the pipe bolts up, is right against the clutch linkage. Automatic trans would be OK, but not with a standard. I've been told before that bottom-dump shortys would have to be angled to hug the block to clear the front driveshaft. Anybody else with this particular problem, I hope you have better luck than I have. Thanks for all the replies, lots of great suggestions and insights.