While I anticipate headers and their installation NEVER being easy... I did not foresee the troubles of the last two days.
My dad came over to help me stick the motor in the hole... it was the most satisfying aspect of 2020... for a couple hours:
Crap... I didn’t get the headers in place.
I tried them from the top... no chance.
I tried them from the bottom... way better, but still no cigar.
I pulled the pin out of one motor mount and tried to lift one side for clearance. Still not going.
Dad came back this morning and we got the motor in the hole again... installing the headers after the engine cleared the x-member, but before it settled into the mounts.
Headers contacted... badly... at two spots.
I really didn’t want to cut the frame.
But I did:
On the drivers side the cut wound up far enough through the top rail that it HAD to be plated in.
Bottom two pictures are final product, upper two are in progress.
I really didn’t want to bash up my headers... but I did:
As I was doing the heating and beating I didn’t want to do on the headers I was reminded that the exhaust port location on the AFR heads is raised.
The headers are stainless, long-tube JBA units supposedly for a big block application in this chassis. I cannot say how much the raised exhaust ports play here, but I have trouble imagining these headers would’ve fit the stock heads.
Definitely not without an amount of swearing and some likely tool throwing.
I can’t send them back now
.
Hopefully they’ll go in with enough room to install gaskets now.
Otherwise there will be another post from me asking for header recommendations.
3/4 ton with a big block.
Jeremy
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