Anyone running JBA 6610S stainless steel long tube headers on their manual steering 65/66 Mustang? Interested to see amount of clearance between number 5 tube and the pitman arm with steering wheel turned fully to left. Pictures would be terrific. Have a 65 with these headers and clearance between number 5 and pitman is minimal with left turn....If can't get pics, give me estimate of clearance 1/2" or whatever...
Martin ,
I have JBAs (1-3/4 long tube , don't know the #) and had to dent my #5 tube. I don't do pictures , but I can say for sure that the dent had zero affect on drag strip performance . The ET slip didn't change when the dent was added.
Randy
In my 68.
About an .060" clearance at full left turn.
The JBA "Tech Dept" said that they test fitted them on a 65 GT Convertable one of the staff owns and the pitman arm was close but did not hit.
The original set that I got from JBA disabled the car from turning left at all. Those got sent back and got refunded.
It took them year to revise the design and I can report that on my '68 there is clearance now.
It should be noted that there are minor differences in the Mustang chassis from year to year.
If you look at the current posted pictures of the Bellanger "Drag race" headers, you will notice a factory applied flat spot on the #5 or #6 tube. That was added to the design as necessary to fit into the '67 chassis.
These JBA's are not "equal length" tubes so that may be the reason they fit easier?
Even the Hooker "equal length" headers are difficult to install. Hooker themselves say that they are only worth a 5% gain over the standard unequal length, so the suggestion from me would be to ask yourself is that worth the additional difficulties involved to go equal length.
That also would be 5% on the header gain, not on the entire engine. So maybe at 7,000 rpm you might be gaining another 5hp?
"Most " headers were not built on a '65-66 with "quick steering" like Shelbys have. I'm not positive that the original triYs were because the steering arms hit them too.
Randy