67 Fairlane GTA 390 Headers

[amdscooter]

Hello all, first time poster here. I used the search function but could not locate the exact information I needed hopefully I can get some help. I have a nearly all stock 1967 Fairlane GTA I've owned for about 15 years. Replaced the front end when I got it with a PST poly kit and put a 4 barrel 625 Holley in it with an aftermarket free flow air cleaner in it. Those are pretty much the only non-stock parts on it. 76k original miles:





Wife and 2 kids making huge dollar investments a no-go for some time but I've been able to keep it streetable for the entire time I've owned it. That brief history aside... I have a hairline crack starting on the passenger side exhaust manifold. Probably not worth it to repair if it's even possible. Considering the cost of a replacement manifold at a few hundred dollars I'd really rather like to get a set of headers to replace the stock manifolds instead if economically feasible. I've read from numerous sources including this forum that it's the best starting point to help a 390FE. Quick Specs:

390 GT 14 bolt heads C7AE-A
C6 column shift
Factory AC
Power steering
Power Brakes

I've yet to find a set of full length headers for my application from Hooker, Sanderson, FPA, Crites, Dougs, JBA and a few others. Some come really close but don't quite cooperate with all the factory equipment. The 14 bolt GT heads with the slightly offset pattern have been the biggest gating factor by far. I've read I can probably get Hookers to cooperate but I'd need to hog out~elongate the holes to make the ports line up.. not ideal by a longshot. Cutting to the chase.. does anyone know of a set of full length headers that will fit out of the box? -or- Know of a manufacturer that carry's a set of shorty's that will accommodate the GT 14 bolt head that I can get a local shop to custom the rest to fit? Dropping $1500 for a set of headers or stock CJ manifolds are not an option at this point unless I hit the lotto soon. 

Thanks in advance
-scoot

[jayb]

Welcome to the board, and that is a really good looking car.  You said that FPA didn't make a set of headers, but I found a set of tri-Ys on their site that should fit, and they are available with the 14 bolt 390 GT exhaust port configuration.  Here's a link:

http://fordpowertrain.com/FPAindex/Fairlane1.htm

The dyno tests I did for my book indicated that those headers work pretty well, despite being the tri-Y design.  Their big advantage, though, is a lot of ground clearance; most FE headers in Fairlanes and Mustangs don't have all that much.  I think that probably the headers would require a drop bracket for the power steering ram in order to fit, but that's no big deal.

Good luck with the project!

[amdscooter]

Thanks for the welcome and reply, I really appreciate you taking the time to respond. I know this site is geared more toward fine tuning FE's for maximum HP/Torque than my "what fits?" question. Honestly, I felt a bit sheepish even asking.  You know.. I was at that exact same FPA page just a few days ago and I could swear the breakdown notes stated it would not cooperate with something that came factory equipped. I'm reading it again and none of the notes listed (A    B    C    E    H    K) indicate anything of the sort. I'll be getting in touch with them for a quote. I'm not planning much more under the hood until after paint unless something drastic happens as the engine still runs very strong. But I am thinking about turning it into a stroker sometime in the future hoping for a conservative 400Hp build with a decent amount of low end torque. I will be stopping by reading the information here for head, cam, intake combination ideas as much as possible in the meantime. Thanks again for your time and recommendation. 

 

[66FAIRLANE]

Nice choice of motor vehicle. 

[JamesonRacing]

Stan at FPA will take care of you.  That's the only header I'd consider on your car, with what you want to do with it.  The ball/cone header collector is a real plus for street exhaust.  You may also want to take a look at the Flowmaster American Thunder exhaust kit to go with the headers.  Very nice stuff, fits well, 2.5" all the way out the back.  Then when you get that finished, consider a Blue Thunder aluminum intake manifold.  Looks factory, top quality, really wakes up the 390s.   I have one on my 465" street engine and have zero complaints.

Good luck, great looking car.

[amdscooter]

66fairlane.. thanks mate! Nice silver fox you have yourself.

JamesonRacing.. thanks for the suggestions!

[cammerfe]

I'll also say welcome and please don't feel as if ANY question is too basic to ask here. At the very least, it'll bring back memories for some of us. My first new car was a '64 Custom with a 427 and I've been asking questions ever since. This is a friendly group of guys!

KS

[amdscooter]

Thanks! Picking up a lot of useful information just cruising the forums the last few days... happens every time something breaks on the old Fairlane. It's a learning process I really enjoy. I'm sure it's a road many of you have already traveled to some length.. brakes.. suspension.. power steering.. heater/AC boxes.. radiators.. carburetors.. electronic ignitions~points to my latest adventures in exhaust work. It never really ends.... and that's fine by me 

[ScotiaFE]

Nice Fairlane.
Looks like an interesting combo.
That air cleaner that was on it. Was it a stock GT, got a pic of it?
The C7 head exhaust port is about 0.220" lower than a Cobra Jet or about 0.250" lower than an Edelbrock exhaust port.

[manofmerc]

Hedman is what I have on my 66 comet .There is plenty of ground clearance and everything fits .I am running edelbrock heads and that is different from your 14 bolt heads .Why not give them a call or checkout hedmans web page .Good luck with your project nice looking fairlane headers will wake it up .I put that flowmaster american thunder exhaust system on my car too.I had to modify the h pipe but other than that it fit fine .The exhaust pipes where perfect and I like the sound .Doug

[amdscooter]

@ScotiaFE: Sorry, no photo of the stock air filter. It had an aftermarket free flow on it when I purchased it.

@manofmerc: I tried several different vendors. Been in communication with Stan and it looks like I'm ordering a set from FPA on Monday.  Here is a good pic of how far offset most headers are from the GT heads..



^^ GT head is on the left.

[My427stang]

The FPAs are a good choice.

Slather the bolts with a generous amount of antiseize, be sure to tighten them evenly, and use as many of the bolts as you can, minimum of 2 opposing per cylinder.

Then  technique I use is fire the motor up, get it hot, and snug them down one more time hot.  You may pay the header gods with a burn or two, but you'll never have to worry about them again

[amdscooter]

^^^ Thanks for the advise. What brand of antiseize do you normally use? Think I should be able to use all but a few of the bolt holes, there are a couple on the top row toward the front that are really close to the shock tower support. I might "massage" the tower material back a tad to see if I can get better fit. On that note.. the stock manifolds only use two of the four available holes in the head roughly located at the 3 and 9 Oclock positions. The top and bottom holes at 12 and 6 have never been used. I'm thinking of cleaning the threads up a bit with a bottom tap once I get the stock manifolds removed. Anyone have experience~issues using these holes?

Thanks!

[My427stang]

I use whatever silver stuff Napa sells with a brush in the can, but the copper stuff works well too

Chase every hole, it doesn't need to be a bottoming tap, a cheap thread chaser works great too.

You only need 2 opposing bolts per tube, but more can't hurt.  The key is tighten them all evenly like you would any other flange.  Sometimes guys are careful in a build, the get to the headers and over-tighten the easy ones.  Sometimes it takes a bunch of different wrenches, 1/4 inch drive sockets, 3/8 sockets etc to be able to tighten them all the same, but in the end if you do, they'll last for years and years with no leaks.

