Golden Goddess heart surgery

[Cheapsunglasses]

Size for the collectors, I assume you have or will have reducers to mate the collector to the exhaust pipe…

Yes, I’ll have reducers to go to my 2.5” exhaust

 

[68BabyBlue]

Number Nazi resto warriors are ok. But I like things different, I love the past when people made these cars family, and did what they wanted!

I'm so old I remember when all the GTXs on the road were new cars, and were stock except for maybe day 2 wheels, then I remember when they got affordable in the 70s, and everyone personalized them. I like both. Because my first GTX experience was with a new one, I chased that car over all others, and it turned out to be numbers matching, near concours condition all these years later. This hobby can't survive on guys like me, so I'm always thrilled to see what's happening with the Goddess.

 

[ckessel]

Cast covers are great for taking care of leaks at the gasket. HOWEVER, finding grommets to fit the knock out areas are a challenge. I found that most of the time nothing fit. Too tight or too loose. On the twist in, I would use a stock replacement Ford cap there that takes a grommet on the topside and put the valve there. The chrome replacement caps don't fit due to there is not enough gap between the flat steel twist in tab and the sealing gasket. Stock oe painted replacement were ok. I would use two, one with the valve and the other with a fitting in it to run a hose to the air filter base for the fresh air intake to complete the pcv system. Make sure there are baffles on the backside of the holes in the covers to help deflect the flying oil. From there you may have to do some welding to put a couple of nipples in the cover to make the system operational. Still with baffles on the back.

 

[RemCharger]

Which headers are you getting.
If they have 3" collectors, you need a matching 3"collector to 2.5" pipe reducers.
See if in the specs they say gaskets are included , ( often are).
If you end up frequenting the strip, like we did when we were younger, you pull the pipes at the track so often you say screw the gaskets and make sure your flanges are flat and bolt em together

 

[Black_Sheep]

Which headers are you getting.
If they have 3" collectors, you need a matching 3"collector to 2.5" pipe reducers.
See if in the specs they say gaskets are included , ( often are).
If you end up frequenting the strip, like we did when we were younger, you pull the pipes at the track so often you say screw the gaskets and make sure your flanges are flat and bolt em together

I reused some aluminum collector gaskets numerous times, I now have a set of Remflex collector gaskets ready to go back in as soon as I get around to changing the trans mount. They are supposed to be the cat’s ***…

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

Which headers are you getting.
If they have 3" collectors, you need a matching 3"collector to 2.5" pipe reducers.
See if in the specs they say gaskets are included , ( often are).
If you end up frequenting the strip, like we did when we were younger, you pull the pipes at the track so often you say screw the gaskets and make sure your flanges are flat and bolt em together

They are hooker 5903, with 3 collectors, so I’ll need 3-2.5” reducers. It doesn’t look like it comes with the gaskets, so do I get 3” or 2.5”?

After reading all of what you’ve typed and everyone else, the answer is quite obvious

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

Sometimes the thought train leaves the station without its passengers

 

[Kern Dog]

They are hooker 5903, with 3 collectors, so I’ll need 3-2.5” reducers. It doesn’t look like it comes with the gaskets, so do I get 3” or 2.5”?

After reading all of what you’ve typed and everyone else, the answer is quite obvious

The collector itself is 3" so the gaskets are that size.
Those headers are decent but in my car, one tube on the 1357 side was close to the torsion bar. I could have dented the tubes but after 7-8 hours of screwing with the installation, I was tired and annoyed. That was my first attempt at header installation in a big block Mopar.
In frustration, I took a chunk of tire sidewall and tied it to the torsion bar with bailing wire. Later, I pulled the torsion bar and dented the tube for clearance.
Now, I trial fit everything and make sure it all fits before closing the book on it. Rattles are really annoying.

 

[RemCharger]

The collector itself is 3" so the gaskets are that size.
Those headers are decent but in my car, one tube on the 1357 side was close to the torsion bar. I could have dented the tubes but after 7-8 hours of screwing with the installation, I was tired and annoyed. That was my first attempt at header installation in a big block Mopar.
In frustration, I took a chunk of tire sidewall and tied it to the torsion bar with bailing wire. Later, I pulled the torsion bar and dented the tube for clearance.
Now, I trial fit everything and make sure it all fits before closing the book on it. Rattles are really annoying.

