im putting this 351w with edelbrock performer rpm heads in my mav, what headers do i use? i plan on putting a 5 spd. in it. id rather not chop shock towers.....but if i have to i guess i will.
If you will click on search (above) and do a search for 351W, you find most all the info you are looking for. I have not completed a 351W swap, but I am going to on a '72 Mav. My understanding is that regardless of exhaust - be it headers, long or shorty, or manifolds - you have to cut the shock towers to get a 351W in a Maverick. Everyone that I have seen has the towers cut back.
Tubular automotive sells a set od headers that will allow you to keep the towers stock. But the headers have only 1 1/2 inch tubes ...and the way they are mounted to the flanges makes them too restrictive for anything other than a stock ,or almost stock engine.
There have been numerious posts on this subject over the years. I have seen some Mav's with Windsors in them that the towers were not cut but it was not easy to get at the plugs etc. When we did ours we tried a mock up block and heads with Hedman headers and was just to tight a fit so we simply did the tower cut and still ended up doing some "big hammer massaging" here and there on the tubes. Ended up making a set to fit that were 1 3/4 tubes, anything smaller kind of robs the motor of it's true potential. Same goes for RPM heads on it, they will work ok but really could use the Victor series to breathe better. If you are building a mild street car then the smaller stuff will work fine, but for all out HP, bigger is better. Also the available room for plug changes etc. enters into the equation. Just amounts to what you want to do and what tools and equiptment you have available to do the work. You definately will have a torque monster either way, compared to the 302.
