early A-BODY 1-5/8" x 1-3/4" SMALL BLOCK STEP HEADERS
Number 3 tube isn't as close to the firewall as it looks like in post #1. Plenty of clearance between that tube and the firewall.
Wire harness down to starter should be moved.
Firewall brake line should be re-routed to go over the steering column (I used a repop firewall brake line for a 69 Barracuda).
Cable from battery to starter should be re-routed to go down to the frame and then back to the starter (clamp it to the frame in a couple of places).
M/C lines need to be fabricated and re-routed to hug the inner fenders. Combination valve (on the frame) needs to be moved 2-3 inches to the rear so it won't butt up against a header tube (so the front to rear brake line needs to be shortened and a new double flare put on its end). New line fabricated to driver's side caliper.
If you have an end cap on the steering column housing, it will butt up against one header tube. I shortened my housing as much as it would go and still clear the firewall. The rubber end cap is still a bit close to a (different) header tube, but it does have some clearance.
I had to replace my home-brew 340 clutch linkage with Brewer stuff designed specifically for early A with 340 10.5 inch clutch. The lower bar of the Z bar still hit one header tube. Since my diaphragm clutch had more travel than I needed, I pulled the under dash pedal bracket and welded a steel rod under the clutch stop. Lower bar of Z bar still touched the header tube, so I took a BFH hammer to the tube and now it cleared.
With .89 big block torsion bars, the driver's side bar, which feeds through two tubes just touched or almost touched those two tubes. I substituted a later A body rubber mount for the original 273 mount, as it was maybe 3/8 inch thinner. That dropped the motor down just enough that the bar now clears the header tubes enough that they don't rattle against the T bar.
The idler arm hit one of the passenger side tubes. BFH took care of that.
Moved the fuel line a bit and used new clamps to hold them in place away from the header tubes.
I bought an oil filter adapter off ebay that had the small-head bolt. Took the bolt for myself, then put the adapter on ebay with the large-head bolt for what I had paid for the adapter. Free bolt.
I think that's about it. The 2.5 inch exhaust needed a bit of finagling to fit, too, mostly getting the tailpipes in just the right position so they didn't rattle against the shock absorbers. Also, I already had dual exhaust on it with 69 Barracuda chrome tips and I wanted to keep them. I ended up cutting the TTI tailpipes a foot or so from the end, cutting my old (Walker replacement factory Duster 340 tailpipes) and then slipping the ends into the TTI pipes. Probably a bit more restrictive than running 2.5 inch pipes to the end, but they look good.
Number 3 tube isn't as close to the firewall as it looks like in post #1. Plenty of clearance between that tube and the firewall.
Wire harness down to starter should be moved.
Firewall brake line should be re-routed to go over the steering column (I used a repop firewall brake line for a 69 Barracuda).
Cable from battery to starter should be re-routed to go down to the frame and then back to the starter (clamp it to the frame in a couple of places).
M/C lines need to be fabricated and re-routed to hug the inner fenders. Combination valve (on the frame) needs to be moved 2-3 inches to the rear so it won't butt up against a header tube (so the front to rear brake line needs to be shortened and a new double flare put on its end). New line fabricated to driver's side caliper.
If you have an end cap on the steering column housing, it will butt up against one header tube. I shortened my housing as much as it would go and still clear the firewall. The rubber end cap is still a bit close to a (different) header tube, but it does have some clearance.
I had to replace my home-brew 340 clutch linkage with Brewer stuff designed specifically for early A with 340 10.5 inch clutch. The lower bar of the Z bar still hit one header tube. Since my diaphragm clutch had more travel than I needed, I pulled the under dash pedal bracket and welded a steel rod under the clutch stop. Lower bar of Z bar still touched the header tube, so I took a BFH hammer to the tube and now it cleared.
With .89 big block torsion bars, the driver's side bar, which feeds through two tubes just touched or almost touched those two tubes. I substituted a later A body rubber mount for the original 273 mount, as it was maybe 3/8 inch thinner. That dropped the motor down just enough that the bar now clears the header tubes enough that they don't rattle against the T bar.
The idler arm hit one of the passenger side tubes. BFH took care of that.
Moved the fuel line a bit and used new clamps to hold them in place away from the header tubes.
I bought an oil filter adapter off ebay that had the small-head bolt. Took the bolt for myself, then put the adapter on ebay with the large-head bolt for what I had paid for the adapter. Free bolt.
I think that's about it. The 2.5 inch exhaust needed a bit of finagling to fit, too, mostly getting the tailpipes in just the right position so they didn't rattle against the shock absorbers. Also, I already had dual exhaust on it with 69 Barracuda chrome tips and I wanted to keep them. I ended up cutting the TTI tailpipes a foot or so from the end, cutting my old (Walker replacement factory Duster 340 tailpipes) and then slipping the ends into the TTI pipes. Probably a bit more restrictive than running 2.5 inch pipes to the end, but they look good.
