I have a set of BBK shorty headers I got for a good price, but they are Mustang headers. I know the factory exhaust will not match, the plan is to redo it. I wanted to see what your guys solution was, particularly for the Y pipe.

If you've done this, please share some wisdom. I'm struggling to imagine how it should be routed.

Also, if somebody has some quality 4x4 truck specific headers you'd trade for, I might be open to that as well.


These are the headers In question.

 

Well, it depends....

The 302 Mustang headers are a bolt-in replacement for Mustangs and other Fox-chassis cars like T-birds obviously, but they also fit many other 5.0 cars. I used them on my 5.0 lo-po Panther chassis cars (Crown Vic/Marquis/TownCar) and they mated up perfectly with my otherwise stock exhaust. The only thing I had to do in my case was to move the O2 sensor from the cast iron exhaust manifold into the pipe just aft of the header collector. It was a tight squeeze, but it worked fine. I never had a 5.0 truck, so I don't know about the stock truck exhaust manifold exit location/angle...

Now if your truck is NOT a 5.0, but a 5.8 (351W), then the collectors will be higher/and farther apart than the stock headpipe/catalyst. I tried BBK 5.0 Mustang headers on my 351W Crown Vic, and they were too close to the AC plenum and melted it. I ended up using Mustang 351W-swap shorties that had the headers tighter to the block, and exited lower, to match the stock 5.0 Mustang H-pipe. I ran the Vic for many years that way, but later ended up ditching those shorties for a set of custom longtubes with 1-7/8 primaries that were a better port match to my aftermarket heads...

Then there is the question of which transmission you have in your truck. Obviously, you won't be able to use the Mustang H-pipe (or single exhaust Y-pipe) because the transfer case/front driveshaft would be in the way, and there is the added issue with clutch linkage/hydraulic clutch stuff if you have a manual trans.

Best solution? Trade those Mustang shorty headers for a few bucks and get the right headers for a 4x4 truck.. Hedman has longtubes for a 302/5.0 4x4, but only with automatic. If you have a manual trans, then they have shorties that'll work. if you have a 5.8/351W, then only shorties to fit the 351W.

 

Look at Summit racing. The shorty headers for the trucks are different, one side especially. Maybe that will help figure out what you need to do. They also have some long tubes in stock.

 

Ah, kinda figured it'd be something like that. It's the driver side that is very different, and even if I fabricated something, I'm not too convinced it would look (or perform) any better than a hackjob.

I've got a 302 backed by a M5OD.

 

These headers are for sale in the marketplace, if anyone is interested.