Pitman arm hitting shorty headers

I recently installed Doug Thorley Shortie headers and I cant get the reducer pipe (down pipe) to clear on the driver side.It interferes with the pitman arm and theres no way around it.I went to the exhaust shop so i could connect my exhaust to the headers and they said that there wasn't enough clearance to make anything work.

I have a 73 mav with power steering and T5 transmission has anyone encountered an issue with the pitman arm?I am going to do a manual steering swap soon would a manual pitman arm make it more difficult?

The passenger side reducer pipe cleared, its right under the floor pan but it did clear.

The reducer pipe is installed in these pictures.i had to remove the cylinder boot because it was touching it.









I took off the reducer pipe to be able to drive it around

 

Passenger side

 

Geee that looks familiar...

You'll no doubt need to clearance the bell housing(as do I) and have a pipe made that routs around the pittman arm...

 

Do you have manual steering?

 

yep.. I remember it well from your build thread. This one looks even tighter to the pitman arm than yours is. Pretty weird how these cars can vary so much and others didn't have as much fitment issues like this.

Either way.. looks like you guys will need to run a partial radiius(preferably mandrel bent) coming right off the collector that sweeps back away from the arm.

 

Mine has P/S as well, the boot over ram is pictured in lower left, but your's does appear to be closer to ram than mine...

If you had been following my restoration thread, you'd have seen myself pissin' & moanin' about this problem...

 

with as tight as that looks to be for you guys.. I'd be seriously thinking about trying for some additional motor setback. The reason I mention it is that there's usually some small amount of allowance for the front yoke to slide a little deeper onto the trans output shaft without the need for shortning the driveshaft. Just need to make sure you clean/polish that previously unseated/unprotected section of the output yoke to prevent tearing up the trans rear seal. Then from there the motor mount/trans cross member holes can usually be elongated just enough to gain another 1/4 - 1/2 inch of setback to match.

I've done it just for the sake of engine setback alone many times(including shortening driveshafts on ocassion as well).. but you guys may need to consider it just to allow a bit more room for that particular header. Just a thought.

Seems like that would be necessary in this particular instance since I'm not too sure that even implementing an abrupt radii coming off that collector will allow enough clearance with such close proximity of that arm.

 

Would I have more clearance with a manual steering setup or will the pitman arm still get in the way?

 

I don't think you can come straight down out of the header like that. I think with the right bends, one can get a pipe up in there that will clear everything. That is where I would start.

 

I thought those fit much better than that. Seems like the direction the outlet is pointing could be better, but would require the four tubes to be bent slightly different.
I am also thinking that with the manual set up all you gain is no ram shaft (and no leaks). I'll go out and see if I can get a pic of my manual set up. I have long tubes and remember having to cut off an ear from the tranny and the pitman still put a small bend in the tube at full turn.

 

Not the best as the car is on the ground.

 

Are those shorties too, Gene?

Also worth mentioning that you'll want to apply some hi-temp silicone spray to keep that wrap from absorbing moisture and rusting your headers out. Then apply at least once a year.. or more.. depending on how often you drive it. Makes a world of difference for longevity.

 

Not shorties. My failed attempt to show the manual pitman area.. Car on the ground makes it kinda dificult to get a good view of more area.

 

lol.. ok.. that's what I thought.

Otherwise I was going to say.. "damn.. these cars proportions and clearances are all over the place"!

Don't forget the silicone wrap sealer next time you have it up in the air.

 

It's all coming back apart someday.. It will eventually get the treatment.