Thoughts/do I need to dent my new headers, new pics ?

^^^^^
I’m with you,,,,,the pitman looks to be the problem .

Why not do what the hot rod guys do,,,,,modify the pitman arm to make it fit .
They heat and reshape things all the time to make things fit .
Buy another arm and move the end to where you need it .
Another 5 degrees of bend should clear the header I think .

Tommy

No way would I heat and bend a critical steering component.

It weakens the part and could result in catastrophic failure.

The guys on here who know the right parts to use are on the right track.

Check that option first.