Engine is back in, but I don't want to talk about it.
The JBA 1 3/4" headers fit pretty decent, but I'm not sure I would want to fit them without adjustable engine mounts allowing you to move the engine from side to side.
However, if you have a non standard gearbox (I have AOD) then they may not fit. The collector turns inwards towards the gearbox, so I had to modify them to straighten up.
I've also started making the 3" exhaust. Generally speaking, I'm hating life at the moment.
The headers don't work with an AOD. It's way wider around the pan area than a C4 and the headers angle inwards and hit everything. I've spent weeks (of weekends) modifying things (including the collectors) to make it work. Last night was the shifter linkage that no longer fits, so had to fabricate a backet and weld to the pan to squeeze between the pan and headers. Still need to work out where to move the handbrake bracket to and then the exhaust should be able to go back in for good. Then I can finally get back to finishing off the engine and get it running.
Headers are off and gone to an exhaust shop for more mods. They would not clear power steering even with a drop down bracket and I'm getting the collectors moved out a bit further for some more gearbox clearance. I contacted JBA and they said that these headers were meant for manual cars ONLY.
So lesson learned, do not trust the specs on summits website!
Other than that, I buttoned up a lot of the wiring. Connected the battery and fired up the Haltech for the first time. Seemed to go well.
Some more wiring to do and get the dash sorted (some new indicator lights added) and back in. Once the headers are back, need to modify the exhaust again to fit and then it should be ready to test fire the new engine.
If the headers get all too hard then I recommend FPA in the US.
The Patriots I had for mine didn't fit the Dart heads (I'll blame Summit website too, but it does state basically standard motor fitment) and they started leaking so I forked out a cuppla thousand for their long tube versions to suit my combo.
Budda Bing they went in without scratching and basically missed everything that mattered. And used the wider bolt pattern so I can hand screw in the bolts then use a socket to tighten them. 30 minute job cut in half. And I have a lot more room to move now as all pipes go down and not across the heads.
They should be fine after being modified locally.
I already had to send another set of headers back to the states, so bringing another set over was absolutely bottom of my list of options.
Well I got the engine running, but one of the head studs was leaking coolant.
Very strange considering a dart block is meant to have blind head bolt holes.
I've removed the stud and cleaned out the hole. Waiting on a replacement stud now and I will coat it in sealer and put it back in for it to hopefully seal.
On the plus side, the engine sounded beastly while it was running.
New engine, new ECU (running Haltech now), so lots of tuning to go yet.
Hybrid, I feel your pain. I bought Hedman 88658 headers 'guaranteed to fit a 351 LHD' and had to bash the crap out of them and the shock towers. They did however clear my AOD and AODE.
Checkout my car builds - edzv8s.com
66 Convertible Bench Seat AODE 3.5 9"
Wow that's bad.
Mine fit OK at those points. It was the gearbox and power steering for me.
I would actually recommend JBA headers. You just have to make sure you get the right model.
When I contacted JBA, my headers were only meant for manual cars with no power steer.
Well it's finally alive again. What a long and drawn out story as usual.
So it turns out that the stud holes ARE blind and the coolant leak was actually a casting issue with the head. This was the stud near #2 cylinder.
On my previous engine, I had a "stud leak" on #7 cylinder, so you can see where this is going. I attempted to weld the head to fix it, but every time I re-machined the clamping surface for the head nut/washer, it would just expose a crack and leak again. I tried this at least a dozen times before I declared myself defeated. As a last resort I cracked out the JBWeld while the head was bolted down. After 3 more attempts, it finally sealed. At some stage I will buy a new bare Dart head and swap it over, but for now I'm just happy it's running again and finally the cars are back where they should be. Now I just need to spend some time tuning it and get it on the dyno.
