Header advice for 68 coronet with 440 source heads and power steering

Trying to install a set of 78036 Hedman headers on my Coronet, and of course headers don't ever just bolt up. Motor mounts are new (Mancini mag mount set). The #3 tube is touching the power steering box before the flange is even close to flush. Before I start wailing on these brand new headers (which Hedman assured me would work with power steering), wanted to see if anyone has suggestions of something else I might have wrong or a way to solve the issue. I've got an email out to 440source, I thought the location and angle of the exhaust ports was stock but starting to wonder.

Thanks,
Robbie

I suggest TTI headers. If hedman assured you they’d fit, get your money back

Have you tried loosening the motor mounts and shifting the motor to the right side? Might help.
Mike

493 Mike said:

Have you tried loosening the motor mounts and shifting the motor to the right side? Might help.
Mike

Click to expand...

Found the factory motor position info on the TTI website, going to verify that tomorrow to see if it's out of whack. Was a battle just to get the freakin
bolts in to the motor mounts, not sure how much I can move it but certainly worth a shot. Thanks for the suggestion.

If you don't want to shell out the dough for TTIs, the Dougs I put on my 68 (with power steering) fit like a glove. I just had to tap a tiny indentation on the pipe over the oil filter.

I went with Schumacher tri y shortie headers on my 68 coronet. It has a 383 and power steering. I didn"t have to dent any tubes, oval out any holes, remove the starter, or even jack up the motor. They have great clearance for the plug wires too. I had them on in less than 20 minutes. Love 'em !

I don’t mean this bad, but the Hedmanns don’t leave any room for error. Ask me how I know.

Checked my engine position against the TTI website specs (http://www.ttiexhaust.com/Footnotes/FN_39.htm), while mine sits a little high (guessing since there is less weight on motor mounts right now) it seems to be roughly correct. For 68 b-body with RB, they spec center of crank to K-frame as 5-1/4", I'm sitting a little over a 1/4" higher which I think is working in my favor. Side to side they spec as 1-1/4", where as I am 1-1/8". That 1/8" difference side to side is closer to the drivers side, but my K-frame is probably off that much, and moving that won't help clearing the power steering pump since its attached to the K-frame not the body. I haven't tried loosening the power steering pump and trying to move it.

I also have a set of factory heads that I compared the exhaust "face" angle relative to the block face and the stealth heads are a perfect match. I just don't think the damn things fit. Looking at the #3 tube, it looks to me that it should have been bent at a tighter radius and then maybe I could get by with a minor whack. But as it stands my back of the napkin math looks like I'd have to beat it half closed to make up the angle from top to bottom on the flange.

Bottom line, starting to feel like I should have sprung for the TTIs. When I pulled the header back out this AM, apparently even though it was loose and protected, this little "tit" on the side of the power steering pump scratched the crap out of it when the motor mount slid in to place.

I guess Monday I'll take it up with the guy at Hedman who assured me this wouldn't be a problem. Assuming I can get my money back from Summit (of course its taken me a couple months to get around to this) I'll have to look at the TTIs, Dougs and the tri-ys others have suggested. I've got to stop buying stuff on sale and then letting it sit for weeks.

Thanks for the support folks, much appreciated.

Took Mike's advice and used a ratchet strap to the strut to pull the engine over to the passenger side while putting in the driver side mount bolt, which is actually a handy trick for getting the bolt in easily. That moved it over to the factory spec.



That plus filing the bump off the power steering box seems to have gotten it down to where I think about a 1/4" indentation will buy me about 1/8" of clearance. This is what it looks like with the pipe up against the steering box:



There's only about 50 thousandths difference between top and bottom of the flange now. While it's disappointing to have to take a hammer to it, my budget (and spending clearance from the wife) is such that I'm motivated to make these work. Going to take it up with Hedman just in case, but if they don't think there's an issue with the one I have then I guess it's whacking it with a fat wooden dowel / big f'ing hammer.

Well, contacted Hedman and they actually sent me a new version of the drivers side header, and it does fit a lot better. Barely contacting the torsion bar (1.03s) but I don't think it will take much to get a little clearance. Still need to check spark plug clearance and mini starter. If you are considering the Hedman headers, I would suggest verifying that they are the new version (they are actually stamped 78536). As always, thanks for everyones help. Next step, just ordered "Summit Racing SUM-680141 - Summit Racing® Header-Back Dual Exhaust Systems", will report back how that goes.