BBK shorty on 5.0 question.

[frank336]

Hey guys, i'm in the process of changing my exhaust on my 1995 gt ! Last weekend i removed everything from the header to the catback and re-install the headers. But today i was going to install the stock H pipe back when i saw that the back of the driver side header is touching the back of the engine where the transmission is bolted. See picture.


I mean....there is enough meat on the engine to grind off a little, but am i the only one that had to do this? I know that bbk qc can be a little funky sometime. Just want to be sure.

 

[lwarrior1016]

That's tough. And pushrod selection for headers is garbage. I'd probably start with calling bbk and send them that picture. See what they say about it

 

[frank336]

Update.

I loosen the header bolt and manage to wedge a small wrench between the engine and header, i have like 1/4 inch of space and i was able to bolt the H-pipe, but still, the angle is a little off where the 2 pipes connect each other. I wrote about it to bbk, will see what they say about it.

What amazed me is that the 302 is out there since decades, and nothing has changed since like 30 years for the 302/T5 combo, why the heck are they still building some headers with that much measurment error?

 

[lwarrior1016]

Update.

I loosen the header bolt and manage to wedge a small wrench between the engine and header, i have like 1/4 inch of space and i was able to bolt the H-pipe, but still, the angle is a little off where the 2 pipes connect each other. I wrote about it to bbk, will see what they say about it.

What amazed me is that the 302 is out there since decades, and nothing has changed since like 30 years for the 302/T5 combo, why the heck are they still building some headers with that much measurment error?

View attachment 30310

You think these are bad, try installing a set of pacesetter long tube headers around an automatic transmission in these cars. It's miserable.

 

[frank336]

You think these are bad, try installing a set of pacesetter long tube headers around an automatic transmission in these cars. It's miserable.

Yeah, i heard that long tube are a pita!

 

[RAU03MACH]

i grinded mine down a little to fit i did have the same issue.

 

[302hobronco]

These aren't possibly the 351w swap headers are they?

 

[RAU03MACH]

Don't know
Do you have a part number

 

[Mustang5L5]

This is somewhere common with BBK headers. They had a QC slip-up somewhere and they were bent wrong. Apparently a batch of these were made sometime earlier this year. I saw a bunch of Fox guys complaining about the 1515 headers being bent incorrectly and having one too close to the head.

I had this SAME issue 20 YEARS AGO with BBK 1515 headers. One side was pointing into the engine.

Had to call BBK with pics and got a new set sent out to me. The guys who had issues recently did the same and got new headers. I think the excuse was the wrong bend program (351 maybe) was used on the 302 headers.

 

[frank336]

This is somewhere common with BBK headers. They had a QC slip-up somewhere and they were bent wrong. Apparently a batch of these were made sometime earlier this year. I saw a bunch of Fox guys complaining about the 1515 headers being bent incorrectly and having one too close to the head.

I had this SAME issue 20 YEARS AGO with BBK 1515 headers. One side was pointing into the engine.

Had to call BBK with pics and got a new set sent out to me. The guys who had issues recently did the same and got new headers. I think the excuse was the wrong bend program (351 maybe) was used on the 302 headers.

I have another set of headers coming next week! Can't wait to see if i'll have the same problem!

 

[Tac1]

Yikes, I'd either try adjusting them then tighten them down to see if it would get any better, if not I'd reach out to BBK and req a different set. Most likely those were not bent to spec.