Another early a header question

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salinasjoel

salinasjoel

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I was looking for some info on the fit for 340 or magnum truck exhaust manifold and was told they will not fit an early 273. I was hoping to not have to use headers but seeing as I have power steering it looks like I can't get headers either. Anyone with more experience on early a's care to give me some advice?
 
I have tried three different sets of manifolds in my 65 barracuda. 340 manifolds and a couple different sets of A body and E body manifolds, everything hits the steering. You are limited to the choked 273 drivers manifold or Doug's or TTI headers. I went with Doug's.
 
Other members have gotten Magnum mannifold to work and they flow much better the stock 273's. The man issue is the steering colum. Some have raised the motor mounting, some have relocated the the steering, some have grinded on the mannifold, or a bit of all of the above. I don't think headers will work with power steering but it shouldn't be an issue with the Magnums because they exit out the the rear far away from the steering box.

I plan to use the Magnum Mannifolds on my 65 Cuda I'm restoring and whenever I get to that to point I'll let you all know how it went.

One thing I can say is to be very careful when grinding on them, I found out the hard way that they're pretty thin walled:D
 
My friend has 340 manifolds on his 64 Barracuda with manual steering. All he had to do was cut off the stock coupler and have a flaming river u-joint welded on in it's place. This is with Schumacher mounts.
 
Magnum logs extend exactly 1 inch below block/head part line and 3 inches out below 3-5 ports for your info. Ditch power steering, you dont need it. Get a manual box and coupler off a truck/van.

P1010002.jpg
 
65Valiant310 said:
What do the truclk/van couplers look like?
Click to expand...

coupler.jpg


supposed to be longer than the car model and that makes it able to extend the auto column to manual length and reach the manual steering box. I never used them but a few people say they work as well as the >$150 flaming river chunk of steel. Or you can buy a manual steering shaft like I did or even weld one up like I did originally before I ran into a manual shaft for next to nothing..shipped!
 
Magnum manifolds will fit in a early A with manual steering IF you have the gasket surface milled .200". I run them on my 65 with a 318 and they make it run way better than the old style manis.

I also run the flaming river coupler, albeit with an aftermarket double-D style column.
 
TheCraigMachine said:
Magnum manifolds will fit in a early A with manual steering IF you have the gasket surface milled .200". I run them on my 65 with a 318 and they make it run way better than the old style manis.

I also run the flaming river coupler, albeit with an aftermarket double-D style column.
Click to expand...

So did you have to still use a coupling with the stock steering column after you shaved the manifold?
 
thanks pishta. TheCraigmachine- got any pictures of your engine bay on both sides so we can see how they look installed?

thanks
 
i used a 74 valiant 360 manifold on the drivers side of my 66, manual steering, with a sweet mfg stainless steering coupler, i machined my steering column for the double-d type end, after i cut off 3/4 of an inch to accommodate the longer joint. clears by 1/4 of an inch with schumacher mounts.
 
When I was drag racing my 66 cuda and now with my 65 formula s both 318 engines I utilize regular 318 exhaust manifolds with dual exhaust set up. 1.5 inch pipes with good flowing, not too loud mufflers. Reality is unless you are bulding a motor that goes super fast you do not need headers! I went through this when drag racing and building motor for the 66 cuda. I was running in the 12's over 100 mph in 1/4 mile with simple dual exhaust and had room for even quicker times as the car was getting improved! As you do head work the car will put out the exhaust very well through the regular set up and one can smooth them out to get better flow also! Fitting headers into an early abody is not easy or simple without cutting up body or making a mess so why do it when you do not really need it! Keep it simple and you will run good and look good and also fool people as to hoe fast the car really is!!! I love to pull up to a mustang and blow its doors off!!!! Morar or No Car!!! LOL

65Cudalover!
 
65cudalover said:
When I was drag racing my 66 cuda and now with my 65 formula s both 318 engines I utilize regular 318 exhaust manifolds with dual exhaust set up. 1.5 inch pipes with good flowing, not too loud mufflers. Reality is unless you are bulding a motor that goes super fast you do not need headers! I went through this when drag racing and building motor for the 66 cuda. I was running in the 12's over 100 mph in 1/4 mile with simple dual exhaust and had room for even quicker times as the car was getting improved! As you do head work the car will put out the exhaust very well through the regular set up and one can smooth them out to get better flow also! Fitting headers into an early abody is not easy or simple without cutting up body or making a mess so why do it when you do not really need it! Keep it simple and you will run good and look good and also fool people as to hoe fast the car really is!!! I love to pull up to a mustang and blow its doors off!!!! Morar or No Car!!! LOL

65Cudalover!
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fact is 273 logs are very restrictive . Exhaust upgrades are one of the major upgrades for this motor. Headers make a huge difference on an early 273, depends on what you want to accomplish. Spitfires work fine with my little motor. Anything more serious would require fenderwell headers etc.
 

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65Valiant310 said:
thanks pishta. TheCraigmachine- got any pictures of your engine bay on both sides so we can see how they look installed?

thanks
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As of right now, I do not have any pics of the installation. The car is still apart from having to build a new motor after wiping out a main on my old one. I hope to have it back on the road in the next couple of weeks however. That being said, I have seen pictures of fellow fabo members use the maggies with the early short style steering coupler. I have also seen some where people have simply cut down the lengnth of the later, longer style coupler to give the clearance. Either way, if you dont want to run headers, the magnum manis are the best/only option for any type of performance usage. The factory manifolds are just far too resrtictive to make any type of real power with.
 