The manifolds are a bit easier, one piece machined flange, so they can be zonked down with a little less thought, but be careful and you'll be happy with the results

[amdscooter]

Well I spoke to Stan over at FPA yesterday and ordered my headers and a drop down bracket for my power steering, should arrive in about 2 weeks. In the meantime I'm on the hunt for a good 2.5" exhaust setup. Already been 1 recommendation for the Flowmaster American Thunder exhaust kit by JamesonRacing. Any other kits you guys would recommend looking at? One related question while I'm on the topic. Where do you guys prefer the exhaust pipes to terminate? The current exhaust setup has the exit point located just behind the rear wheel inside of the wheel well. I'm thinking at the very least I'd like the tip out of the wheel well an inch or so. Should I keep that location or run the pipes all the way to the back bumper as I'm used to seeing?

[JamesonRacing]

I have the flowmaster tailpipes on my street Fairlane and really like the look and the fit.  They are full mandrel-bent tubing over the axle, then have 3" polished stainless slant tips.  You can see them in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL7518PBM64&feature=g-upl

The mufflers are Dynomax Ultraflow 3", but they was too much resonance so I added two Spintech mufflers ahead of the Dynomax to tone it down.   The Flowmaster should be good to go as delivered.

[amdscooter]

^^^ I watched your video a few days ago.. nice ride! 

[My427stang]

I really do not like Flowmaster mufflers, they resonate in the interior and in many cases have been proven to lose power over even quieter mufflers.

With that being said, mine with Flowmaster 50 series used to soud really good OUTSIDE the car, inside the car they had a booming noise at steady cruise that made it unbearable. 

Here is my 489 with the Flows



Here is my car after with Borla ProXS no other changes, a little different outside, but inside is amazing, nice growl but no booming



Here are the same Flowmasters on my low compression 397 truck

No tailpipes, although since then I have put 3 inch tailpipes coming out under the rear bumper



My guess is I wont like the Flowmasters with the upcoming 445, although I will try them

I'd recommend as much mandrel bending as you can afford, and then use a Dynomax Ultraflow, Borla ProXS or Magnaflow muffler, they flow well and do not bounce the exhaust around in the can, causing the resonance like a Flowmaster

[amdscooter]

Thanks very much for the information My427stang. I really like the "stance" of your Mustang! Just about as good as it gets for a street rod IMHO. My last two vintage big block cars (this 67 and a 70 Dodge Charger 500 383cid) had classic glasspacks slapped onto the stock exhaust. I don't like a lot of interior resonance on long drives either. Which of the manufacturer's you listed ( Dynomax Ultraflow, Borla ProXS or Magnaflow) do you feel would do the best job keeping the interior resonance to a minimum? The muffler shop I'm using has been recommended by the local Shelby club. Spoke to the owner, nice guy. His current project is a Galaxy ragtop/427 mid riser. He was kinda busy when I stopped by for the quote so I'll probably stop by again before I get the headers on and ask him for advise as well. So far I'm planning 2.5" out to the rear bumper. The muffler shop says 2.25" is a lot easier for my application and he'd cut the price $100 if I go that route. Would I notice a difference?

Few other questions for the horde. Header paint or buy the ceramic coating? I have ordered the bare headers with plans to "rattle can" some sort of heat resistant coating onto them. Been wrestling with that decision the last few days. This is a CA car so we don't get the really bad snow/salt/rust issues here. I'm sure I could call Stan and have him add the ceramic coating, It's an extra $225. Worth it or no?

Lastly (well for this post anyway  ), my 390FE is a California car that came smog equipped. I've removed the air pump, thermactor(sp?) and all the rest of the smog gear and plumbing except the air injector tubes. Luckily the check valves still work but those bars sure look wonky all by themselves. I'm thinking that this would be a good time to finally rid myself of those. Any suggestions as to what I should use to plug the holes in the heads? I was thinking of using brass hex plugs but I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks!

[My427stang]

I like my ProXS, but all three of the absorption mufflers will kill resonance, so you cant go wrong.  I just havent used the others.  I think the Magnaflows probably flow the most but may be slightly louder outside the car.

I personally wouldn't go under 2.5 inch, but if you are going to remain stock or near to it, the 2.25 will probably make it, depends on your motor if you'd notice it. 

For a reference, my mild 397 in the truck was noticeably different when I went from 2.25 crush bent/glasspacks to 3.0 mandrel bent/Flowmasters.  The crush bending really hurts, especially as you get to small diameters. 

If you think this motor will get stronger later, you'll have to pay twice, so in my opinion, go with 2.50 now.

As far as ceramic coating, if you can afford it, do it, it makes a HELL of a difference for underhood and floor temps, plus they stay pretty almost forever and they are easy to sell later.  I wouldn't build one without ceramic coating now, but admittedly I built a bunch with standard rattle can when the budget wouldn't allow.

[amdscooter]

^^^ Thanks so much for that. I'm going to give Stan a call and have him put the coating on. As far as the 2.5 vs. 2.25, I'll go with the 2.5 as per your recommendation. I'm not planning on a massive HP/Torque ride here. Perhaps a mild cam, aluminum intake and larger carburetor over the winter.. but that's about it. If and when the motor needs a rebuild (76k original and still strong) I'll probably go with a medium stroker rebuild. Hopefully the 2.5 will still be adequate. I'll look into the Magnaflows as I'm not horribly worried about noise outside the car. Thanks again for all your input. 

[66FAIRLANE]

X2 on the ceramic. Wouldn't have a set without now.

[jayb]

X3 on ceramic coating.  For under hood temps alone it is well worth the price.

[drdano]

Any suggestions as to what I should use to plug the holes in the heads? I was thinking of using brass hex plugs but I'm open to suggestions.

Any of the FE parts shops will have plugs for these.  Survival, Precision Oil Pumps, Blue Oval Performance, etc.

[amdscooter]

^^^Can anyone verify the thread pitch? I've read a 1/2-20x5/8 allen setscrew will fit flush. Would I have any issues using the setscrew with the tapered bore?

[amdscooter]

Answered my own question about the air injector. I had pulled one off a 390 T-Bird in the bone yard some time back and found it last weekend. The threads are indeed 1/2-20. Ordered some blackox setscrews to fit. My FPA ceramic coated headers should arrive first week of Sept so I'm trying to prep for the installation. Thinking I might wanna start a new thread as this one is starting to creep and I have a few more questions. If the mods feel I should start a new thread feel free to let me know. Onto the bonus round.

Motor Mount fun
I was crawling around under the Fairlane yesterday and noticed the motor mounts are looking not-so-good.. not in half yet but pretty sad shape. The driver side was missing one of the 3 bolts on the block side. I ordered some new mounts today and I'll be replacing all the hardware with grade 8 bolts when I do the swap. Anyone know off the top of their head what size the three bolts on the block side are? Maybe 1/2-13? I cannot get a bolt in there to test as the hole is currently a little out of alignment and I don't want to take one of the two remaining out. I'd like to have the hardware in hand before I pull the old parts. Here is a pic of the missing bolt whose size I'm looking for:



More on motor mounts. I'd like to modify the new mounts, I believe it's called "pinning"? Drill two through holes, countersink one side and install bolts through the entire setup nutting the backside as illustrated in these pics.:





My question is with the countersunk side facing the frame landing flush, is there space on the block mounting side for the retaining nuts?



