headers

scfix92 said:
now call me stupid but why cant we use headers from a 3.8 mustang I am just curious.

Well, as you will find in about a million previous posts, the driver's side header is the problem, due to the fact that the steering shaft is in the way. I have read that the stock scoupe manifolds can be ported to flow as well as the mustang stock headers. I am not sure I beleive this, but it is what I heard. I decided that they were both restrictive and went with a set of 1995 mac shorty headers - 1 5/8" primaries and a 3" collector......major modifications. I heard that the 2001 mac shorties are easier, but you have to beat the crap out of the collector to get MINIMAL clearance for the shaft. If you are not looking for alot of power, stick with the ported ones.

John
 
keisers1001 said:
Well, as you will find in about a million previous posts, the driver's side header is the problem, due to the fact that the steering shaft is in the way. I have read that the stock scoupe manifolds can be ported to flow as well as the mustang stock headers. I am not sure I beleive this, but it is what I heard. I decided that they were both restrictive and went with a set of 1995 mac shorty headers - 1 5/8" primaries and a 3" collector......major modifications. I heard that the 2001 mac shorties are easier, but you have to beat the crap out of the collector to get MINIMAL clearance for the shaft. If you are not looking for alot of power, stick with the ported ones.

John
What did you have to do to the 95's to get them to work?
 
lukeo said:
What did you have to do to the 95's to get them to work?

I should have taken some better pictures before I put the engine in, but I will try to describe what I did. First I beat the crap out of the area where the steering shaft passed by...this was not enough for clearance. Then I had to flip the header upside down and make a hacksaw cut on the underside of the primaries (near the flange) about 3/4" of the way through the tubes, Then bend the header inward toward the block. I repeated this numerous times until the header was almost touching the block, the welded the seams. Then I had to put an indentation on the middle primary so that the dipstick would clear. Then I cut off the oulet flange and welded an extension (had to do this twice because the outlet flange was too close to the transmission bellhousing flange...ugly mistake). I then decided to wrap the sections of the header that the IC tube passed by so that it would not pick up so much heat. I would have just purchased a set of kooks, but the collector is 2.5" diameter, and they cost 600 dollars. This was a pain in the ***, but I was determined to make these work.
 

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I did a pair of manifolds that I plan on putting on my second SC. If you have a die grinder and a bit of patience you can do your own. I might be able to take more material off of these but you get the idea.



The modified header above looks great. Nice Work. :)
 

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Last edited:
mustang long tubes

Here's some pictures from my Mustang MAC 3.8 long tube header conversion.

This is how they started

v6headers.jpg


As you can see, most of the modds were on the driver side to clear the steering shaft.

headers%20vs%20steering.jpg


headers%20vs%20steering2.jpg


headers1.jpg




This is AFTER the conversion on the driver side.

headers2.jpg


modifiedheader.jpg




The passenger side just needed to be dented a little because of this interferance with the starter. I did grind on my bellhousing a little bit for other clearances.

headers3.jpg
 
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