TheCraigMachine said:
Magnum manifolds will fit in a early A with manual steering IF you have the gasket surface milled .200". I run them on my 65 with a 318 and they make it run way better than the old style manis.

I also run the flaming river coupler, albeit with an aftermarket double-D style column.
Click to expand...

When you are stating "Magnum manifolds", what years/applications are you referring from?

I'm assuming the .200" is only on one side..

And what is the need for the flaming river coupler?


In another thread, I saw where a manifold was used but there was mention of shimming up a motor mount for clearance gain, but iirc the rubber seal? at end of steering column suffers...dunno what the fix was.


I have a '65 cuda w/273 auto/console floor shift, and am working on a 318 to transplant, considering heavily on going to an "upgrade" with "Magnum" manifolds, away from my restrictive factories, just trying to plan ahead..to what will fit (the first time) and allow for contingencies .

What do y'all think..??

Thanks for the great ideas/pictures
 
TheCraigMachine said:
Magnum manifolds will fit in a early A with manual steering IF you have the gasket surface milled .200".
Click to expand...

I went to a machine shop to have it milled but they said it would be too hard to do. Did you have any trouble getting yours machined
 
mid 90s to early 00s Ram or Durango 5.9 manifolds will work fine. I have them on my cuda.
 
eestatic said:
When you are stating "Magnum manifolds", what years/applications are you referring from?

I'm assuming the .200" is only on one side..

And what is the need for the flaming river coupler?


In another thread, I saw where a manifold was used but there was mention of shimming up a motor mount for clearance gain, but iirc the rubber seal? at end of steering column suffers...dunno what the fix was.


I have a '65 cuda w/273 auto/console floor shift, and am working on a 318 to transplant, considering heavily on going to an "upgrade" with "Magnum" manifolds, away from my restrictive factories, just trying to plan ahead..to what will fit (the first time) and allow for contingencies .

What do y'all think..??

Thanks for the great ideas/pictures
Click to expand...

Yes, .200" off the drivers side only. Most machine shops wont be able to mill it unless you clamp it to a jig of some sorts. I had to find an industrial machine shop with a big table lathe, and even then I still had to clamp it to a big piece of plate steel, using welded studs and strap iron to clamp it to the plate.

The reason for the flaming river coupler is because I am running an aftermarket steering column that uses a "double D" shaft setup, so I had to use the universal joint with splines on one side and double d on the other side.

If you are running the original 65 column shifted steering column, and intend to KEEP it, you're pretty much SOL on the magnum manifold swap. Theres just not enough room with that bigass cable shifter mechanism hanging off the bottom of the column (correct me if Im wrong here). Thats the major reason I decided to aftermarket with the column.

So when you look at the big picture after all the trouble I had to go thru just to run cast iron manifolds on an early A, my best advice to anyone wanting to run anything OTHER THAN STOCK MANIFOLDS, is to just go ahead and run fenderwell headers. I just dont see any other practical way around it!

Oh and one more thing: If you have power steering, forget any notion of running the magnum manis!

I may be able to take pics tomorrow afternoon of the setup, since I just got the car back together over the weekend.
 
here ya go
 

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TheCraigMachine said:
Yes, .200" off the drivers side only. Most machine shops wont be able to mill it unless you clamp it to a jig of some sorts. I had to find an industrial machine shop with a big table lathe, and even then I still had to clamp it to a big piece of plate steel, using welded studs and strap iron to clamp it to the plate.

The reason for the flaming river coupler is because I am running an aftermarket steering column that uses a "double D" shaft setup, so I had to use the universal joint with splines on one side and double d on the other side.

If you are running the original 65 column shifted steering column, and intend to KEEP it, you're pretty much SOL on the magnum manifold swap. Theres just not enough room with that bigass cable shifter mechanism hanging off the bottom of the column (correct me if Im wrong here). Thats the major reason I decided to aftermarket with the column.

So when you look at the big picture after all the trouble I had to go thru just to run cast iron manifolds on an early A, my best advice to anyone wanting to run anything OTHER THAN STOCK MANIFOLDS, is to just go ahead and run fenderwell headers. I just dont see any other practical way around it!

Oh and one more thing: If you have power steering, forget any notion of running the magnum manis!

I may be able to take pics tomorrow afternoon of the setup, since I just got the car back together over the weekend.
Click to expand...


If you are running the original 65 column shifted steering column, and intend to KEEP it, you're pretty much SOL on the magnum manifold swap. Theres just not enough room with that bigass cable shifter mechanism hanging off the bottom of the column (correct me if Im wrong here).
Click to expand...

My 1965 'Cuda has a 273 w/manual steering and floor/console shifting...don't have a cable mechanism at end of steering column.. would the steering coupler as is be an interference with '93 Dakota manifolds?

Also I see mention of " SCHUMACHER Motor Mounts", what is specific about those?

Whilst perusing a local bone yard today I did find a 1993 Dakota/Manifolds...:0

Thanks
 
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