installing motor with headers on?

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blk00rt

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I am getting ready to install a 360 with 904 trans attached to the motor in my dart sport.
Has anyone installed the motor from the top with the headers on or should I lay them in the engine compartment and install them afterwards. The car has Power steering and the column is already in. The headers are Dougs D453s
thank you
 
Headers usually have steering linkage going through them so unless you remove tie rod ends and detach centerlink from pitman and idler arm you won't be able to.
I would just have the headers laying in the compartment blanket wrapped (so not to scratch engine bay paint) and loosely tied to the sides and then install the motor and trans.
 
4mulas said:
Headers usually have steering linkage going through them so unless you remove tie rod ends and detach centerlink from pitman and idler arm you won't be able to.
I would just have the headers laying in the compartment blanket wrapped (so not to scratch engine bay paint) and loosely tied to the sides and then install the motor and trans.
Click to expand...
the headers go above the center link
 
blk00rt said:
the headers go above the center link
Click to expand...
Still a good idea to have the headers off the motor so you can lower it into the engine compartment without them getting in the way of anything or scraping the paint of the compartment itself. Lower the motor little by little and periodically check that the headers won't cause a problem with anything. Once you're sure it will go the rest of the way in, bolt up the headers and drop the motor the rest of the way. Sure beats assuming it will go in smoothly with the headers attached, fighting with it for an hour and beating up your engine compartment only to pull it out, unbolt the headers and try again.
 
Ahh. I'm a little behind the times. Still, looking at them I would still not have them attached during install. I can see them giving grief to you just based on the shear length of them. The collectors would probably get tied up in everything they can. Lol
blk00rt said:
the headers go above the center link
Click to expand...
 
Installing with headers on is a tough proposition at best.... I would not even have thought to try.
 
I sick em in from the bottom with the headers on! Probably not OSHA approved.
download74.png
 
I can't even imagine trying that.
Maybe without torsion bars. :D
 
You won't be able to install from the top with the headers attached. Best you can do is lay them in the compartment, but even that's not the easiest thing to do as you'll have to hold them up somehow and they'll have to move more than once to clear things as the engine goes in past them.

The only way to install the engine with the headers attached is from the bottom with the K frame, just like the factory did.
 
Definitely tie them back inside the engine compartment and drop the motor in between. That's tricky enough by itself!

Jeff
 
I always lay the headers in first,take a piece a mechanics wire and tie em to the shock stud on the fenderwell...no problem.
 
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