This example I found they welded the nuts on so they to not come off after the weight of the block compresses the rubber. I'd probably use Loctite or drill holes in the nuts for some safety wire. The mounts on my 390 are nearly flat and I cannot tell if there is any space at all on the block side. I'd love to do this mod but would hate to run into interference issues. The different pics of my C6ME-A block online are not very conclusive. Any ideas how much space I have to work with on the block side?

Cam recommendations~intake
I'm going to have to pull my radiator (more on that later) and I'm thinking as long as I'm in there I might replace the stock cam to help the FE breathe a bit easier. My 390 is an "H" code/2V.. low compression (9.5:1) that came with a 2 barrel carb... yay pump gas!  I'm not planning any lower end work any time soon if I can avoid it so it's staying 9.5:1 for the time being. Anyway, I'd love to get a better CAM that I can install without having to make changes to the existing valve train (rockers, rods, springs, etc.). I'm not looking to give the Fairlane a sound like it's got a huge rock crusher in it. Just like to increase performance a hair and perhaps get better mileage outta it. I have C7AE-A heads if that helps at all. I've heard the Comp 268H is a good candidate for a painless swap out. Good.. bad.. hell no.. something better? Totally at the mercy of your collective expertise here. Also.. is there an off the shelf~bolt on intake I can lay hands on for a few hundred bucks that is worth the investment over the stock/cast iron dual plane? Stock has to come off to get at the lifters if I replace the cam.. long as I'm in there right? 

Fan fun
Not sure if it's because my Fairlane has past damage to the front clip but for some reason replacement radiators do not fit well in front of my fan clutch. The current rad that came with the car when I got it is a 3 core just a "C" hair over 2" thick and has maybe 1/4" clearance from the fan clutch. I bought a supposed exact copy from Autocrafters last summer, it's about 3" thick and will not fit with my fan clutch installed. I have not been able to locate a shorter fan clutch for my application anywhere. I tried the new radiator with a pair of 10" thermostatically controlled fans but they could not keep up and temps got over 210F earlier this summer. I pulled the new rad.. had a quick repair done to the old rad and stuffed it back in. Now that repair is starting to leak again and the radiator shop guy says it's time to recore, he won't quick repair it again. I still have the "new" radiator and am thinking of using it again minus a clutch with a Flex-a-lite high performance flex fan on a solid adapter cut to proper length. Is this going to cause me issues with the fan running 100% engine RPM? I know I'll lose some mileage/power and probably gain some noise but I'm currently out of cost effective options. 


Thanks in advance

[JamesonRacing]

Replacing the motor mounts while you're installing the headers is a great idea.  I'm using stock motor mounts on my street engine with no issues, haven't heard of anyone having problems with them until they get old and cracked.  Adding a bolt through the mounts kinda defeats the isolation properties of the rubber mount, so you may feel more noise and vibration in the car.  On race cars you'll often see a cable, chain, or strap on the driver's side front corner of the engine to limit engine flex, but not necessary on a street car.

The Comp 268 should be a decent fit, you may go a bit more aggressive without losing a decent idle.  I'm gunshy of flat-faced lifters these days, so I'd personally save up my pennies and go to a hydraulic roller cam...Barry has a large catalog of grinds that would wake up your 390.

[amdscooter]

^^^ The theory behind the bolt thru on the motor mount is to just barely tighten the bolts. This way when the block is sitting on the mount the rubber will compress and it will work just like a traditional mount under normal loads. When you roll on the throttle hard the slack in the bolt is taken up and it prevents the rubber from taking all the torque just as a cable or chain would. I'm really interested in this mod as it's so easy to do on the mount itself. I just want to make sure I have the space needed for the nut on the block side before I get to drilling holes.

Far as the cam goes.. I'm sure a good roller setup would be nice eventually but time and budget are not allowing for a lot of head work right now unless it becomes absolutely necessary. I chose the Comp 268H as it will help the breathing a bit and if I'm reading correctly I won't have to worry much about the impact to the stock springs, rockers and rods.

Thanks for the input. 

[chris_r]

I have used comp xe262 cam in stock 390 with 9.5 to 1 cr. The best cam i have ever used in a stock 390 very very strong from 1000 rpm to 5000. O i used edel streetmaster intake holley 750 and tri y headers. It would really put you back in the seat for what is was. Great tq

[hotrodfeguy]

CAM I would run Lunati 10330206

The nuts, we always ran a metal lock nut so we could leave a little slack in the bolt as previously mentioned for the rubber to get the preload.

[amdscooter]

chris_r &  hotrodfeguy, both good cam suggestions. I'm looking to keep the lift < 0.500 which is close to what the stock 427 came with. My theory is anything at or under that number should cooperate with the rest of the stock valvetrain. If I'm wrong with that please someone chime in... I'm learning as I go here!   

I downloaded the Comp Camquest software and the xe262 did not come up under recommendations. I looked up the specs and the XE262H runs 0.513/0.513 lift. The Lunati runs 0.527/0.527. The 268H comes up as a "great Fit" and appears to have a nice balance of HP/Torque at 0.494/0.494. Using Comp's software as a rough I could potentially get my 390 up to 370hp/460ftlb torque keeping the bottom end low compression at 9.5:1. I'd be darn happy with that over the 270hp or so this 390 does at stock. 

[My427stang]

I would seriously reconsider the stock springs.

A cheap set of springs like these will be far better than your tired stock springs and ensure you don't drop a valve with new keepers and locks

http://www.alexsparts.com/products/FE-FORD-VALVE-SPRING-KIT%2C-DROP-IN-FIT%2C-7-DEGREE%2C-352%252d428.html

Alex's stuff wont make any Americans rich, but its pretty decent budget stuff

At the same time, you put a set of valve seals in it, preferably you can take the time to measure the guides and buy his positively located Viton seals and it'll run cleaner than ever

That also opens up your cam options.  I think a 268H is decent, but pretty mellow, with the spring change you can add a bit more lift and get the duration up in the 220's

[amdscooter]

^^^ Thinking a spring change might be in the future as well. I was reading the Comp literature last night and they state a spring change is necessary even with the 268H. I've read others use the 268H and stock springs w/o issue. Anyone with first hand experience using this cam with stock springs?

I've been trying to keep the upgrades so it would not necessitate removing the heads. The springs can be done with the head still on with a bit of work so I'll look into it. Alex's stuff looks pretty good but I've never heard of his brand. How does it compare to say the Comp spring sets? Comp offers comprehensive cam kits (cam, lifters, springs, seals, keeper's, timing chain, etc.) pretty reasonably priced.

[My427stang]

Alex's stuff is fine, Comp is good too, but make sure you are getting springs for the 1.82 installed height not at some generic height.

As far as whether the stock springs will work, I say no.  Not the way they should.  I have run stock springs on a 270H, but get what took them apart and they were 60 lbs on the seat, 180 open, and the seats were pounded away because of lack of valve control.

As far as Comp vs Alex, you were ready to run old springs... 

New, stock style GT springs "should" work up to about .520 lift, but unknown pressure,, unknown age, unchecked springs are a recipe for unhappiness. 

