DAKOTA HEADERS IN AN A BODY Im going for it
According to a guy named Lars, the Dakota manifolds were used in the early A before the second gen A.
http://www.geocities.com/lars_an_artist/durango.html
link nolonger works :(
I saved most of it...
Installing Durango/Dakota Exhaust Manifolds
in an early A body
A bodies are sadly neglected by the aftermarket industry so it becomes necessary to create your own exhaust system or pay nearly a $1000 dollars for a set of headers. What about Spitfires you ask? If you can contact Old Harold and actually recieve a pair of his $200 tri y headers, consider yourself a minority. After trying for a full year to get a pair I gave up and seached the junk yards for a suitable replacement. Durango/Dakota manifolds were an inexpensive and relitively easy choice. When you purchase them do not let the seller up the price because it came off a 360. The manifold is the same whether it was 318 (5.2) or 360 (5.7). Late 90 units through the early 2000's are best.
Surprisingly enough these exhaust manifolds will fit with some minor tweaking in any 64-66 Dart, Valiant or Barracuda without power steering or 3 on the tree column shift.
The major considerations before attempting this modification are:
A new collector and exhaust will have to be fabricated due to the fact that the collectors are in different positions from the original 273 manifolds.
The clearance between the steering box and the center of the manifold will be tight. The steering shaft may contact as well. I had to trim and grind a little bit for good clearance.
If you have a column shift it may be necessary to consider relocating it to the floor or modifying the linkage.
The benefits are:
The collectors pipes can be up to 2 1/2" wide and still mate to the manifold.
Better exhaust flow due to the larger "log" and on the drivers side, no constrictive flattening of the collector around the starter. (I compare the stock units to trying to "poop" through a cocktail straw).
The manifold bolt pattern is the same on any 273 through 360 engine. You will need Dakota/Durango gaskets. If you have a die grinder this would be an excellent time to gasket match your exhaust ports. The ports are a little smaller than the Felpro gaskets I used. New bolts and studs will have to be purchased as the new manifold does protrude farther out.
Regarding clearance:
If you have old motor mount rubber, I recommend shimming the mounts at the K frame using fender washers or a steel plate to raise the engine slightly. This may be necessary with new mounts as well. Usually a 1/4" is sufficient. (I do not recommend more than 3/4" as the stud on the motor mount will not have enough thread showing to be safe). If it isn't raised it could contact the steering box. This is the tightest clearance. Raising the engine this slight amount will not affect the drive train geometry.
With the thicker profile the passenger exhaust may to too close to the inner fenderwell. I used a 2" diameter steel pipe as a dolly the length of the log and a heavy hammer to make a concave surface. The collectors on both units curve in toward the engine slightly so the collector pipe does not even come close.
Another concideration is the fact that the collectors angle back rather than going straight down. On the passenger side it is important the pipe does not contact the floor board firewall intersection as 40 year old jute padding under the carpet will burn easily. You may find it necessary to dimple the metal at that point slightly and extra insulation is a good idea.
An excellent start to fabricating the exhausts would be to get a larger diameter Y pipe or dual system to section up and reweld it to clear obstructions. I used a Y pipe off of a 78 Diplomat for mine. I also routed the pipe over the starter and then down. Most auto parts stores have exhaust sections that can be welded together in a miriad of configurations as well. However you will need the flanged end of the collector pipe and a like diameter clamp. The original 273 clamp assembly will work but a larger diameter clamp is recommended.
With a little ingenuity you will find there are no insurmountable problems to making this modification.
Good Luck!
According to a guy named Lars, the Dakota manifolds were used in the early A before the second gen A.
http://www.geocities.com/lars_an_artist/durango.html
link nolonger works :(
I saved most of it...
Installing Durango/Dakota Exhaust Manifolds
in an early A body
A bodies are sadly neglected by the aftermarket industry so it becomes necessary to create your own exhaust system or pay nearly a $1000 dollars for a set of headers. What about Spitfires you ask? If you can contact Old Harold and actually recieve a pair of his $200 tri y headers, consider yourself a minority. After trying for a full year to get a pair I gave up and seached the junk yards for a suitable replacement. Durango/Dakota manifolds were an inexpensive and relitively easy choice. When you purchase them do not let the seller up the price because it came off a 360. The manifold is the same whether it was 318 (5.2) or 360 (5.7). Late 90 units through the early 2000's are best.
Surprisingly enough these exhaust manifolds will fit with some minor tweaking in any 64-66 Dart, Valiant or Barracuda without power steering or 3 on the tree column shift.
The major considerations before attempting this modification are:
A new collector and exhaust will have to be fabricated due to the fact that the collectors are in different positions from the original 273 manifolds.
The clearance between the steering box and the center of the manifold will be tight. The steering shaft may contact as well. I had to trim and grind a little bit for good clearance.
If you have a column shift it may be necessary to consider relocating it to the floor or modifying the linkage.
The benefits are:
The collectors pipes can be up to 2 1/2" wide and still mate to the manifold.
Better exhaust flow due to the larger "log" and on the drivers side, no constrictive flattening of the collector around the starter. (I compare the stock units to trying to "poop" through a cocktail straw).
The manifold bolt pattern is the same on any 273 through 360 engine. You will need Dakota/Durango gaskets. If you have a die grinder this would be an excellent time to gasket match your exhaust ports. The ports are a little smaller than the Felpro gaskets I used. New bolts and studs will have to be purchased as the new manifold does protrude farther out.
Regarding clearance:
If you have old motor mount rubber, I recommend shimming the mounts at the K frame using fender washers or a steel plate to raise the engine slightly. This may be necessary with new mounts as well. Usually a 1/4" is sufficient. (I do not recommend more than 3/4" as the stud on the motor mount will not have enough thread showing to be safe). If it isn't raised it could contact the steering box. This is the tightest clearance. Raising the engine this slight amount will not affect the drive train geometry.
With the thicker profile the passenger exhaust may to too close to the inner fenderwell. I used a 2" diameter steel pipe as a dolly the length of the log and a heavy hammer to make a concave surface. The collectors on both units curve in toward the engine slightly so the collector pipe does not even come close.
Another concideration is the fact that the collectors angle back rather than going straight down. On the passenger side it is important the pipe does not contact the floor board firewall intersection as 40 year old jute padding under the carpet will burn easily. You may find it necessary to dimple the metal at that point slightly and extra insulation is a good idea.
An excellent start to fabricating the exhausts would be to get a larger diameter Y pipe or dual system to section up and reweld it to clear obstructions. I used a Y pipe off of a 78 Diplomat for mine. I also routed the pipe over the starter and then down. Most auto parts stores have exhaust sections that can be welded together in a miriad of configurations as well. However you will need the flanged end of the collector pipe and a like diameter clamp. The original 273 clamp assembly will work but a larger diameter clamp is recommended.
With a little ingenuity you will find there are no insurmountable problems to making this modification.
Good Luck!
