The Other 68 Dart Resto Project
Here are some pics of my weekend project. A few people have been able to adapt B-body B engine Hedman headers to fit an A body, not me. I had battled with these for a while, I dented up a set and still could not get enough clearance, the #4 head tube hit the steering box, tie rod, and the torsion bar, the #2 tube hit the steering coupler and the tie rod, and the #8 tube hit the steering shaft. No amount of denting would make it fit. It seems that my engine seems to sit in the K frame about 1/2" lower than other cars I have seen. I took a leap, ordered some j bends and some weld alignment rings. It was time to start cutting and welding.
Its hard to tell but the tube was reduced almost half hitting the torsion bar, and still interfered.
I tried to mock it up, but the steering shaft hit 3 different tubes, plus the box hit the header.
This is the mocked up steering shaft, you can see it clears all the tubes by 3/8"
Another view of the same.
Here is the final form, I had to modify all the tubes except #6, the #4 comes straight up, folows the top of the torsion bar, the cuts over just before the steering box, then curves up behind it hugging the block.
#2 had to make a dogleg around the coupler, and #8 had to be cut and clocked toward the block. All the tubes now clear the linkage, starter, steering box, and the shaft. Whew! That was 14 hours worth of test fitting, and welding.
Here are some pics of my weekend project. A few people have been able to adapt B-body B engine Hedman headers to fit an A body, not me. I had battled with these for a while, I dented up a set and still could not get enough clearance, the #4 head tube hit the steering box, tie rod, and the torsion bar, the #2 tube hit the steering coupler and the tie rod, and the #8 tube hit the steering shaft. No amount of denting would make it fit. It seems that my engine seems to sit in the K frame about 1/2" lower than other cars I have seen. I took a leap, ordered some j bends and some weld alignment rings. It was time to start cutting and welding.
Its hard to tell but the tube was reduced almost half hitting the torsion bar, and still interfered.
I tried to mock it up, but the steering shaft hit 3 different tubes, plus the box hit the header.
This is the mocked up steering shaft, you can see it clears all the tubes by 3/8"
Another view of the same.
Here is the final form, I had to modify all the tubes except #6, the #4 comes straight up, folows the top of the torsion bar, the cuts over just before the steering box, then curves up behind it hugging the block.
#2 had to make a dogleg around the coupler, and #8 had to be cut and clocked toward the block. All the tubes now clear the linkage, starter, steering box, and the shaft. Whew! That was 14 hours worth of test fitting, and welding.