B & C body 360 manifolds

[Professor Fate]

Looking for a solid answer on fit of this style B/C body exhaust manifold in an early A (driver's side):

I keep seeing them referenced in discussions, but early A threads keep getting polluted with later A info that does not apply, and I have never actually seen any of these in use.
The first time I put together our '66, I tried all the usual suspects; 340 manifolds, Magnums, std. later 318, etc. I did not have one of these available to test fit at the time. All were viable options with manual steering, but not with a power box (as we are all aware) and the wife wants power. Now that it's apart again, I'm reconsidering my options for the manifold- getting rid of the stock 273 manifold that I lightly ported out for the very mild 360 (better but not great). It looks like these B/C units may stand a chance of fitting, but I'm just eyeballing it right now.
I know where I can get a set of these later 360 manifolds, but I really don't want to pull the pin on them unless someone can give me a solid answer as to how they fit; manual but not power, power with a bit of work (shimming/grinding), fits with a u joint instead of the coupler, or just save your money and look elsewhere...
Don't want headers. And I know my options/clearances will improve with a Borgeson box, but would like to stick with what I have for now since I've got it dialed in nicely (shimmed/powered down where we both like it), and the budget says no for now. Can't cut back the outer column (much), it's a column shift. Pass. side already has a Magnum manifold, so I'm not worried about that.
Anybody know?

 

[Garrett Ellison]

I believe it would probably be pretty slim on it fitting. Would you care to post a pic of what you’ve got right now so we can get some idea of what it looks like in car?

 

[cudamark]

When I tried several manifold years ago on my '66, I couldn't find anything fit properly except for the stock manifold, or, 340 manifold (and that was with manual steering and having to make a custom pipe). At the time, I didn't have a P/S version to test, but, I suspect the clearance is even worse for whatever manifold you try. I have Spitfire headers on my '66 race car and they fit great, but, there again, manual steering. I never got around to trying the later Magnum manifolds. Some models are supposed to work good, but, someone else with first hand experience will have to comment on them. I guess to answer your question, I tried one like the one in your photo and couldn't figure a way of using it even with manual steering.

 

[Professor Fate]

I believe it would probably be pretty slim on it fitting. Would you care to post a pic of what you’ve got right now so we can get some idea of what it looks like in car?

The best I can do for a while, until I get it torn down further:

and it took quite a bit of contortioning to get that- this is what it currently looks like:

I never got around to trying the later Magnum manifolds. Some models are supposed to work good, but, someone else with first hand experience will have to comment on them. I guess to answer your question, I tried one like the one in your photo and couldn't figure a way of using it even with manual steering.

Like I said, the Magnums would have worked fine had I stayed with manual steering- a little shimming and a touch with the grinder- but with the power box, the column can still clear, but the manifold and box are trying to occupy the same space up front.
If you had no luck getting the B/C manifold to fit (even with manual steering), then I guess I'll stick with my modded 273 manifold. Do you recall where the interference was? At the box, or at the column? Or everywhere?

 

[cudamark]

Mainly at the box IIRC.

 

[Garrett Ellison]

I think the taper on the bottom where it picks up #3 & #5 exhaust to the rear of the B/C manifold is going to be a deal breaker for the power steering box. I'm thinking there is a truck or van (possibly motorhome) manifold that is more log shaped, but I'll have to check.

 

[Professor Fate]

Well, the guy took $20 for the manifolds, so I picked them up to try...
Sadly, like cudamark and Garrett thought, they're a no-go. Even if I relief ground them on the bottom by #3 & 5, I'd be 1/2-3/4 of an inch into the manifold before it cleared the ps box, and that's if I could figure out some kind of flatter banjo adapter to replace the flare fitting and loop in the line on top of the box.

That's too much even if I played around shimming the ds mount. Might be do-able if I ever go to a Borgeson box, but I've got other priorities ($$) right now; so the stock manifold will go back on for now and these manifolds will go on the shelf for the future.
Oh well... at least I don't have to make a new down pipe now.
Thanks guys.