I have the same issue all I find are P heads everyone swipes the non-P heads. In 5+ years I haven't seen a single pair.(Well I did once but it was during the cash for clunker where they destroyed the engine before setting the car out.) I don't think those headers would improve on the stock ones, there some areas where they funnel down way too much. You can see it when they're out of the vehicle: Now if you can find a set of the Ford Motorsports explorer headers for them those would be good:
I think there's a actually a pretty (almost)easy way to get GT40P heads to fit and that is using Crites headers. But then two issues pop up: One is the price, I know most of us do budget builds and we cant toss $500 to a set of headers. And two the availability with the headers. Here's why I think they'll fit. The crites tubes go almost straight down instead of immediately angling back like traditional SBF headers. If the tubes go straight down theoretically there shouldn't be a plug issue. But this is just in my head, I don't have an extra $500 to buy a set and test
Yeah I've already dealt with the exhaust. I'm tryin hard not to let this snowball into another huge and expensive project... Just want my car back, and to make it a little better in the process for motivation.
The stock manifolds are supposed to clear the splugs, if you wanted to go a cheap route. Long thread (in number of posts AND time since started), forgive me if this has already been mentioned.
No, I wouldn't want to go back to the stock manifolds. I already got a pair of long tube headers sitting on a 351w in the car now. Mufflers, pipes and everything already hung and working fine right up until I blew the engine. Ideally I would like to have bigger headers, but they're still a lot better than stock. And it's all done. The big "351w swap" and all that goes with it has already been worked out, this should just be a simple engine change. ...In other news, I think I may have found my heads!
So, as soon as I know for sure I've got these heads, I'm going to order a cam. I have a few in mind. First, the one I showed you earlier: 279TH7: http://www.compcams.com/Company/CC/cam-specs/Details.aspx?csid=891&sb=0 Then this one, which might make a bit more HP and should make more torque compared to the one above, but that may only be because of the higher lift. 1.7 rockers might change all that with the first one. XE274H: http://www.compcams.com/Company/CC/cam-specs/Details.aspx?csid=879&sb=0 Keeping in mind this car's main purpose is to be a driver, this cam looks to me like an excellent choice. Can use the valve springs I already have, and doesn't really seem to leave a lot of power on the table vs. the others either: XE268H (which is nothing like the regular 268H): http://www.compcams.com/Company/CC/cam-specs/Details.aspx?csid=878&sb=2 Similar to above, but slightly higher RPM range, a little more duration and less lift on the intake, tiny bit more of everything on the exhaust: 275DEH: http://www.compcams.com/Company/CC/cam-specs/Details.aspx?csid=888&sb=0 And this one. Just like the XE268H except it's a single pattern cam and it has the same specs on both lobes as the XE268H does on the exhaust. 280H: http://www.compcams.com/Company/CC/cam-specs/Details.aspx?csid=872&sb=2 All of these show within +/- 5 HP and TQ of each other on my simulations. Well except the first, which may have less torque but not much.
279TH7 with a 1.7 or 1.72 rocker will be a bad mutha! 275DEH will be much more tame with that 219 intake duration but I still like the 279TH7 with the rocker upgrade. You really need the extra duration on the exhaust side due to your header size limitation.
Shadow and those others who understand cam profiles better than I do... Do any of these choices have significantly more or less risk involved with regard to stress on the valvetrain, lobes and lifters, etc? Any of them seem like they wouldn't be good for a daily driver?
Got the heads! And I got them for $190. Pretty damn fair price I think. I could have done better at Pull-A-Part but I might as well be looking for unicorn wings if I thought they would be there any time soon. They're "in 100% working order" according to the guy I bought them from, but I will check them out anyway when I install the springs and valve seals. Interesting story on how I got 'em too... I went to searchtempest.com, (lets you search all Craigslist within X number of miles) and found them in Monroe, LA. My company has an office there, so I got one of my friends who works there to pick them up for me, which he just did. He happens to have a meeting to go to next week at the Jackson, MS office and he'll bring them there. I'm in Memphis, TN but I'm from Jackson, and I already planned to be down there next weekend anyway to help someone move. So I'll get 'em then. The office will be closed, but they will be waiting for me at another friend's house, who works at the Jackson office. It is nice to have good friends.
Nice! I have a set off the Explorer I bought..I've been thinking of taking them to the machine shop, but I might wait, the cars no where near putting the engine in yet.... I'll be following you're build very closely (again) I'm interested in seeing how the engine comes out..I think we have some of the same ideas..:Handshake
Careful Dave, thats not always a good idea when it comes to Drew. And good find on the heads Drew. Not a bad price and saves some time. And nice work on the logistics, you could teach UPS a thing or two.
I'm personally not wild of any flat tappet hydraulic lifter camshaft with over 230 degrees duration on the intake side for a street engine. Tuning choices, converter choice, and drive-ability becomes problematic over 230. With your possible compression I don't like the 220 degree and lower choices due to excessive cylinder pressure. None of these cams will cause any valvetrain problems. The two I selected will work quite well in a daily driver. I still like the Thumper profile with a 1.7 or 1.72 ratio rocker.
