Early A V8 Headers/Exhaust

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I don't believe a hydraulic clutch has a Z bar. I have an A 833 with Gear Vendors overdrive.

If I had realized how much of a PIA the Z bar and header clearance issues were going to be, I'd have gone with a hydraulic clutch also!
I have two 66 valiants. One with 833 and one with a tremec (obviously no zbar). The Doug’s I put in with an 833. The zbar setup I replaced with new stuff from Brewers.
 
I have Doug's also in my '65 Barracuda with a 360. My car has the same mods as everyone else above, and seem to all be necessary. Wish I known all that before I went in. Borgeson power steering pump, Flaming River steering column adapter, clocked starter, shimmed the driver side engine mount, and American Powertrain hydro clutch setup. Lots of mods to make the headers fit, but the car drives super nice.

Unlike others I had to weld up some of the tubes on the driver's side headers to keep them from leaking. What a pain. Should have kept the 273.
Or switched to manual steering. After installing a manual steering gearbox from a salvage yard I was able to install $180.00 set of headers with zero clearance issues. 1973 DODGE DART 5.2L 318cid V8 Steering Gear | RockAuto 1973 DODGE DART 5.2L 318cid V8 Pitman Arm | RockAuto 1973 DODGE DART Summit Racing® Headers SUM-G9040
 
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So, you're saying you put the Summit headers on an early A body? What year, and what car did you put them on?
73 Dodge Dart. I've used Cyclone and I've used Summit House Brand. Both had zero clearance issues. I also said that I changed that car to manual steering. Only real issue I had with these was I don't like the way the tubes that run below the steering linkage have limited ground clearance. My MAIN point is that I do NOT understand why people are working so hard and spending so much money to retain power steering on a car that has no need for it. I liked my Dart MUCH better with manual steering. Looked better under the hood, no more header clearance problems, MUCH better steering feedback for MUCH better cornering confidence, not a lot of "Extra Muscle" required even with smaller than stock Grant steering wheel installed. When I saw that the 69 Barracuda I was looking at had no power steering or power brakes, I had no problem with that. Why ? Because my Momma taught me how to drive a car without that "EXTRA" stuff and I prefer it that way. My opinion and simply something to consider. Add up the cost of converting to manual compared to the cost of headers to clear power and I think the manual steering actually works better. The original power steering in my Dart was Luxury Car Numb. Did NOT like the lack of feedback. Manual felt MUCH better to me. Got the gearbox from a salvage yard. No idea what ratio it was. If you buy new there's two ratios to chose from.
 
Thanks Lee. This is the Early A forum (63-66), and I had hoped maybe you stumbled into some cheaper headers that will fit the early A's. 67-76 A bodies are way different, and have a lot more room for headers than the early cars. I have done exactly what you have done on a few later A bodies, and it does save room and works well. Thanks for the clarification. :thumbsup:
 
Thanks Lee. This is the Early A forum (63-66), and I had hoped maybe you stumbled into some cheaper headers that will fit the early A's. 67-76 A bodies are way different, and have a lot more room for headers than the early cars. I have done exactly what you have done on a few later A bodies, and it does save room and works well. Thanks for the clarification. :thumbsup:
Hmmm. Sorry. Didn't realize the shock towers and such were that much different. I even changed my Dart to 11" clutch which necessitated a Lakewood bell-housing and STILL cleared well. Didn't "Cook" the stock starter either.
 
I put TTI's in my 65 Barracuda, 340, 10.5 bellhousing, 4 speed, 8 3/4 rear and manual steering, after putting a set in my 67 Barracuda that were the easiest to install, best fitting headers I ever tried. The 65 wasn't so easy, but after moving fuel lines, brake lines and starter wiring, they fit very well except: had to dink one passenger side tube to clear the idler arm; had to dink one driver's side tube to clear the Z bar, even after limiting travel (have a diaphragm clutch) and switching to Brewer's clutch linkage they make for early A's with 10.5 clutch; replaced the driver's side motor mount (just the rubber) with one from a second gen A to drop the motor on that side just enough that the torsion bar no longer touched the two header tubes it ran between; and shortened the steering column jacket so the rubber cap on the end wouldn't rest against a header tube.

Still impressed at how well everything fit into this small engine compartment. Even the 340 manifolds I ran for many years took several mods to make them fit.

One reason I went with TTI's is that at the time Doug's said their headers wouldn't fit with a 10.5 inch bellhousing. I've heard since that isn't true, so can't speak to them.

Exhaust after the headers is TTI 2.5 inch X-pipe. No real problems there.

Took me quite a while to do all this, but then I also re-wired the entire car, brand new fuel and brake lines, replaced the K frame (old one was cracked), rebuilt the front suspension, and removed, cleaned and painted all the removable stuff from the motor. Plus I'm old and slow. :rolleyes:

65 barracuda motor 29.jpg
 
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Closeup of the shortened steering column jacket and the clutch linkage. Upper Z bar arm was fine, it was the lower arm that hit a header tube. You can also see the re-routed brake lines, including the side to side line I re-routed over the steering column instead of under it.

20200125_121528.jpg


And here's how I shortened the steering column jacket.

Oct 14, 2017 5 (2).jpg
 
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