Hot Rod fix or HACK Opinions please
 

Hi guy need to ask a question. My headers which are already coated and on the car are interfering with my transmission connection to the cable for the shifter. I've been thinking of all kinds of fixes, changing the range shift selector rod to a short one which the valve body has to be lowered to remove a nail which holds it in. ( Not in my range of abilities). Then having a new shift lever made, (which I'm not opposed to)

Then the question Hot Rod fix or HACK
I thought of this a while ago while dealing with my oil cooler lines. space the header out at the head, hear me out!! I could get a header flange and longer, better bolts from ARP and put the flange between the head and the original header flange with RTV or what ever would be best to seal then together and the gasket between the head and header. This would also solve my heat and space problem for the oil cooler lines.

Here is the shifter problem

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...924/oOjOW6.jpg

Here is with the header flange spaced a little over a 1/4"

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...924/C3ZOnF.jpg

Here it's about 7/16" spaced

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...922/jkrXyQ.jpg

how close the oil line were, they're tighter than they look.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...922/75Cwri.jpg

And with the header spaced out.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...922/fd8opn.jpg

What do you think? Hot Rod or Hack?

Can you flip the shifter cable bracket over so the bend in the bracket jogs away from the header rather than towards it?

No the lever has holes for three types of transmissions and of course mine is the furthest towards where the problem is, all the way to the front.

It's the top hole (in pic) on the square end which faces forward.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...924/r0VpHB.jpg

Looks to me like that is your o2 sensor bung....correct? No amount of spacing will give you the room to clear the sensor. Best thing to do is relocate the sensor to clear...and have the headers re-coated....

The oil cooler line looks fine to mew, you have heat shielding on it.....it should be good...

T,

Tom, that bung will be capped off its already move to the ther side of the header. On the hoses it is so tight we made a sheet metal shield you can feel it touch when sliding in.

How about trying to re-bend the bracket? Use a vise/hammer to straighten then make the jog the other way.

I see it now, it's the hose in the back. Can you source a 45 degree fitting to extend the front one down and at an angle to angle away from the rear one?

Something like this.... http://www.jegs.com/i/Earls/361/AT924110/10002/-1

What size are your oil lines?

As for the shifter bracket, I would take a BFH and straighten it out to give you clearance if you can do so.

T,

Tom My oil lines are -12 . where you see it is the place with the most clearance to get it to the front. I can't go below the tube because it ends up below the oil pan. I should have made the oil lines for the first 10" out of stainless or aluminum that would have made more room anmd aluminum could have been welded to the pan adapter without fittings.

1Bad68Cat
Even with the BFH it still doesn't have enough room. It would need to be offset in the opposite side 1/2"-3/4" I don't want to change the geomitry of the bracket.

Okay...got it. So, on the front fitting, is there a way you can turn it slightly outboard of the engine, and then put a 45 degree fitting on it instead of straight so it can point down slightly and run outboard alongside the rear line?

How much can you grind off the O2 bung and still get a plug in there? If you aren't comfortable bending the shifter bracket inboard, you may have to grind the bung off completely, seal the hole and re coat the headers. I would think you could bend the bracket inboard.......

T,

Can you use a shorter spacer ?? A shorter spacer would bring you in tighter to the transmission. If the shift cable will hit the trans doing this, install the cable between the header and bracket. not as it is now, between the transmission and bracket.

Tom, the top hose already has a 45 on it it come out by means of a low clearance 90 to get it heading forward the the 45 connect to that to get it close to the engine. The back hose has a long straight fitting going to a 120 degree bend to get it up where the only room around the tubes.( One tube almost touches the motor.) The kick out on the oil pans is another reason for going up on the rear hose. Recoat $850

There is no spacer on the trans shaft it is a 97-and newer design it has a long shaft'

I bent up a piece of aluminum to see if I could get enough room for it to fit. I'm going to try out of steel now.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...922/qu3z6v.jpg

Isn't that an octagonal spacer that the bolt screws into ?? Cut an inch off.

Are you talking about the 02 plug? that has an octagon head on it, I was going to try to find a plug with flat head.

sorry taking a long time to answer I'm out in garage.

No, No, I'm referring to the spacer that is attached to the transmission that the bracket is attached to. The part that attaches the bracket to the trans. In the pic it looks octagonal, almost like a rod coupling. Is there a bolt screwed into it to secure the bracket ???

Oh I see what you mean now. I just bent up a shift lever like B&M send with the shifter but I made it taller so I could bend it out of the way.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...924/5Tpotr.jpg

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...924/sqizUr.jpg

The hole I drilled is the only one I need at that end, the others are for different trans. I guess I will try to make the hole that goes over the gear range selector. I think they use hardened metal I dropped theirs and it has a sharp ring to it.
I need better tool than a jig saw and file.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...922/S0PvcV.jpg

If you see any top secret stuff in the background ignore it I took these without my glasses....

I think you're on the right path. Please don't think we ignored your initial inquiry about the header spacer, I think we all just focused on what is hopefully a simpler solution without as many potential downstream issues.

No problem It was at the urging of a buddy I tried the spacers to see if it was even possible. I think I was hoping for more nae then yea didn't feel comfortable with a header hanging from extra long bolts. If I get the last part right it could work. As for thee header close to the oil line I might get a couple of small pieces of header wrap and put it between the line and header and hold a strip on with stainless ties.

When you say the headers are coated, are they black? What's the coating? Ceramic?

No way would I use spacer on the header - that's just a continuous source of leaks and warpage.

You're on the right track with making a new bracket.... and sometimes it's a combination of relocation AND modification -- small movements.... 1/8" and a 1/4" there.


I'd modify the header collector and - if you're building a "DOOM" Ridler winner -- then recoat - if it's a driver I'd paint with heat paint (since it's under the car where it won't show). When I say modify the collector --- I'm talking about a small "C" notch for clearance.

Thanks! going to go work on the shift lever.