Pitman arm hitting shorty headers

Hi Micah, I'm looking into for you. I have a close friend with a Maverick/AOD combo with our shorties. He actually pokes his head in here every now and again. Goes by Jeremy and builds T5's. He doesn't have the headers installed yet but he promised to slip them in this Friday and let us know the outcome. My gut says that they will though since the collector pretty much exits before the bellhousing. The main obstacle might be how you choose to run you shift linkage.

Thanks. It comes natural when your career and your hobby are the same thing.

 

Jamie,
That's great. I would appreciate a heads up on potential problems. Any photos you can post would be appreciated.

Shift linkage should not be an issue. i'm using the original factory floor shifter and have omitted any linkage going to the column.

Thanks again,
Micah

 

Thanks for the response Jamie really appreciate that.

 

I'm running a AOD, none.

 

today i took on getting the header down pipe to clear on vals car. it was a ridiculous deal. with the steering all the way to the left, the pitman arm covers a third of the outlet of the header


their is only about 1.75" between the pitman arm and the bottom of the collector flange.




i used a 2" mandrel U bend that i cut up to snake around the pitman arm. i also clearanced the blow proof bell housing. it now has more clearance than any stock bell housing will offer. i had to put a tight bend off of the flange pointing towards the motor then another bend turning the pipe downward towards the rear of the car.

here is the view from the front of the car looking back at the pitman arm with it turned fully left.


here is the view from below and from the front looking back. you can see the bellhousing clearance.


this view is looking to the front of the car from behind the bellhousing. you can see the 2 piceces of mandrel bend snaking out from the pitman arm.


the collector extension they include is 2.5". to join the 2" to the 2.5 and be able to make as tight as possible was very tricky. the fact that a small 2" immediate bend has to be used to make these work makes me wonder if the end result is any better than stock manifolds.

i do have tremendous respect for jamie to have taken on getting thorely to build these headers for the maverick, but thorely didnt get them right. both sides are off. the drivers side needs the collector on them pointed more rearward so it dumps behind the pitman arm. the passenger side is not bad but it does point and the floor pan a little bit. its no big deal to put a small bend in the pipe that will connect to the collector but the fact is they still didnt get them fitting as best as possible. i would not recommend anybody buying these headers. plenty of other options for these cars with alot less fitment issues.

 

I been waiting on a good attempt and outcome.. Very good to know. Thanks.

 

you mean you're gonna put pipes on those header

 

I had been following these postings with interest as I knew my day would soon come to install my Doug Thorley Shorty Headers. Today was the day and we also have the same problem with the Pitman arm.
After reading all the posts it looks like we just have to make up a series of bends and make it clear.
I read with interest the post from Jamie Joyce from Doug Thorley Headers and today I called him to see if they had made any changes or what suggestions he might have. His answer, some fit and some need modifications. Use a J bend - 2 1/2 or smaller radius, ending with a bend on a bend. Trial and error. This is what we will do.
This post was started by vvr210 and I would like to hear from him as to how he made out with his install.

 

The exhaust system is now on the car. We also ended up using a short piece of pipe with a series of bends to clear both the pitman arm and the bell housing. We did grind a little off the bell housing also.
This is a great post started by vvr210 and I thank him and everyone who contributed to this post.
Jamie Joyce from Thorley was a great help on the phone. As a suggestion to Jamie, I think you should include an extra piece of bent pipe for both the drivers side, to clear the pitman arm and the bell housing as well as the passengers side to get the pipe away from the floor.
Everything else with these headers fit perfect.

 

Waiting for what? some of us have been using them for years now.

 

It seem's that they're all good attempts. Apparently it's the "good outcome" that is not being seen with this particular design. Bryant pretty much nailed it with his previous response.

IMO, having to grind bell-housings and cocking pipes right off the flange(aren't most header designs intended to IMPROVE flow?).. just to clear suspension pieces is simply a poor design. If I received headers that fit like this?.. they'd be going back via rma/call-tag on the company's dime that I bought them from. No if's and's or but's about it because there are plenty of other choices that actually fit better. But..that's just me expecting what was as advertised tgough and to each their own.

 

Curious....what are the other choices that fit better?

 

lol.. when it comes to these cars.. apparently anything that doesn't have the name "Thorley" on them?

 

I just put headman 88300 long tubes on mine, and I will say going from hooker6901's to the headman's is an amazing differance... They clear everything and installing the plugs was effortless to...

 

I have used various headers over the years. I found the Thorley headers the best fitting, highest quality Maverick header I have ever seen. I think with ANY header....there are fitment issues to be resolved. A competent muffler shop can easily make the exhaust pipes to fit the Thorley headers.