It can be done. 1999 5.0 with GT40P heads in a 1970 Maverick with Hedman headers for Maverick/Comet...I'll try to find the part # for you. The passenger side had no problems: The driver side required "adjusting" the header with a torch and hammer in a couple spots and also required the use of a shorty header plug in one cylinder. We are using Accel 8mm plug wires with ceramic boots to stand up to the increased heat that headers put out. This last picture is the best one I have of the header installed after "adjustment" around #5 plug. I think the shorty plug is in cylinder #6: We also fabricated a sheet metal heat shield to protect the steering gear box from header heat: I am using the GT40P heads because they came with the $450 motor with 109K miles I bought for my project and I have read that they are the best Ford factory heads ever made for a 302 and buying a set of heads would blow my budget to hell:
Maybe in a pinch?.. but otherwise those are horsepower and torque corks! Old school factory manifolds are for bone stock factory iron from yesteryear. Good enough for cruising and putting around, I guess. Guys have had the most luck with headman shorties. Still need some plug clearance/exhaust heat workarounds but their increased flow potential is well worth the extra hassle, IMO.
Thanks for the write up. To help future readers could you give the model number on the Hedman headers? Excellent photography. MD
I used headman 88300 headers and modified them lol but before I modified them I used the explorer manifold flange as a spacer but had to flatten tubes to get them past the shock tower on the DR side still have them laying around if you want them, I'd have to weld the collectors back on them but if you want'em pay shipping and there yours
Nice work Nick. Hopefully you'll wrap the tube above that filter or run a remote filter setup! Gonna be hot hot hot! lol Hedman header choices used most often(that I've seen for these cars with gt40P cylinder heads) is 88400 shorty's with 1 1/2" primary by 2 1/2" collectors or the 88300 long tube version shown above with 1 5/8" by 3" collectors. BTW, and for anyone that cares about such things.. the shorty's afford more room with their smaller primary and collector sizing and have more appropriate collector sizing for smaller/milder motors. When it comes to average torque output(especially for smaller warmed over 302 inch street motors), long tubes are generally better than shorty's any day of the week but in this case the 3" collectors are going to hurt output below about 4,000 rpm.
Mine has the 88400 shorty's. The specs I found for Hedman 88400: Standard duty, uncoated 18 gauge mandrel bent primary tubes Factory black paint applied to uncoated headers is not high temperature and is for pre-installation protection Limited lifetime warranty Applications 1966-1970 Ford Fairlane 1962-1970 Ford Falcon 1971-1977 Ford Maverick 1964-1973 Ford Mustang 1966-1973 Mercury Comet 1967-1970 Mercury Cougar vehicle fitment information Attribute Size / Style Collector Size 2-1/2" Engine 260-302W Finish Type UNCOATED- Shipped with black coating to prevent corrosion BEFORE installation Head Flange Gasket 27340 Spring Type Hydraulic Steering System Manual Steering Type N/A Transmission Control Type Automatic Transmission Type N/R Tube Design SHORTY Tube Diameter 1-1/2" I'm not endorsing this site, they just had them for $153.00, way cheaper than any other site I found: https://www.streetsideauto.com/p/he...gDQx7Igwvkgm-SZRxPuiU6sOCXUMFTWwaAo9REALw_wcB
A little off topic, but did you connect that late model power steering pump to the original power assist ram? How does the steering feel?
Haven't connected it yet. My car looks kind of like this older picture right now. Motor on stand, transmission not built yet, windshield out, no interior, but now the doors are off too.
Oh my....well, disassembly seems to be the minimum price to pay when making something nice. I guess steering feel is a little ways down the road!
Regarding the 88400’s the Hedman catalogue had the following: 88400 uncoated 88406 HTC coating 82400 Stainless Steel 82406 Stainless Steel with HTC coating 88408 Elite series with HTC coating I believe these are all the same shorty design except the Elites are thicker steel (lower gage). Not sure what happens to the HTC coating when you have to ding it. MD
