hi guys! im not sure who i am addressing but i had a question about the 302 conversion showcased on the home page.....the headers you used sort of resemble the hedman headers for BII/ranger swaps, are there any similaraties? i am in the middle of a swap myself, and i just bought the hedmans http://www.cardomain.com/ride/1804091
mike
5.0 headers
That would be me. I'm not sure how the headmans will fit. It's also going to depend on what motor mounts you used, engine placement, and whether or not you have a body lift.
The problem most people have is clearing the frame/crossmember on the passenger side. They end up notching the frame to make it work. I really didn't want to do that.
The kaufmann mounts and headers were the only ones I was aware of that would clear everthing without a body lift. Although, I believe you can find some stock manifolds that will clear everything. I forget what they come off of though.
My kaufmann headers look as good as the day I put them on, over 4 years ago. That's the nice thing a about the ceramic coating. It also cuts down on engine compartment heat. Also, they have a nice thick flange, which does NOT require a gasket. I only used hi temp RTV between the headers and the engine. NO Leaks, NO loose bolts! I haven't touched them since the day I installed them! I 've been very pleased with them, but you get what you pay for.
If I had to recommend something, I would say go for the stock manifolds, or pay the price for the hi-end headers. Keep in mind, that headers only add something like 3% power. Not mush of a gain considering the cost. That's like 5HP on your average 302. I mostly used headers because I knew they would fit, and well...... I wanted to have an engine with headers. Nevermind the fact I'm still running my stock BII tailpipe.
You're going to love that 5.0L! I wouldn't own anything else.
Keep us posted on your swap. I'd like to see how those headmans work.
The problem most people have is clearing the frame/crossmember on the passenger side. They end up notching the frame to make it work. I really didn't want to do that.
The kaufmann mounts and headers were the only ones I was aware of that would clear everthing without a body lift. Although, I believe you can find some stock manifolds that will clear everything. I forget what they come off of though.
My kaufmann headers look as good as the day I put them on, over 4 years ago. That's the nice thing a about the ceramic coating. It also cuts down on engine compartment heat. Also, they have a nice thick flange, which does NOT require a gasket. I only used hi temp RTV between the headers and the engine. NO Leaks, NO loose bolts! I haven't touched them since the day I installed them! I 've been very pleased with them, but you get what you pay for.
If I had to recommend something, I would say go for the stock manifolds, or pay the price for the hi-end headers. Keep in mind, that headers only add something like 3% power. Not mush of a gain considering the cost. That's like 5HP on your average 302. I mostly used headers because I knew they would fit, and well...... I wanted to have an engine with headers. Nevermind the fact I'm still running my stock BII tailpipe.
You're going to love that 5.0L! I wouldn't own anything else.
Keep us posted on your swap. I'd like to see how those headmans work.