I know exactly where you're talking about.
The collector joint where the tubes go in? It's almost just the weld that's the problem.
Have a pic of your dent?

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

The collector itself is 3" so the gaskets are that size.
Those headers are decent but in my car, one tube on the 1357 side was close to the torsion bar. I could have dented the tubes but after 7-8 hours of screwing with the installation, I was tired and annoyed. That was my first attempt at header installation in a big block Mopar.
In frustration, I took a chunk of tire sidewall and tied it to the torsion bar with bailing wire. Later, I pulled the torsion bar and dented the tube for clearance.
Now, I trial fit everything and make sure it all fits before closing the book on it. Rattles are really annoying.

Thanks, was this on jigsaw? I think I was reading that thread the other day. I’m kinda dreading the header install because of the trial fitting, and the bashing, but I’ve made my choice and I’ll “suffer” the consequences



I’m sure the TTIs are the bees knees, but $1k is hard to shell out. Dougs are probably the cats meow, but I don’t think I need 2”, and that sounds like a bigger packing problem then 1 7/8. I’m probably just fine with cast iron manifolds being a street car, but I’ve got a lot of good parts already, why choke it

 

[Kern Dog]

I know exactly where you're talking about.
The collector joint where the tubes go in? It's almost just the weld that's the problem.
Have a pic of your dent?

I actually ground clearance in the torsion bar.

Not true.
This was 21 years ago. I didn't take any pictures. It was right where you stated though, at the collector welds. I put a backer 2 x 4 on the frame rail side and bashed the inboard side with a small sledge.

 

[64fury74charger]

Thanks, was this on jigsaw? I think I was reading that thread the other day. I’m kinda dreading the header install because of the trial fitting, and the bashing, but I’ve made my choice and I’ll “suffer” the consequences



I’m sure the TTIs are the bees knees, but $1k is hard to shell out. Dougs are probably the cats meow, but I don’t think I need 2”, and that sounds like a bigger packing problem then 1 7/8. I’m probably just fine with cast iron manifolds being a street car, but I’ve got a lot of good parts already, why choke it

Look at the bright side, you can put some “patina“ on those headers and they will also fit better when you’re done. Lol

 

[Kern Dog]

Thanks, was this on Jigsaw? I think I was reading that thread the other day.

Nope, that was on Ginger, the red car.
Back then, (2001) it was still green.

 

[khryslerkid]

Alright, question time. I have these awesome call custom valve covers. The generic grommet I gave on my generic pvc sucks. It doesn’t seal great, it’s loose and sloppy. Is there better?

View attachment 1418333

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Here's what I did with mine...

There's a grommet for pcv if you don't have a baffle in the valve cover. Found them on Summit but you'll have to do your measurements.

I ground off the locking nibs and might have even ground down to the thickness needed for the ring on the grommet.

Went to Lowe's and looked through their specialty hardware for washers, rubber washers, ect. Found some rubber gasket material.

My holes were already punched out when I bought these so I found a disk with a threaded stud at Lowes. Used rubber washers and nylon locking nuts to hold it all together.

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

Wow, thanks @khryslerkid that is very helpful!

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

I’m kinda in limbo with weather and waiting for parts, so no progress tonight.

 

[RemCharger]

I’m kinda in limbo with weather and waiting for parts, so no progress tonight.

We call that a 1st world problem up here.
You live beside a local summit or keystone.
Faaaack.

 

[ckessel]

Great info on the grommet issue. Nicer fix than what I had available years ago.

 

[ckessel]

Since the k is out and clean now, have a look at the tubes for the lower control arms. Inspect for cracks, tears, wallowing out etc.

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

K frame is staying in, but I’m looking over everything. Even though I called this “heart surgery” and it’s primarily about getting the engine and transmission tidied up, I’ll also be fixing other things, and inspecting things. Kinda of a rerebuild