FYI, I just got a set of these and they tested right on the money

[amdscooter]

Heh... "As far as Comp vs Alex..." I know.. I know.. I was thinking of using the stock springs.  But.. if I'm going to replace the springs I'd like to know where Comp~Alex stand on the quality/fitment scale.  I did look at other cams from Comp with a bit more lift and duration. But according to Comp the only cams for my application that don't require machining on the heads (for reasons not detailed on their site or by their software) are the 260H and 268H.  Of the two I am leaning toward this 268H kit:

High Energy™, 268H: Cam & Kit

[ScotiaFE]

The head machining that Comp is refering to is the spring seat on the head.
That is very misleading because you can fit a pretty stiff spring in the stock size spring seat on a FE head.
A 1.55 inch dia spring no prob.
I would cam up even more than the 268. That's only a mild cam in a 390 with a intake and headers.
I'd be looking at the 280h if staying with Comp,  but Lunati makes some pretty nice stuff for FE's as does a few other shops.

[amdscooter]

^^^^ Thanks very much for that information on the spring seat machining. Be nice if Comp were a hair more specific or had a breakdown of exactly what the codes that come up with each cam in their software meant for relative noobies like me. That "[2] Requires machining on cylinder heads" code that popped up on nearly every cam I looked at was driving me nuts. 

Were I to go with the 280H, do you think those Alex's springs My427stang posted the link to above would be sufficient?

Spring Specifications:

    1.460" Outside Diameter
    .980" Inside Diameter
    110 Lbs @ 1.820" Valve Closed Installed Height
    265 Lbs @ .500" Lift
    300 Lbs @ .600" Lift
    No spring seat machining required

Or do you have an alternate recommendation?

Thanks!

[bartlett]

I just got my Fps headers from stan and there fantastic ! realy nice work and came with everything needed .... hopfully they fit nice ... Im 90% done building my new stroker motor ...

[Chad D]

^^^^ Thanks very much for that information on the spring seat machining. Be nice if Comp were a hair more specific or had a breakdown of exactly what the codes that come up with each cam in their software meant for relative noobies like me. That "[2] Requires machining on cylinder heads" code that popped up on nearly every cam I looked at was driving me nuts. 

Were I to go with the 280H, do you think those Alex's springs My427stang posted the link to above would be sufficient?

Spring Specifications:

    1.460" Outside Diameter
    .980" Inside Diameter
    110 Lbs @ 1.820" Valve Closed Installed Height
    265 Lbs @ .500" Lift
    300 Lbs @ .600" Lift
    No spring seat machining required

Or do you have an alternate recommendation?

Thanks!

According to the Comp cam card (http://www.compcams.com/Company/CC/cam-specs/Details.aspx?csid=934&sb=0) the spring they recommend from their catalog (http://www.compperformancegroupstores.com/store/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=CC&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=926-16) is pretty close, but Alex's springs aren't quite as stiff for open load , though seat load looks good. Depending on rocker/valve/retainer mass and RPM they may work fine, if you're buying a new cam, consider just buying Comp's springs to avoid finger pointing if something goes awry.

[amdscooter]

I just got my Fps headers from stan and there fantastic ! realy nice work and came with everything needed .... hopfully they fit nice ... Im 90% done building my new stroker motor ...

Great news! I still have not gotten mine yet.. due first week in Sept. If you get yours installed any time soon be sure to write back and let me know how the installation went.

[amdscooter]

^^^^ Thanks very much for that information on the spring seat machining. Be nice if Comp were a hair more specific or had a breakdown of exactly what the codes that come up with each cam in their software meant for relative noobies like me. That "[2] Requires machining on cylinder heads" code that popped up on nearly every cam I looked at was driving me nuts. 

Were I to go with the 280H, do you think those Alex's springs My427stang posted the link to above would be sufficient?

Spring Specifications:

    1.460" Outside Diameter
    .980" Inside Diameter
    110 Lbs @ 1.820" Valve Closed Installed Height
    265 Lbs @ .500" Lift
    300 Lbs @ .600" Lift
    No spring seat machining required

Or do you have an alternate recommendation?

Thanks!

According to the Comp cam card (http://www.compcams.com/Company/CC/cam-specs/Details.aspx?csid=934&sb=0) the spring they recommend from their catalog (http://www.compperformancegroupstores.com/store/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=CC&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=926-16) is pretty close, but Alex's springs aren't quite as stiff for open load , though seat load looks good. Depending on rocker/valve/retainer mass and RPM they may work fine, if you're buying a new cam, consider just buying Comp's springs to avoid finger pointing if something goes awry.

I'm kinda leaning the same way.. buy a kit vs. mix-n-match. Leaning toward the Comp k33-224-3 kit with the 268H cam. Many have said it's pretty mild.. but I'm not really looking to make a screamer here. At the end of the day if my old H code is turning out over 300hp and 400ftlb torque with new headers, exhaust, cam and intake I'll be pretty satisfied. 

Toss another question in here for the field.. Edelbrock Performer RPM -or- Edelbrock Streetmaster preference for intakes? The Performer RPM can be had for about $300 new. The Streetmaster is going used for about that same price. Any preference?

[Chad D]

I've got a Comp 268H in my 390 now.  It's great off-idle to about 5000 RPM, then it peters out pretty fast.  Has a tiny bit of lope, but still an easy driver in a heavy car.  You'll be in the power range you mentioned, give or take a bit.  Either intake should be fine, but I'd go with a new Performer RPM, port it if you think you need a bit more power.

[amdscooter]

I've got a Comp 268H in my 390 now.  It's great off-idle to about 5000 RPM, then it peters out pretty fast.  Has a tiny bit of lope, but still an easy driver in a heavy car.  You'll be in the power range you mentioned, give or take a bit.  Either intake should be fine, but I'd go with a new Performer RPM, port it if you think you need a bit more power.

Good to know, I did not think the lope from the 268H would be horrible. I scored a pristine Edelbrock Streetmaster off Craigslist for $100 tonight.. pretty stoked about the purchase. 

[amdscooter]

Got my FPA headers in yesterday.. unfortunately they will have to go back as there was a mixup and they came bare instead of ceramic coated as I ordered. Stan has already offered to remedy the situation and they will be shipped back on Monday. I have a few questions to other FPA/FE owners.

1) My little exhaust upgrade has led to an engine refresh. I already had to take the heads off as some of the exhaust bolts simply were not comin out and the back bolt on #4 cylinder broke off. Seemed like a mistake not to freshen up the bottom end while I was at it, so the block comes out Sunday. Did any of you Fairlane owners have issues installing the motor with the headers on? I know space is already limited around the shock towers and it does not look as if they will clear pre-installed.

2) Are the back bolts on cylinder 1 & 5 used? Dosen't seem to be any way a bolt is getting on either:





 

[66FAIRLANE]

Hi Amdscooter

I have custom made headers so have no info on the bolts for you but I always pull engine and trans together WITH headers on. No problem. But with your steering box on the wrong side  results may vary.

[amdscooter]

Hi Amdscooter

I have custom made headers so have no info on the bolts for you but I always pull engine and trans together WITH headers on. No problem. But with your steering box on the wrong side  results may vary.

