Hedman 69010 mid-length header fit

[NC_John]

Everyone keeps raving about the fit of these headers on our trucks, but on my 350 '70 the passenger side header dumps right onto the crossmember (where the engine rear mounts attach.). The driver side fits good and clears all the shifter and clutch linkages. My engine is in the stock location but its so tight that I can't even fit the collector on the end. I'm hoping the exhaust shop will be able to cut the collector short and go right into a bend to clear but WTF? Am I the only one to have this problem?

[NC_John]

I'm the only one using these headers?

[min]

I am installing these headers on my build but have an auto so the cross member is not in the way. passenger side went right on but driver side cylinders 3 and 5 tubes are hitting the frame. nothing a little grinding won't fix.

[67c10rustbuket]

I typed a reply but it vanished. Man that ticks me off

[67c10rustbuket]

Another pic. I will go get the laptop so I don't have to throw my phone.

[67c10rustbuket]

So I assume you are calling the bellhousing x member for a 3ott on your truck the rear engine mount that is causing the interference. I see how that could be a problem, and nice looking truck by the way. after looking at where I removed the 3ott bell housing x member from i see it would be really tight and it explains a lot of the strange design. I guess they had to go up and over the x member on the pass side to avoid cooking the starter but in doing so they almost hit the floor cab seam. I wish they were more symmetrical. do you have a pic of where yours is having the interference? I know the ball and socket collector gives a lot of fudge room when piping these up. I scrapped my 3ott x member long ago so I cant test fit for comparison. I do know of several other members running the 69010 but none that have a 3ott, all have automatics.

[NC_John]

Originally Posted by 67c10rustbuket

So I assume you are calling the bellhousing x member for a 3ott on your truck the rear engine mount that is causing the interference. I see how that could be a problem, and nice looking truck by the way. after looking at where I removed the 3ott bell housing x member from i see it would be really tight and it explains a lot of the strange design. I guess they had to go up and over the x member on the pass side to avoid cooking the starter but in doing so they almost hit the floor cab seam. I wish they were more symmetrical. do you have a pic of where yours is having the interference? I know the ball and socket collector gives a lot of fudge room when piping these up. I scrapped my 3ott x member long ago so I cant test fit for comparison. I do know of several other members running the 69010 but none that have a 3ott, all have automatics.

Yes- should have clarified- mine is the 3OTT saginaw. The crossmember that the bellhousing mounts to (the "rear engine mount") is the problem. Looking at the pic of the auto install I can see why nobody else is complaining. Everybody else running them has automatics?

I'm not sure the ball and socket will give enough room to squeak by. Maybe if the collector gets really shortened up. I need the exhaust guy to see it to see if he can work with it but will have to trailer it there so I'm kind of in a spot (have to rent a trailer so I only want to do this once). I've already "clearanced" the heck out of them to clear the cpp engine mounts so returning them to summit is out of the question. I'm trying to decide if I can/should still use them or if I should call it a loss and see if I can find something else that might fit better.

I'll crawl underneath and see if I can get a decent pic tonight after work.

Next years plans include the install of a tremec 5 or 6 spd and that crossmember might go away anyway but I can't wait that long to get the exhaust done.

Thanks!

[NC_John]

Here are the pics....

Driver side top and bottom. Nice fit, lots of room between frame and headers. I had to tweak the pipe to make room for the CPP engine mount but that is not hedmans fault. Kind of disappointed this side goes under the rear engine crossmember. The pipe will have to be routed down under the crossmember and then back up tight against the floorboards.





I figured the shift and clutch linkages would be the headache but no problems on this side.

Here is the passenger side. Lots of room between the header and the frame- again, I had to tweak a pipe to get around the CPP engine mount. The problem is where the reducer is aimed and where the collector needs to go. No bueno.





Hopefully the exhaust guy will just say "no problem" but its going to be a heck of tight fit to get the collector and pipe in there. After all the chatter from Hedman saying these headers were designed to fit all configurations of our trucks, this sure seems to be piss-poor. I've got an email in to them to see whats up and why the fit is so bad on that side.

I'll update my build thread. I've not posted anything there in ages. Truck looks very different now.... Just saw that on the 28th, I'll have had her a year.

[Code510]

Did you get them to fit? Did they get around the transmission cross-member?

Thanks

[NC_John]

Originally Posted by Code510

Did you get them to fit? Did they get around the transmission cross-member?

Thanks

The exhaust shop had to cut a big notch out of the crossmember. I let them because I knew the 3 spd was temporary.

The fit well with my tremec (rear crossmember supported). Of course now I need to get the exhaust redone.....