The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Figured out how to install V8 headers with stock steering

I fought this, and everything I tried, with various headers...nothing worked. I just could not get by the stock steering box, even when shimming it over as far as it would go.

This last pair of headers are shorties from a 1986 Corvette. Smallest things I've ever seen. They came within a quarter inch of being able to bolt them up, but then THAT WAS IT. Not a millimeter further.

Then out of curiosity, I turned it upside down, like people do when they mount turbos. That way, it fit beautifully, and the stock steering box can stay in the stock location too.
It looks a little funky, but if everything is prepped really nice, or even chromed, it could look good. I'll have to use a J-bend to get the pipes back in the right direction, and probably have to go through the wheel well, but then my set up is perfect for a pair of future turbochargers if I want.

Wow, that'd be something wouldn't it? Twin turbo V8 in an AD truck.

Neat discovery!

Jim G

I have thought about that but figured if it would work someone would have already done it. Congrads. "someone". Like they say "necessity is the mother...

...And this one was a mother...

I worried a little bit about if I should install them upside down because of how hoaky it could look. But if there is a way to make them look good, I'll figure it out, that's for sure.
I'd rather have real headers than to struggle with barely enough room with a pair of log manifolds and 50 hp less.

So when you were within a quarter of an inch was that with the box shimmed over as far as it would go, or in stock position?

Cool ! glad it worked out for you,

That is a good idea, any way you can shoot a picture of your set up to us?

Yes I'll be taking pictures. They're not permanent yet. I still want to take them back off and use a die grinder to clean up the interior, then a coat of fresh high temp paint.

And yes, when they were a quarter inch away, that WAS with the steering box shimmed over as far as it would go...about 1 1/4" over. Upside down, it looks like the steering box can return to its stock position, or close to it.

I was going to someday stroke my 4-bolt 350 to a 383, but if I twin turbo it, maybe I'll leave it a 350. It's a lot easier to get low compression with less stroke and the turbos simply don't need the extra displacement to make power. If I do, it'll be a torque set up, not high end horsepower.