Yup.. that's sure to make a difference. It's tight and unless I can find someone with a 66~67 Fairlane and FPA headers I'll probably have to wait until I do a dry run mockup drop with the headers on loosely to see if I can get it dropped in. Are you by chance using the stock "coffee can" style starter or have you upgraded to a mini starter? I'm wondering how clearance with the starter is going to work out as well. I'd hate to have to break a good header seal to swap out the starter at a later date. But my starter is less than a year old and I'd hate to replace it already unless absolutely necessary.

[bartlett]

68 fairland 390 fpa headers... My stock starter fit right in ..... on the test stand lol

[66FAIRLANE]

Are you by chance using the stock "coffee can" style starter or have you upgraded to a mini starter? I'm wondering how clearance with the starter is going to work out as well. I'd hate to have to break a good header seal to swap out the starter at a later date. But my starter is less than a year old and I'd hate to replace it already unless absolutely necessary.

I had no choice but to use a mini starter if I wanted headers. Remember my steering box is sitting right next to it. I did tri-y's as I don't reckon I could have got 4 pipes out that side. The other side has oodles of room. And yes, oodles is a word! 

[amdscooter]

Are you by chance using the stock "coffee can" style starter or have you upgraded to a mini starter? I'm wondering how clearance with the starter is going to work out as well. I'd hate to have to break a good header seal to swap out the starter at a later date. But my starter is less than a year old and I'd hate to replace it already unless absolutely necessary.

I had no choice but to use a mini starter if I wanted headers. Remember my steering box is sitting right next to it. I did tri-y's as I don't reckon I could have got 4 pipes out that side. The other side has oodles of room. And yes, oodles is a word! 

I looked at the headers pretty good while I had them out. Seems like the stock starter will fit in there fine I'm just concerned about being able to get it out if/when it needs to be replaced. I'm planning on wrapping it in header wrap to try to keep some of the heat off it. The ceramic coating on the headers should help a bit as well. Funny how that steering box nackers up space no matter which side it's on. 

[Chad D]

Before using header wrap, check with FPA about compatibility with the ceramic coating.  I'd just fab up a shield for the starter to reflect heat from the header pipes.

[amdscooter]

Before using header wrap, check with FPA about compatibility with the ceramic coating.  I'd just fab up a shield for the starter to reflect heat from the header pipes.

I was gonna use the header wrap on the starter.. not the headers.  But a heat shield is a good idea.

On a project note. The scope of my little exhaust upgrade has expanded a little... the block came out yesterday.  Anyway, shot in the dark here.. does anyone recognize this torque converter?



I've never seen a green one before. Usually blue.  No markings.

[66FAIRLANE]

Ah...two drain plugs. Watch that one late at night after a few bourbons. 

[bartlett]

Bad New's for me .... My fpa's dont fit .... could not for the life of me get the engine in with both headers on ... We tryed for 2 hrs and tryed every thing we could think of .... would not go ....

 We took the passanger side header off and got the engine in . with the engine loose we slid the passanger header up and tryed to bolt it up.. No go .. the #1 pipe is hittting the shock tower pretty hard.  We moved the engine up down left right and could not gain clearance there .....

somthing will need to be adjusted.... bent header, bent shock tower or notched ... No happy being the car is all restored and painted ....

 Im going to call stan and see what he thinks ....

[jayb]

I was always able to get them installed on the engine in my Mustangs.  I put the driver's side on and installed the passenger side from below once the engine was about 6" off the mounts.  Also dropped the idler arm for more clearance, and also the power steering pump ram (when I had power steering on that car).  The trick was to jack up the rear end and put a very extreme downward angle on the engine/trans.  Here's a photo of my 492" FE going into my Mach 1 back in 2004:



I'm sure a Fairlane is different, and maybe even tighter than a Mustang, but hopefully this may give you some ideas on other ways to do the installation.

[amdscooter]

Bad New's for me .... My fpa's dont fit .... could not for the life of me get the engine in with both headers on ... We tryed for 2 hrs and tryed every thing we could think of .... would not go ....

 We took the passanger side header off and got the engine in . with the engine loose we slid the passanger header up and tryed to bolt it up.. No go .. the #1 pipe is hittting the shock tower pretty hard.  We moved the engine up down left right and could not gain clearance there .....

somthing will need to be adjusted.... bent header, bent shock tower or notched ... No happy being the car is all restored and painted ....

 Im going to call stan and see what he thinks ....

Sorry to hear about your bad luck. Was just looking at some photos of the 68 engine compartment and it looks identical to the 67. My headers are sitting by the front door waiting for a UPS pickup so Stan can get that ceramic coating on them. Hopefully you have something worked out before mine come back. Please be sure to keep us updated!

[ScotiaFE]

The Fairlanes shock tower is higher and more vertical than a Mustang. Comparing a 68 Stang and 67 Lane side by side.
I don`t have any experience with FPA`s, I`m more of a low life and use Hookers.

[amdscooter]

The Fairlanes shock tower is higher and more vertical than a Mustang. Comparing a 68 Stang and 67 Lane side by side.
I don`t have any experience with FPA`s, I`m more of a low life and use Hookers.

If I did not have GT(14 bolt) heads I'd probably be using Hookers as well. Going FPA was supposed to give some assurance of alignment to the head ports and fitment to the chassis. I'm hoping I do not have the same issues bartlett is having.

[bartlett]

Jay I got the motor in the same way you did, I took the passanger side off and got it 90% in and slid the passanger side on after that. The problem is I can't bolt the engine down. The passanger side header is tight aginst the shock tower. Zero clearance. The drivers side is 1/16th from hitting the drivers side tower. I have tryed moving the engine around and I cant gain clearance. I have a bad feeling Im going to need to MAKE clearance .. I just have not talked with stan yet and Im not going to do anything untill I am calm and have the correct/best next move figured out .....

thanks

[jayb]

If you have to "make" clearance, I'd dimple the header tube a little bit.  I doubt you would see any measurable decrease in performance, and at least you could then get the motor bolted in.  That is a frustrating situation, for sure...

[bartlett]

after sitting and staring at it for a hr and drinking a few beers ... I have decided im going to try and dent in the shock tower first alittle with the motor out with a porta power and see if I can dimple it there...   If it don't wanna work I'm going to jig the header in a press and see if I can flatten it a bit in that area ...


oh well ... who would think a $960 set of custom headers would fit ....

[ScotiaFE]

If it was me I'd be taking the hammer to the pipes and NOT the structure of the car.

[Joe-jdc]

If you will jack the car under the middle of the brace that goes under the engine, it will spread the shock towers out enough to get the headers in.  Then use a monte carlo bar, or a strut rod between the shock towers to keep it from collapsing back in on itself.  The car has settled in on itself, and the factory clearance is gone.  A common problem with higher mileage mustangs, or heavy accesorized engines.  Joe-JDC.

[bartlett]

joe thats interesting ! lol ... Ill jack it there and see what happens.... If it does Ill look into a bar ...

1/4 " ..... the tip's of my shocks move out 1/4" with it in the air with a lift under cross brace.... The bad is the interfearance is so low on the tower that it realy didnt do anything there ....  A part number for a good monty carlo bar would be nice ... I think it could use one ......

