i have a hard time installing my hooker 6901 headers. it looks like the passenger side will somehow clear, but the drivers side gives me sleepless nights. i have a manual steering manual transmission car with a toplader 4 speed, 164 bellhousing from a 72 mustang. below is a picture of my old headers (previous owner made quite some dents) compared to the new ones. 1. can you identify my old headers? 2. can you help me out with some pictures? esp zbar, release lever, and how all this will possibly clear the header tubes... thank you!
The Old Headers look like BlackJacks. I had some of those on my car with a toploader 4 speed back in the eighties.
The headers have to go in from underneath the car. The passenger side usually fits okay, but for the drivers side to go in you have to take out the motor mount bolt and lift the engine up a couple of inches. I've only put these in with an automatic tranny, but I'm guessing the standard tranny is the same.
And it is all a very very tight fit but works. Mine hits everywhere on all the z bar and clutch rod. But it does work. Best to go on from underneath the car like Don said and you must take the drivers side motor mount apart. Done it several times over the years and cuss it everytime. Good luck.
thanks for the hints. i tried to install them from underneath, lifted the engine up a little. but i wasn't able to get the header fully up. i pushed the shock towers apart today for installation of the monte carlo bar. maybe this will give me the clearance i need. but pics of the headers installed would be great, especially zbar and clutch fork & release lever - will this one really fit on between the rear two tubes??
after thinking a little more about it it's dawning on me that i might have the wrong clutch fork. way too long, and shaped wrong - it came with the trans from the 72 mustang. i think i need part no D0DA-7515-B D0DZ-7515-B D3DA-7515-AA and not the C8AA-7515-B i seem to have. i posted a wanted ad...
i have the same setup in my mav now, 164 flywheel toploader and 6901's. if your still having any trouble i can try and get some pics for you. i had wonderful time bending and clearancing the z-bar to work with the headers.
pics would be awesome. tried to put in the old headers today, but they're actually sitting on the steering box. i really don't wanna go with that...
My setup uses 66 Mustang fork, rod, z-bar. Everything fit right in but I do have to install the z-bar while the headers are only half way in place, yes from underneath.
I used to have 6901 in my car with 164T flywheel and mechanical cluch linkage and z-bar. I don't recall any issues getting it to fit. I may have had to grind down some areas on the Z-bar. You will need to install the zbar in separate peices after the header is in. For a more factory look I switched to the factory manifolds a few years ago.
My 6901's are hitting the steering box too. you'll have to dent that tube slightly. I wrapped mine so it's not as noticeable.
Mine didn't touch the steering box but my old set of Blackjacks did. I ground the corner of the box rather than dent a tube. That wrap will make your headers rust from the inside out, ask me how I know...
hey sorry for not getting pics up yet been busy with a new job and being sick at the same time. how are you making out with the headers? do you have any requests of picture angles or anything like that? its quite tight in there so general pictures of the area dont show much detail.
did not try the headers again, will do this weekend. a shot from below up the driver side would be great, something which shows the zbar and clutch linkage.
Wrapping was the compromise. The clutch cable burning and floorboard heat after driving in traffic and on the interstate for long distances is brutal, not to mention the ac works better with them wrapped too. I just resign myself to probably having to replace them at some point but 40K miles later, they seem to be holding up ok. I had the exhaust down a while back and the inside of the headers looked ok then. When I get a little time to practice, I may step up for some stainless with heat shields, but for now my other choice is manifolds... but that isn't really an option.
