Headers won’t fit in 67 440 dart

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haywire05

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Trying to install the headers on my 17 year old son’s car and it’s been fighting me the whole way. This is the second k member we have gotten and painted and it still doesn’t work. What am I missing??

First 3 pics are the first k member wouldn’t clear the steering box. Last 3 pics are the second K member everything clears but went to put on the headers and now they hit the steering box and literally can’t get them on. Losing my patience. I have 3 days off work I want to get this thing on the ground.
Please help.

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I know this is a stupid question, but have you tried swapping brackets and or mounts from side to side? Are you 100% SURE you have everything on the correct sides? I know a lot of people run into that even with stock brackets and mounts sometimes. Just trying to throw something out there.
 
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RustyRatRod said:
I know this sis a stupid question, but have you tried swapping brackets and or mounts from side to side? Are you 100% SURE you have everything on the correct sides? I know a lot of people run into that even with stock brackets and mounts sometimes. Just trying to throw something out there.
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No I looked at that as well numerous times but iam burning the candle at both ends these are the directions I got with the mounts. I think I have them right. But I did notice that the motor is sitting kinda crooked on the k member. Not sure if that’s normal or not. Or maybe these are the wrong mounts ??

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Absolutely not normal for it to sit crooked. For it to sit to one SIDE (passenger's side) yes, but not crooked. I know if I had it like you where I could get RIGHT to it, I'd try every combination of swapping around I could. Schumacher?
 
Silly question- but do you have the tail end of the engine/ trans up high enough? It looks like your tail end is sitting quite low which is also throwing off your geometry.
Also is the engine too far forward? Mounts not on correctly will put the engine forward.
Measure the trans cross member center bolt (rubber lower mount bolt) to a k frame bolt hole Center line on the car (with the cross member and rubber mount installed. Then measure the same on the k frame to trans rubber mounted to the actual transmission. It should be with in 1/4” of an inch in length.
 
x2.^^^ That was the first thing I thought of when I saw the pictures, too. You'll be shocked how much clearances change when you lift the rear of the engine.
BTW, in the end the chances are almost 0% of them fitting without a couple of strategically placed dimples in the tubes. Just the way they are.
 
You're over compensating. Put the K Frame and the front suspension in the car, then mount the 440.
It takes alot of tweaking and header pinging to fit 440 2" headers into a A-Body. Get a propane torch and a heavy gauge hammer, cuz you gonna be pinging those TTIs. The member had a great point about your trans not being lined up.
Your engine must not be tilted...do whatever you have to do to level it. Build shims out of aluminum (Ace Hardware), if you have to.

Playing Mark Worman and lifting the car body onto a big block in an A-Body is not the way to go for a first time build (here comes to member outrage to that statement). All the Worman stuff you see on TV has been previously orchestrated.
And you wanna do this in a weekend.

What puzzles me is how can 2 A-Body K Frames be different?

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Syleng1 said:
Silly question- but do you have the tail end of the engine/ trans up high enough? It looks like your tail end is sitting quite low which is also throwing off your geometry.
Also is the engine too far forward? Mounts not on correctly will put the engine forward.
Measure the trans cross member center bolt (rubber lower mount bolt) to a k frame bolt hole Center line on the car (with the cross member and rubber mount installed. Then measure the same on the k frame to trans rubber mounted to the actual transmission. It should be with in 1/4” of an inch in length.
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Or pick the engine up, mount the headers, then finesse it into place on the way back down. Don't install the passenger side until you've got it sitting where you want it.

Good luck with the torsion bars.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Absolutely not normal for it to sit crooked. For it to sit to one SIDE (passenger's side) yes, but not crooked. I know if I had it like you where I could get RIGHT to it, I'd try every combination of swapping around I could. Schumacher?
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Yes Schumachers
 
Plus vertical slop in the bolts, mount to engine block. There's not enough ooh ah of a big block in an a body for me. I do wish you luck, listen to the other guys.
 
I'm curious as to why you guys are using '73 - Up Schumacher spool mount kit on a 1967 A body K frame. If you are using the actual '73 and up K Frame, you need to cut and drill the driver's side perch/mount on the K Frame. It's sitting too high. Was this a slant 6 K Frame?
 
I've never used the conversion mounts but I've seen a bunch and their installation seems a little different every time. Dont forget these cars were not exactly precision built pieces. You may quite likely have to bust out the die grinder and modify your mounts or k member.

FWIW I copied the DC k member from the BBD tech pages and used Schumacher headers to put the 440 in my 74. I thought it was a much cheaper and cleaner way to install an RB in an a body.
 
haywire05 said:
No I looked at that as well numerous times but iam burning the candle at both ends these are the directions I got with the mounts. I think I have them right. But I did notice that the motor is sitting kinda crooked on the k member. Not sure if that’s normal or not. Or maybe these are the wrong mounts ??

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I could be wrong, but by looking at the picture of your instructions they seem to be the big block spool replacement mounts for a stock big block spool type K-member. These weren't made to work on a small block spool type K-member unless the DC modification was done.
 
I can't tell which parts you are using from the picture. Maybe tell us which K frame you have and which motor mounts you are using. Are you trying to lift the engine and K frame in from the bottom while they are attached to each other? I'm not sure that will work but that is what it appears that you have bolted together.
What worked best on my Duster was to lift the engine and transmission into the car from below and then to use a transmission jack to lift the K frame into place.

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