I know this question has been asked a million times but here goes again. My 408 stroker is in my 71 comet gt as of yesterday. What headers are recommended and who makes them. Please give the size as well. Or do I need to have them custom made? Secondily, do I have to cut the shock towers or should I say is it recommended to do so for the sake of making it easier to change the plugs. Thank y'all very much. james comet
Hooker 6901 headers are the best fit I have had to date. I dont know the size. Guess my reason for fit is basically down to the fact I have a manual trans. Dan
6901? Aren't those the 302 headers? I wouldn't think they would fit a W. Or are those the Hooker swap headers for 65-66 Stangs with a W? I am interested in the same swap. So far I am figuring on using the 1.75" Hooker swap headers for early Stang. I hear they need a little tweaking to go in a Mav. Also, you should probably shave the towers. It is not a must, but will save your sanity if you need access to the plugs. Fwiw: Tubular makes 1.5" swap headers Heddman makes 1.5" swap headers JBA makes some 1.625" mid-lengths for 65-66 Stang W swap. I haven't heard of anyone putting this one on a Mav, but I have seen them in a Stang and they fit awesome. Gobs of room around the engine, looks like they would drop right into a Mav. Auto Krafters sells a 1.5" swap header, but it is just the Tubular set re-packed with their label. Good luck Dave Post pics!
the 6901's are 302 headers and will not work with the combo you have. i think most have the tubular. if you want to have the larger headers you probably need to do some modifications to the shock towers.
Jim comet, didn't you know the 351 block was going to be wider than the 302 before you did the job and to make a decision as to what your were going to do for exhaust? 408 through little pipe sizes is a waist. A 347 would have gotten you out of all this hassle. The Comet/Maverick engine bay is not as wide as a Mustang.
In the mid to late 70's I helped a buddy put a 351W in a Mav, it was tight and we did not mess with the shock towers at all. But we used some cast iron manifolds. Sorry, I know this is no help if only to allow for the thought that the 351 can go in these cars without shock tower trimming. Dan
Yep, saw it to Dan. Everytime the throttle was jazzed, the engine rocked in it;s mounts the iron manifolds hit the frame/shock towers. Only way to minimize that was to raise the engine and put a hood scoop on so the hood would close.
Cliff B. (Grabber71) has a 351w in his car with no shock tower cuts. He's using headers, but he had to beat them up pretty good to get them in.
Actually our engine bays are the same width as 65-66 Stangs. The place that Stang swap headers have trouble on our cars is dealing with the length of the engine compartment. Our firewalls are closer to the engine mounts. Btw: A 347 is far less powerful and durable than a 408... So IMO it's worth dinging your firewall a bit to get 1.75" Hookers in there. Dave
When the day finally comes that I put my 393/408 windsor in my car ...I will have cut the towers (welded in plates) and will be using Hooker 6208 headers (1 3/4) tubes. I think I wiil still have to do just a little tweaking to get it all in there, but I think it will be worth it.
I found these at Summit, 6901-2HKR Competion series that fit on my Edlebrock victor jr AFR heards. It has 1 and five eights primaries and the inside of the tube inlets are blended "ported." Prece is $446.95. I believe these are for the 351w. Can anyone confirm that these will work. Btw, I am not worried about cutting the towers. Thank you all again. Oh, I did post a couple of pictures of the "before" car a while ago and when car is done will post the "after" pics. james comet
6901s are Hooker 289-302 headers. They won't work on the W in our cars. Well, they won't work well... I have heard of one Mav person using them by flattening pipes and sectioning others and putting modified pipes in the place of some of the tubes. The pics looked really bad and the pipes that were sectioned in were not mandrel bent. He would have been better off with 1.5" swap headers than a butchered set of 1.625" headers with flat pipes and crimp bends. The previously mentioned 6208s are the 65-66 Stang swap headers if memory serves. They are 1.75" tubes and fit our cars, for the most part. There is a tube on the DS that hits the firewall. I have seen the tube flattened to fit or the firewall treated to a BFH to get the fit. It's your choice on which is the greater evil. On the PS, there is a pipe that rubs the subframe. Again, I have seen pics of the pipe "massaged" or the frame dented or notched. There is a company, JBA I believe, that makes a mid-length header with 1.625" tubes. Ought to fit well and serve well on a car with minimal ground clearance, if that describes you. Dave
There is an eaiser way out of this if shorties can be accepted. Look at Heddmon # 88400 or 88304 for the 64 up Mustangs. They only have to have the outlets altered to a larger angle downward about 10* to get more clearence at the firewall. That is done by cutting out an angle half way up from the bottom starting about 3/4" wide cutting to a point, bending the outlet to the required angle then welding the seem up. Custom head pipes must be bent as well as fitting the rest of the exhaust system to what is desired. All ready have this on my car.
