351 Windsor Swap

Ah, the test fit!



That went about like some of you were probably expecting. What an experience. I still think the modest cuts I made will give the headers room to fit without a full tower shave, but the act of actually getting them in there would be a lot easier if they weren't in the way. I can get the driver's side bolted on, and with just a little bit of space between the engine and the mount it clears everything. I've done some very mild BFH'ing on the #5 and #7 tubes, a little more on the bottom of the firewall... Not much at all, and that side's fine. Problem is once I get the left header on there is no hope of getting the other one in position. Same deal on the other side. If I get the right header in position the left one needs JUST A LITTLE MORE room that I just can't give it. I've hammered that side a bit too, again nothing serious, less than the left one, and it too looks like once it's in its final spot it will fit fine. It's getting it there that sucks.

We're going to try it again tomorrow. The transmission is making it difficult to move around so I've just pulled that out and we'll see if that helps. I've got the engine on a carb plate, and I'm kinda thinking I need to see if I can get a load leveler instead so I can put the engine in at an angle instead of flat, bolt the headers on and then drop it.

Now here's a question: Can the transmission be reinstalled with the headers attached? Do the collectors hug the transmission enough that I can't do it?

Any advice? We're just laying the headers in then putting the engine down, sure could use some little tricks if anyone knows any...

 

i have always had to pull off one header to pull and install a c4 trans.

 

Oh, great. This is on a 302, right? Would you think if the headers were an inch further out on either side you might not have to do that?

 

theres a chance that will make the difference. the buldge for the start motor is the widest point. you may have to twist the trans to get by it. its worth a try.

 

Ok, so for the past two days, this...



...over and over and over.

What can I say? Apparently you don't just install a 351w in a Maverick, you must earn it.

I've learned things though. First and foremost, these headers will fit, and they don't have to be mangled to make it happen. I've had to knock the firewall in a little around the trans tunnel where the speedometer cable comes out. Not much, maybe 1/2". I believe I'm just going to plug that hole and run that cable out somewhere else anyway so it doesn't get burned. I've had to hit the lower part of the other two humps on the towers. Not where it will be visible and so far they don't look bashed in very much, but that's the spot where I need more room. Not much though. Just enough where the lower part of those two humps is about flush with the reinforcing plate, and of course that plate needs to be bent flat in that spot. The mounting bolts for the upper control arms are not in the way, but the UCA is in a spot where I need to make room.

So the next step? Shelby drop. I'll see if I can get that done tomorrow evening, or at least start on it. Then Saturday I'll cut and flatten out the lower part of the two remaining humps the the tower. I'm confident enough that will do the trick that I'll go ahead and weld Saturday too if I have time. This way I hope to make the visible parts of the shock towers look untouched.

Install- possible final install... Sunday.

Oh one more bit of good news. As for installing the transmission with the headers in place? No problem. Mocked all that up outside the car. There's plenty of room between the collectors.

 

Its a shame you didnt manage to drive it to work today, but you're close.

It's gonna be awful having to wait til Sunday aint it? If it were me I wouldnt be able to sleep. I'd be out there at 3 AM getting it done... And I've done that before. I've got very fond memories of pulling out my transmission and shortblock at 3 AM after my first build fell apart. Just couldn't leave it alone til it was done.

 

Yeah, trust me, I know what you mean. I dreamed about header clearances last night. Night before that I dreamed I put the headers, starter and transmission on the engine, slid it all in together and drove off. Night before that I just dreamed about driving the damn thing. I've been off work this week until today, and working like a slave on this car at all hours of the day and night. Got so used to the late night work that it took two caffeine pills and a 5 Hour Energy to get me out of bed and into the office today... Soon as I get home it's back into the greasemonkey clothes and resume progress. Right now the only thing holding me back is I'm simply past the point where it's a one man job, and I have to take my (much appreciated) help where and when I can get it.

 

Boy do I feel like a slacker! I just need a heater core and I can't seem to get that done to save my life. One emergency after another...

...oh, and a lot of bodywork!

Keep on kickin' it. Looks like you're making great progress!

 

Well my welds aren't the prettiest I've seen, but they look good and sturdy! Nothing a grinder can't clean up, and they won't be visible anyway...

I'm halfway through the Shelby Drop. It got late, wanted to avoid serenading the neighbors with air tools. Looks like that will take care of it though. Tomorrow, once I've got the UCA's relocated I'll get out the grinder and clean up my welds, do a little more hammering then clean up the engine bay. Sunday I plan to install it.

 

Shelby Drop completed. I finally gave in and did a very small notch on the lower part of the towers, right about at the level of the stock upper control arm bolts. I believe this will be pretty much invisible once the engine compartment is fully dressed. I hope so anyway, 'cause it sure is ugly:




In case you can't tell, I am not an experienced welder. I'm not proud at all of what I had to do to these shock towers. I believe these welds are at least good and solid though. And the visible parts of the shock towers will still look stock, which was my goal.

 

It's in. Sitting flush on the factory engine mounts, full length headers installed and not interfering with anything. What an unbelievable pain. That was a hell of a lot of frustrating work. Took two evenings and one solid day of putting the engine in, marking whatever was in the way, pulling it back out and doing whatever it took to resolve the issue. Every tube had to be hit somewhere, but none of them are dented in too bad. The steering arm hits, but only when the wheels are nearly at full lock anyway. It should be acceptable. The firewall had to go in a little bit in a couple of spots down low, and I'll probably have to relocate the speedometer cable. The bolts on the idler arm mount on the passenger side had to be ground down. I did also buzz a little bit off the steering gearbox, although in the end I'm not 100% sure that was necessary. I would've had to hit the tubes more if I didn't though. The upper control arm bolts would not have been in the way in the stock location. The humps on the tower wouldn't have been cut so low without relocating them though. That made a difference. I could see how they'd fit without the tower mods, with a good bit more hammering on the tubes. I don't think the spark plugs would be easy to reach though. Speaking of that, they were pretty easy to install. Much less difficult than the 302 with manifolds. The collectors tuck nicely, closer to the floor than the 302's with headers I've seen. I don't know if that means I'll need to make a heat shield, we'll see. Also don't know yet whether the collectors open up in a convenient spot relative to the transmission crossmember, as I haven't put the trans back in. I might not even need to use the drop bracket for my power steering! But whichever bracket I do use, the horizontal bolt that mounts it will be unable to go all the way through the frame rail. I'll have to just put it on the outside, which should be fine.



More pics later when I'm less tired.

There's a hell of a lot more to do, but none of it will be anywhere near that difficult. It's all here, it all fits, it just needs to go on. I should have most of it done this week. Maybe tomorrow night I'll put the transmission back in...

 

Are you worried about the engine shaking and knocking on things as it runs? I know I've got plenty of clearance on my car when its not running, but my headers still seem to intermittently hit something somewhere while the engine is idling, I have no clue what it is.

You got some good poly or solid engine mounts?

Also, Im going to assume you are super glad you did it, but you never want to do it again, yes?

 

Worried? No, but expecting sure. The car already shook with the 302's idle and I expect nothing less with this engine. The engine mounts feel just about solid. They might be poly, not sure.

If I'd had any idea what a b*tch this was going to be I would never have done it, so thank God for my naiveté and optimism, and my baffling, unexplainable faith in myself at performing tasks for which I do not have the skill.

 

Wait unitl you get it on the road to decide if it was worth it. After going back to a stock bottom end 5.0 I decided my stroker wasn't worth it. But I'd much rather spend the extra time and effort for some extra horsepower than spend the extra $1000 for a stroker.

 

That's pretty much how I feel about my manual swap... NEVER AGAIN... but it was worth it.