[ScotiaFE]

Here's one I made. I know the car feels tighter with it on.
The actual bar is for a Honda I think. I seen it hanging on the wall of a local Tuner shop and it got me thinking.
I've never actually seen a bar for the Fairlane. On 66 Fairlanes, well one that I know quite well a 66 GTA Convert it has bars that run from the
rad support to the shock towers. These are factory pieces.

[My427stang]

As far as the header contact, not sure how bad it is, but I used a set of FPAs in a 68 Montego droptop that we stabbed a CJ into.  They hit too and took some thinking

I had to move the headers around a bit, if I remember correctly (it was 8-9 years ago) It was the pass side, and I put a block of wood between the header and the block, then put a long bar in the collector and just levered the collector to the center of the car. (BTW I am sure I did it and sure HOW I did it, LOL I just can't remember where it was hitting)

Proper placement of the block will let you work it over without making it tighter where you don't need it tighter.

[machoneman]

Have a Monte Carlo bar in any serious build is quite important as noted above due to the sagging of older rides. Here's another tip to tighten things up: get subframe connectors and weld them in.

Try this trick. Jack up the front end of your ride under one of the two strut rod boxes at the #1 cross member. When that side's tire just clears the floor, keep jacking until the other tire clears. You'll usually find another 5" to 7" more of chassis flex. Weld in some good connectors (I have the heavy Competition Engineering square tube connectors) and try this again.  Usually the other side tire now lifts at only 2" or less, showing just how much the front end has been tightened up.

[bartlett]

OK OK ... Engine is in, Headers are in ..  (sorry for the hi jacking,hopfully this helps you in yours )

This is what I did...

Removed engine, Took a 2" pipe and welded a 2" pipe sideways to it.. then I used black tape to cover the pipe on the t section to save the paint of the car ... I placed this on the shock tower area were the header was hitting. with a 5lb mall I hit the pipe I made and it made a nice rounded dent (pretty dang easy) took about ten hits. set motor about 85% back in and installed the passanger header completly. then set motor down on mounts.  p.s. tranny is not installed  This will go in tomara.   

Headers have good clearance  (tight but good)  In happy with the fit now. these headers are very tucked in. you will have no ground clearance problems.. I can get to all bolts with motor in , you can not remove all bolts with engine in.

p.s. This in my opinion was better than denting the header.. It looks factory and you cant see the area unless you realy look for it ... very clean ...     wish me luck lots of work left ....

[jayb]

Attaboy!  There are always problems like this to solve on a new installation; just part of the hot rodding process...

[amdscooter]

OK OK ... Engine is in, Headers are in ..  (sorry for the hi jacking,hopfully this helps you in yours )

This is what I did...

Removed engine, Took a 2" pipe and welded a 2" pipe sideways to it.. then I used black tape to cover the pipe on the t section to save the paint of the car ... I placed this on the shock tower area were the header was hitting. with a 5lb mall I hit the pipe I made and it made a nice rounded dent (pretty dang easy) took about ten hits. set motor about 85% back in and installed the passanger header completly. then set motor down on mounts.  p.s. tranny is not installed  This will go in tomara.   

Headers have good clearance  (tight but good)  In happy with the fit now. these headers are very tucked in. you will have no ground clearance problems.. I can get to all bolts with motor in , you can not remove all bolts with engine in.

p.s. This in my opinion was better than denting the header.. It looks factory and you cant see the area unless you realy look for it ... very clean ...     wish me luck lots of work left ....

Pics or it did not happen!! Kidding.. but seriously.. post some pics up!  Anyway congrats on getting them in!

[bartlett]

Ill snap some pics for you guys ... stay tuned ...

[amdscooter]

^^^ Didya ever get those photos posted up? I'm getting kinda antsy while waiting for my ceramic plating to get done. 

[bartlett]

Here is a couple ... you can see more in members projects ... ( the flash maakes every thing look scrached ect . most of it is just dust and dirt ect .. you can see where I pressed the shock tower in some .... it clears awesome now .. 

[amdscooter]

^^^ Thanks for the pics! Can I by chance get you to post up a pic of the shock tower from slightly further out for reference if at all possible please? I know it's tight down in there. I see the front of your starter in the bottom right corner of that pic.. how is the clearance? Is it an original "coffee can" and do you think you'd be able to replace it w/o removing the header and/or loosnin' the motor mount and tilting the block? Looks pretty close to the idler arm in the top shot as well that shot.. but long as it clears. 

Sorry for the 1000+1 questions... just painted my short block on the stand last night. Waiting for heads and headers then in it goes. I'd like to be as prepared as possible for any mods that might need to be done before the block is swinging from a chain over the engine bay.

[bartlett]

Yea I'll try to get a better pic .... The starter can be put in without any trouble. no need to do anything other than push it up there.  The batt cable is the tight area. but you can do it .....

Put the drivers header on all the way and lower the motor in 85/90% slide the passanger header in place and install all the bolts. then lower the engine into place .... best Way I could figure ... good luck ....

Oh p.s .. use a engine tilter dealy bob ... I had to tilt the engine way up to get it in cleanly. I used a tie down strap to hook the crank and hook the other end to the lift to get the engine tiled enuff... have fun !!!!!

[amdscooter]

^^^ Thanks for that advise. I thought the angle might be an issue with the length of the headers. I was thinking I might lay the headers in the engine compartment then lower the motor in 85~90% or so. Install the drivers side first, then the passenger side. Once torqued, lower the motor the rest of the way in. I'm working in my driveway with limited equipment and space so I'm trying to limit the amount of "angle of the dangle" I have to deal with. If it costs me a lil more knuckle skin playing about all the stuff on the drivers side that way I can live with it. I'm just praying I don't run into your clearance issues. Will have pipe and mall handy just in case. 

Thanks for the starter info. What issues did you have with the battery cable? Was it the clearance around the cable guide on the motor mount? Or the stud on the starter where the cable mounts?

[amdscooter]

Well things are moving along albeit outta order and slowly. I had planned on dropping the engine in whole but a few signals got crossed and I did not think the heads were coming back soon so I installed the block minus the heads yesterday. I was really jazzed and surprised when my buddy stopped by and dropped off the heads today. He did a great job for me and only charged for parts, the shop/machine time he had to rent and gas. I got about $1,600 worth of head work for just over $300 cash. Did a dry run getting the FPA headers into position ahead of installing the heads tomorrow. Got the passenger side roughly in place without much issue. Drivers side is going to be a bugger. I wrestled it for about 3.5 hours. Jacked the car up and tried from the bottom.. no dice. The steering box area is a lot tighter than I thought. Disconnected the driver side motor mount at the stud and was able to lift the block about an inch with the cherry picker.. still no go but closer. Going to try disconnecting both motor mounts tomorrow and hopefully I can get enough play with the tranny still bolted up to get it dropped into position. Honestly, had I any idea it was going to be this tight I would have laid them in there as I was putting the block in place. I'm beat up and extremely tired. Doing all this in my driveway with limited space and it's really kicking my arse. Supposed to rain here on Monday so big push tomorrow to get the headers in and get the hood back on the car. I'd love to get to the point where I can get the heads in for a mock-up on the headers to identify any clearance issues and see how the intake aligns. Anyone has advise I'd love to hear it.

