Lookie what $5000 buys you....

[Kern Dog]

All the header bolts were coated with thread sealant since on stock iron heads, the threads go into the coolant passages.
Next up was the cross shaft for the shifter. For now, I am keeping the column shifter in place. I was putting this together with the parts that I pulled from Ginger and some of what came with this car.
First off, the cross shaft wanted to sit out of level. The transmission side was the high side.
(Forgive the next 2 pictures...They depict the correct setup that I stumbled onto. I did not take pictures of the first incorrect arrangement.)

I thought that maybe my suspicions about the transmission mount being too tall were showing another symptom.

What I needed to do was to drop the end that attached to the transmission so that it sat level. This makes the levers work properly because they would be swinging in the proper plane.

This bracket......

Comes in different heights/offsets. I first had the bracket on the right, then I tried the one on the left. It made the difference.

What I needed was the shorter bracket to lower the transmission side.

 

[Kern Dog]

^^^ Those dang steering column couplers....I always have trouble with that thin sheet metal retainer. ^^^^
Sometime last year, I made a deal with FBBO member BDF6 for an exhaust setup. Pypes 2 1/2" stainless steel with mandrel bent tubes and an X center section. It is a bolt together kit too!

 

[Kern Dog]

TTI headers are made so that the collectors point to the humps in the torsion bar crossmember.

Hooker headers don't have that feature.

The right side is almost a straight shot but the left will need a zig-zag to fit.

In a stroke of really good luck, I looked out back and found a section of pipe that had the right bends that I needed.
This is a test fit. I will weld on the reducer to do it right.

 

[Kern Dog]

I was amazed when that left hand section fit like that. What a stroke of good luck.

 

[Jarven1977]

TTI headers are made so that the collectors point to the humps in the torsion bar crossmember.

Hooker headers don't have that feature.

View attachment 1084931

The right side is almost a straight shot but the left will need a zig-zag to fit.

In a stroke of really good luck, I looked out back and found a section of pipe that had the right bends that I needed.
This is a test fit. I will weld on the reducer to do it right.
View attachment 1084932



View attachment 1084933


View attachment 1084934

Luck had nothing to do with that, great job Kern Dog!

 

[watermelon]

sweet....you got the gift...keep using it


watermelon

 

[moparedtn]

Once in a blue moon, things just naturally fall into place - because they're meant to.
Greg's skills plus kharma from Ma Mopar herself!

By the way, I don't suppose all those pics and information on the Brewer's trans crossmembers
page is of any help with your questions on that?

 

[hunt2elk]

^^^ Those dang steering column couplers....I always have trouble with that thin sheet metal retainer.

Don't know if you have seen them, but DMT sells a wire clip that holds the tin grease cover onto the steering coupler. Others sell them as well, but DMT's seem to fit the best.
https://www.detroitmuscletechnologi...steering-column-coupler-cover-clamp-retainer/

 

[moparedtn]

Don't know if you have seen them, but DMT sells a wire clip that holds the tin grease cover onto the steering coupler. Others sell them as well, but DMT's seem to fit the best.
https://www.detroitmuscletechnologi...steering-column-coupler-cover-clamp-retainer/

Yep, lots of places have those (including one from Ma!) but they're not a lot of fun either.
Totally necessary, though.

 

[Kern Dog]

Once in a blue moon, things just naturally fall into place - because they're meant to.
Greg's skills plus kharma from Ma Mopar herself!
View attachment 1084965

By the way, I don't suppose all those pics and information on the Brewer's trans crossmembers
page is of any help with your questions on that?

I will check the Brewers site later tonight. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Kern Dog]

I went through a couple of containers and found some odds and ends.
I found another section of pipe with the right bend and fitted the right side.

 

[Kern Dog]

Now I had the system fitted and ready to weld up. I used the regular MIG wire and 75/25 Argon-oxygen gas even though most of the exhaust is stainless steel.

I didn't weld everything, I ended up clamping the joints near the transmission tailshaft.

I did weld the 4 pipes that directly attach to the X section.

 

[Kern Dog]

I did weld the pipes going into the muffler.

The tailpipes that exit the mufflers were clamped. I put hangers there too.
This will allow me to take the center section out later. There is enough room to remove the transmission with the exhaust in place but one day when I take this car apart to paint, it will be great to be able to unbolt stuff instead of cutting and welding back together.

The tailpipe hangers are similar to what I did on Ginger.

The tailpipes are centered under the backup lights like the other car too.

 

[Kern Dog]

Most of the underbody stuff is done.
I decided to take a look at how I'm going to route the 4 gauge wire to the starter. I was amazed at the amount of room I'll have to get to the starter terminals.

That window is huge! The TTIs in the red car are a tight fit. I'm amazed at how much more room there is to work with the low deck 383 and smaller headers.

 

[Kern Dog]

Cheap headers....
Yeah, there is always a cost. This time, it is spark plug clearance, or the limited amount of it.
What is the minimum clearance that you can have between the spark plug boots and the header tubes?

The plug wires are Taylor. I had to shorten 7 of them to get them to fit and look right. They were half 90 degree ends, half were 45 degree.
I had to make #3 a straight boot. This looks way too close to me. The only fix I can think of is to pull the header and dent the tube for clearance.

# 5 is close as well.

I can shave off a little of the silicone jacket to gain some room but if I pull the header to dent one tube, I'll dent three of them to be sure.

 

[moparedtn]

Well, if this YouTube generation has learned one thing about headers, it's that you can beat hell
out of them before harming performance, eh?
I'd be more concerned with warping the mounting flange, myself.
Are you going to run "shorty" plugs?

 

[Kern Dog]

I thought about that. I wonder if the local NAPA can get those?

 

[Kern Dog]

I wish that I knew how much shorter these were compared to regular plugs.

This one doesn't bother me so much.

This one does.

 

[hunt2elk]

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/acc-9002c

Not that you would want to buy new wires, but I have been running these on all my cars with no issues. They come in 90*, 45*, or straight ends and can be bought singularly to make up the kit you need.

 

[chargervert]

I wish that I knew how much shorter these were compared to regular plugs.




View attachment 1086178

This one doesn't bother me so much.

View attachment 1086176

This one does.

View attachment 1086177

Put a piece of header wrap around the plug wire boot with one of those factory fuel line clamps.