Needing any help and opinions on my '73 Dart

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mc-g

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Hey fellas. I just got my Dart home last week and I've been doing the small things it needs to hit the road. It has a 440 crammed in it.

My big issue right now is changing header gaskets. No worries on the pass. side. The motor has studs for bolting the headers on. I have almost zero clearance between the header and the power steering box(as you can guess). Which, in turn, means im not gonna be able to slide the gaskets in between the flange and the motor. Question is, should I pull the studs and swap to header bolts to aid in this process?(slide the header out) And can I ditch this leaky steering box for a smaller manual box.....even though I don't have $500 for the compact Flaming River unit! HELLLLLP!!!! yes I'm a newbie btw.hahahhaa. Im guessing the reason why the power steering box is leaky is due to the motor pushing against it under acceleration. I can deal with the leaky unit.....but if im already in there(brake booster off and valve civers off) i want it to have the clearance it needs.

Thanks gents!!!!
Matt
 
Can you loosen the driver side engine mount and jack up the engine a bit? Might pivot it away from the box a bit. I think there was a manual box for sale on here recently. I did one BB A body with power, they will all have manual steering from now on.
 
It's so close that it makes me wonder if when you stick your foot in the accelerator, the motor flex pushes into the steering box, therefore pressure on the headers AND steering box!

So backing out the studs and switching to bolts is not a good idea either?
 
So backing out the studs and switching to bolts is not a good idea either?[/QUOTE]

I can't speak to your clearence issues, never owned or worked on a BB Abody.

As far as the gaskets are concerned, if they are notched on the two outside holes you could loosen those nuts and remove the four interior
studs. Slide the gasket in behind the flange and replace the 4 missing studs with bolts. That way you only need clearence the thickness of the gasket.
 

Attachments

i dont even have gasket thickness and all studs would have to come off to swing it out of the way to get in there enough to remover the old and put in the new

I'm thinking the steering box is coming out!
 
mc-g said:
i dont even have gasket thickness and all studs would have to come off to swing it out of the way to get in there enough to remover the old and put in the new

I'm thinking the steering box is coming out!
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that. Guess you will have to deal with the clearence issues first. Good luck to you, Rick
 

mc-g said:
It's so close that it makes me wonder if when you stick your foot in the accelerator, the motor flex pushes into the steering box, therefore pressure on the headers AND steering box!

So backing out the studs and switching to bolts is not a good idea either?
Click to expand...


Pic,s would help, the engine torque's in the other direction.
 
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