[jayb]

Hmmm, you probably won't like my advice    Pull the short block and trans back out, bolt on the heads, bolt on the driver's side header, put the engine and trans in so its about 6" off the mounts, then bolt on the passenger side header and drop the engine/trans the rest of the way in.  I think it will save you time in the long run.

[amdscooter]

Hmmm, you probably won't like my advice    Pull the short block and trans back out, bolt on the heads, bolt on the driver's side header, put the engine and trans in so its about 6" off the mounts, then bolt on the passenger side header and drop the engine/trans the rest of the way in.  I think it will save you time in the long run.

I'd give that a try If I could. Simply no space for pulling the block and trans at the same time so it's been in there all along. Good times getting the back of the block aligned to the bell housing in the car.  Two words come to mind to describe it.. and neither of them is fun. I'm short space and equipment and I knew it'd take a toll in both time and by poor aching back. But it is what it is and I've gotta work with what I have. Hopefully the sun will shine tomorrow and removing the 8 bolts securing the motor mounts to the frame will give me enough space to get the drivers side in past the steering box.  Thanks for your advise.. wish i could take it. 

[bartlett]

good luck ...

I could not get the engine and tranny headers on at the same time... I try'ed pretty hard.... It must go in engine with drivers header on 90%, passanger header installed last 10% , then tranny install .... Thats the only way I could do it .... I fought the same as you ... 

[amdscooter]

^^^Back into it today... and I'll take every bit of that luck! Did you ever get those pics online anywhere? I sure could use some samples of what the clearance looks like after a successful install from both under and over. Passenger side looks like it's going to have issues with the frame rail and it's not even on the head yet.

Thanks
-scott

[bartlett]

no frame rail problems at all .... I thought the same thing, it should be fine.   I will chage my camera batt for a bit and take some now.  just to help ya out .... 

[bartlett]

Real hard to get any good pictures ... hopfully you got good news today ..

[amdscooter]

^^^ Thanks for the photos. Yupper.. gottem in today with a few things still to work out. From the looks of it yours took a lot less of a beating than mine did. Honestly I'm ashamed to say I scratched the hell outta my nice finish getting them in.. but I'm darn glad they are in. At first I was thinking it's a shame they are so well tucked in there as no one will be able to see them.. now it's kinda a good thing. I'll probably have to dimple one tube on the drivers side as it still touches the shock tower at cylinder  #6 just barely.


Other than that I had 2 other issues that you might be able to help out with. By far the biggest issue remaining is the power steering cylinder. Even with the drop down bracket the cylinder still hits the header... no way the end of the piston is getting in that hole:

Yours looks much lower and the header seems to drop down behind the cylinder.

Lastly is the transmission cooler lines on the passanger side... the lines are smack up against the header and pressed against the side of the oil pan as well.

Might be able to get away with just putting some new bends in there... not sure yet.

Other than that the starter cable is going to have to be re-routed. But they are in and I'm in a much better exhausted state tonight than I was last night. Already emailed Stan to see if he had any ideas for the power steering and tran lines. The heads are in and torqued. the headers are in with nearly all the bolts in finger tight at least. I tossed the intake and valve covers on to get an idea what it'll look like done.


Hopefully when the rain passes I'll be able to complete the mock up and ensure the intake and head ports line up. If they do I get to drop in the lifters.. install the push rods and rocker assemblies. Hopefully there are semi-easy fixes for my 2 main issues so I can wrap this thing up and get it over to the muffler shop soon.

Anyone have advise or experience with these hood hinges? I've had them off for over a month and now they don't want to compress all the way with the springs on. I had to take the springs off to get the hood fully closed. Kinda vexed but too tired to mess with it tonight. i just left the springs swinging from the rear and closed shop. 

[bartlett]

progress is good ...

your running differant heads so things might be a little off,

  I took this picture for you,

[amdscooter]

progress is good ...

your running differant heads so things might be a little off,

  I took this picture for you,

Yup.. there seems to be a difference for sure. It looks as if your headers drop behind the ram and mine drop right over the cylinder itself. I'll have to take another long look at it tomorrow. thanks a lot for the pics.. every lil bit helps.

[amdscooter]

Bartlett could I impose on your generosity for a few more pics? Specifically could you turn your steering wheel all the way to the right and get a shot that shows how much clearance you have between the top of the power steering cylinder and the bottom of your header? In the pic above I can see that the ram clears by a decent margin but cannot tell how much the cylinder clears by or where it actually passes under the header.

One other request.. could you get a shot of your transmission lines and how/where they clear your header? Mine are smack dab on the header and that interference has the lines pressed hard against the oil pan as well.

Thanks again for your help! 

[bartlett]

Ill snap the steering pic ... My tranny lines are not stock so that wont work for ya ....

[amdscooter]

^^ Thanks.. and if you would not mind go ahead and snap a shot of the trans lines anyway. I'm going to have to deal with that issue as well pretty soon and I suspect a change of lines is in order.. that header is not moving. I'm open to ideas.

I pushed my wheels to the left and was able to get the shaft in the drop down adapter. But as I suspected I cannot turn to the right at all as the cylinder hits the header. I have not heard back from Stan at FPA yet. I'm not sure what the answer is going to be.. perhaps a longer drop down shaft?

[bartlett]

to late on the tranny lines ... maybe tomara ..   


This area was a concern for me, Its very tight and I was afraid of the boot burning up so I pushed the boot back for the time being.  I had good clearance straight but it just rubbed when full right. My lines also rubbed the drop down bracket. I had to loosen the lines and rotate them for clearance. That was easy.  Tonight while snapping a pic I took the time to clearance the header some with a hammer (not a show car so Im not to worried about it) I got a good 1/4 " now and am happy with that area. I will redo some undercoating on that area now to clean it up some ... 

 Im wondering if you dont have your motor mounts flip flopped. maybe a good thing to check....

[amdscooter]

to late on the tranny lines ... maybe tomara ..   


This area was a concern for me, Its very tight and I was afraid of the boot burning up so I pushed the boot back for the time being.  I had good clearance straight but it just rubbed when full right. My lines also rubbed the drop down bracket. I had to loosen the lines and rotate them for clearance. That was easy.  Tonight while snapping a pic I took the time to clearance the header some with a hammer (not a show car so Im not to worried about it) I got a good 1/4 " now and am happy with that area. I will redo some undercoating on that area now to clean it up some ... 

 Im wondering if you dont have your motor mounts flip flopped. maybe a good thing to check....

Thanks for that pic. Just double checked the motor mounts and they are on the correctly and the right sides. I guess I'll just have to wait for Stan over at FPA to reply. Only soloution I can think of is a lower drop bracket or one that brings the cylinder forward. I don't think I can beat that tube flat enough to get the clearance I'm missing. Thanks in advance for the trans line photos.

[bartlett]

amd I would not get to excited to hear from stan, His words will be he sold them for 20 years with no problems. something has to be wrong with your car...  Beating $900 headers with a hammer is fun ... 

   I cant think of why yours would be tighter there... 

can you get a pic of your drop down bracket and cylinder like my pic > I would like to compare locations ect ... something has to be differant. 

