Posted by Larry Pomorski (IP: 152.163.213.68) on March 27, 2000 at 22:43:29:
In Reply to: Can someone please confirm one way or another if the 65 mustang 351 swap headers will work? N/M posted by Scott on March 27, 2000 at 19:05:53:
Well here's the story of one underpowered '75 I6 Maverick......
I picked up a set of Hedman 351w into '65-'67 Mustang swap headers from Summit for about $140. They are the full length versions, that may have been where I went wrong. The guy at summit asked if i wanted the shorts or the longs & I went with the full lengthers. Rumor has it they work. Yeah right....Just to see if the work, I slid a bare 351W block in the car & threw on a set of bare aluminum heads. All of this trying involved a cherry picker, load leveler, and several buddies.All attempts were done by pulling the motor up about 6in, setting the headers in & trying to set the motor to it;s mounts. I've done innumerable engine swaps, so I'm no amateur....the problems are..
1 right away the headers sat low enough to hit the power steering
cylinder, so I converted to manual steering
2 then they hit the column shifter linkage...in went a pair of bucket
seats & a cable operated floor shifter
3 then one of the big tubes hit the power brake booster, so I
converted to manual brakes
Now, with all that out of the way, they still don't fit. The drivers side smacks into both the steering box and the firewall, and the passenger side hits both the firewall and the shock tower. These are the correct swap headers. The only war that I can see these fitting is if you install them from below. The problem with that is you would have to have the car 4 feet up in the air, while dropping in the motor at the same time. One would need both a lift and a chain fall suspended above the car. This swap is a pain in the ass, but somehow I WILL get this motor in this car. I refuse to cut the shock towers, and this motor needs headers. Some shorty 5.0 Mustang headers are really close to the block, and I don't mind pounding on them a bit. Someone please let me know if the short 351w into '65 Mustang swap headers do work..I wouldn't mind spending the green for a guaranteed fit. By the way, if anyone wants to but these long swap headers let me know, They are scratched up with a few dings, but never actually on the car..Damn it!