66 Comet..Modifying shock tower for header clearance?

[poboyjo65]

In your first pic,what does that bolt hold on? I hope it isn't the control arm.
I ground a little off my steering box for clearance, even though it voided my boxes warranty, but I needed the room.But use good judgement.
the heat wont hurt the box. heat actually softens up the grease inside it so it steers easier.
I ''pinned'' my motor mounts so it would not fatigue the rubber & cause it to bump at the tight places. I was gonna do it like these;
http://www.fordmuscleforums.com/engine- ... ounts.html
but after looking at mine I had room so I didn't need to countersink ,just went thru the mid L bracket of the 3 pc type motormounts with one 1/2''bolt & locknut-(I'm not sure your 66 still has this kind of m mounts) . this will minimize the movement a lot. a pic of mine near the bottom of this page;
http://www.cometcentral.com/forum/viewt ... &start=360

Those headers don't tuck under very good, are you sure they are for your car? I wouldn't think they would be that tight with a small block .

[ironrod1966]

This engine setup is what the 5.0 mustang guys use. I thought being a larger car that it would fit my '66. WRONG! So rather than change the heads and start over I'm trying to get it to fit. If I can't make it work then I'll start over.

I did not look to see what that bolt attaches to. I'll look tomorrow.

I'm pretty sure I can pin my mounts and I won't need to countersink either.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Wes

[redhotcomet]

I know those headers were probably expensive, and you probably don't want to beat the snot out of them, but a hammer can fix a lot of things

[ironrod1966]

I know those headers were probably expensive, and you probably don't want to beat the snot out of them, but a hammer can fix a lot of things

LOL! The thought crossed my mind! I suppose a 1/4" dent the size of a 50 cent piece shouldn't be too radical.

[ironrod1966]

I found this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azPKIjxmmdU

So I'm gonna beat them until they fit! LOL

Wild!

Wes

[Groover]

That video sure seems crazy, but maybe the overall percentage of volume lost is just not that much. Crazy

[ironrod1966]

The headers weren't that expensive.... Around $300! So another reason pounding on them is not so scary.

[poboyjo65]

I see on another thread that you have headers for a later mustang. If you haven't damaged those headers yet do yourself a favor & send them back & order some to fit your car! Rocket put up a link to some that will fit. They need to fit both the body & the head. otherwise it may keep snowballing.

[ironrod1966]

Yep, already modified them.

Here are the photos of the, ummmmmmmm, modification? LOL

Just a front view....




Passenger side, no modification.




Modification (denting with a hammer ) for the steering box.




Modification for the nut on the shock tower



Wes

[Comechero65]

I would grind that uca bolt shorter and the nut thinner to match for a little extra room. I would try to get the other tube as far from the steering box as possible. All that heat so close will just heat up the box and speed up the grease drying out and getting hard. that grease gets hard under normal installation so cooking it more not a good thing.
Ron

[ironrod1966]

I would grind that uca bolt shorter and the nut thinner to match for a little extra room. I would try to get the other tube as far from the steering box as possible. All that heat so close will just heat up the box and speed up the grease drying out and getting hard. that grease gets hard under normal installation so cooking it more not a good thing.
Ron

I wondered how much a problem the heat would be. I considered a wrap or shield of some kind to protect it. I watched a video on the effectiveness of ceramic coating on headers and the result were astonding. I don't know if I can send mine out to have them coated though. Another solution could be a header wrap. For the time being I can table that until I'm ready to drive it. Currently I am only going to get it running before the winter sets in.
You comment about the grease drying made me consider that the grease in there has probably never been changed. Or possibly ever checked. Another item on the to do list. Thanks for your insight.

Wes

[Comechero65]

I wondered how much a problem the heat would be. I considered a wrap or shield of some kind to protect it. I watched a video on the effectiveness of ceramic coating on headers and the result were astonding. I don't know if I can send mine out to have them coated though. Another solution could be a header wrap. For the time being I can table that until I'm ready to drive it. Currently I am only going to get it running before the winter sets in.
You comment about the grease drying made me consider that the grease in there has probably never been changed. Or possibly ever checked. Another item on the to do list. Thanks for your insight.
Wes

Usually the grease inside the steering box gets slung to the far corners of the box then dries out so the grease doesn't even flow to where it needs to be so wear is sped up as a result. A heat shield may help but if it were me I would just cut that section that is close to the steering box, spin it around as the curve in it would get it further away and weld it back in place for the added room. You could do the same with the other tube near the uca bolt though that one is not as critical. Grinding off the end of the bolt and the nut would accomplish tghe same. The heat being that close should not be a problem. My mainfolds are about 3/16" from both shock towers but I don't worry about that as at the most it will cause the paint to discolor and peel over time. and the engine doesn't move enough on the mounts to worry about ever touching. When all mods are done then send it out to be coated.
Ron