[amdscooter]

Sure thing.. here is the bracket. I painted mine black. Looks like the same rev. as yours.



I'll get a photo with the cylinder attached to bracket posted up tomorrow when there is some light. I turned the wheels just enough so the cylinder clears the bottom of the header tube it's hitting and ran the rod through the drop down bracket to see how much interference there is. I'm thinking if I don't hear back from Stan I might try having a local shop weld another stretch of plate to the existing drop down bracket and drill the thru hole at the bottom of it to get the clearance I need. I'm also wondering what kind of issues that might create other than perhaps a bit less total left and right wheel turn. It'll put a bit more stress on the welds with the additional length, but it's a pretty solid bracket and I'm not planning on doing any off roading by choice any time soon.

I'm thinking I might hit a local trans shop as well to see if they can fab something up for my cooler lines. Do you know if the circuit to the radiator trans cooler a high pressure setup? I would not think so as a lot of the external transmission coolers I see come with rubber hose and simple clamps. Anyway.. just thinking aloud here as these two issues are the only thing keeping me from bolting the rest up and turning the key. Everything else I need to finish the job is sitting in my garage already.

Thanks!

[bartlett]

Well Im thinking the differance is in years of our cars... mines a 68 ...must be differant there..


Ive seen lots of guys run rubber tranny lines. Just use a brake line tool to flare the end so the hose stays on and use two hose clamps on each connection . 

 the spendier way would be using an fittings......

[amdscooter]

Ya.. spose I could flare on one side and hose barb on the other. If it's low pressure that should keep it fine. I'd only have a rubber segment where I need to route the line away from the header. Still no word from Stan yet.

[amdscooter]

Shot off another email to Stan today, still have not heard from him. It dried up a bit so I ran out and took some pics.

Where it needs to be to clear:


How much clearance that amount of drop buys. If you look through the hole you can see it's still close. This is with the wheel cranked all the way to that side:


Looks like the hole needs to be about an inch lower at the center measured from the bottom of the bracket:


Can you think of any issues I might run into if I had an addition welded to that bracket to drop the hole to that level?

[bartlett]

Wow you have a issue...    My thought would first dimple the header some and make a longer adapter like you planned. I searched for fpa headers and 66 fairlane and saw others have had your problem, one guy gave up and went manual ...

    Sad we need to pay top $$ for parts we need to modify ect to get to work ....

[amdscooter]

^^^ I heard back from Stan and he recommended I check my mounts, gave me some contact information for people with similar cars to contact. I double checked my motor mounts and transmission mount and crossmember, everything looks to be installed as it should. Had a fellow member at the Fairlane club measure engine position and we're pretty close. I've also been comparing the pic you posted up with mine. That last weld just over the cylinder seems to be in about the exact same spot making me think the header is in about the same location.. yet your cylinder clears and mine wont. Odd.

I've got far too much time and $$ invested at this point to abandon power steering. I've decided for the time being to deal directly with the symptoms.... and I went large. I had an addition welded to the bracket and dropped the hole 2.25".



On the car:


Amount of clearance now.. gobs.:


The bottom of the bracket is now pretty much the lowest fixed point under the car. I need to rotate the hoses away as well. I have a new set on the shelf waiting to go on anyway so timing works out well there. Once I get everything bolted back up and back on the street if I still have not figured out what is causing the interference issue I'll probably dial that bracket into a happy medium between ground clearance and cylinder clearance. But for now I can actually move on as clearance is no longer an issue with anything but the ground. 

 

[jmlay]

With the longer bracket you will almost certainly want to weld it to the frame, I would consider a gusset to support it as well. There is allot of leverage to deal with.

[amdscooter]

^^^ Thanks for the suggestion, you are right there is a lot of leverage there. But I'm not planning on leaving it that long. I went that length to ensure absolutely no interference issues so I can finish up. I can and probably will take it back up after it's all bolted up. At that point I'll decide whether or not to have it welded to the frame.

[jmlay]

No matter how long it is on there I would brace it & weld it to the frame. The section you welded on has no support & will likely bend over, this is why the org. has  the bends in it to support it. Good luck!

[amdscooter]

Well.. she's in.. she runs.. she's loud! I stuffed the old glasspacks into the new header collectors and it was still like pit row at the drags in my driveway.

http://youtu.be/dpS2xndSuCA

The moisture in the driveway was from me forgetting to put the rad cap back on. I had left it off so I could see when the thermostat opened and forgot about it the very first time I fired it up just before this video. I have the video of me scrambling to shut it down as the rad fluid started hitting the fan as well.. but decided to post up this one instead. 

Few stills.



&



Yes.. the headers are tight as hell and I'd guesstimate it took me nearly 30 hours to get them in there. Off to the muffler shop on Monday. Still need to figure out how to re-route the transmission cooler lines as they are resting on the header. Got a piece of wood wedged in there now so no direct contact. Other than that I need to sort out the steering drop down bracket as well.. but those are minor issues as far as I'm concerned.

Thanks for all your help and suggestions guys! 

[bartlett]

Looks great ! ..... 

[ScotiaFE]

Looks Great.
I was just reading the saga again and it occurred to me you may need a different mount.
There are a few different ones.
A Galaxie mount sets the engine back like an inch in a Fairlane.
My memory is a little fuzzy on this, but it's something you may want look at.
I know your thinking D**kHead. Why did you not bring this up earlier. oops.

[amdscooter]

Looks Great.
I was just reading the saga again and it occurred to me you may need a different mount.
There are a few different ones.
A Galaxie mount sets the engine back like an inch in a Fairlane.
My memory is a little fuzzy on this, but it's something you may want look at.
I know your thinking D**kHead. Why did you not bring this up earlier. oops.

Thanks and thanks. I'll look into the galaxy if I run into space issues I cannot resolve.. but so far I think everything is manageable.

[amdscooter]

Was just thinking.. I'm probably still going to be hitting this post with a lot of newb questions as I go along. But at this point would it be better if this thread was moved to the "member projects"  forum as the scope is kinda shifting away from FE specific stuffs? Or would it be easier for me just to start a new thread?

[jayb]

I'd suggest you just start a new thread for any new technical topics, and maybe start a thread on the member projects board, and link this thread to it for background - Jay

[bartlett]

is it done ? 

[amdscooter]

is it done ? 

Done.. no. But it is moving in the right direction. Spent the last 2 days trying to get the driver side valve cover from seeping oil at the back of the head. Finally got fed up and put a bead of "right stuff" across both sides of the gasket and it seems to have fixed it. Off to the muffler shop today for 2.5"+Magnaflows to the rear bumper. After he finishes it's off to the trans shop for a c6 tune and mild shift kit. Hopefully by the end of the week I'll be able to post up a new video. Drove it around the block once yesterday, first time it's been outta the driveway in 2+ months. Everything seems fine but I had to keep it in check as some of my neighbors we're givin me the stink eye for the idle by with open headers.  I still need to decide on a final height for that drop down bracket on the PS cylinder. I also ordered a thermal wrap for the starter and the trans cooler lines where they pass about 2" from the header. They would prolly be fine.. but the $40 investment is worth the piece of mind. I'll probably end up putting a thermal skin on the PS cylinder as well.