header problem

BULLDOZER_69 · Post by **BULLDOZER_69** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 5:24 am

i'm swapping a 360 in place of the 318 that is now in my truck (68 powerwagon). but i have a problem... the header on the driver side does not fit, it does not clear the crossmember behind the motor. it was a manual tranny at one time, now it is automatic, so the crossmember is not even being used. i thought about cutting it out, but after i looked at it this crossmember it appears to be part of rear support for the front leaf springs. what do i do? or did the person who sold me the headers, sell me car headers instead of truck headers? but then again i did have these headers on my 2wd 77 truck with a 360, but it seemed to be a struggle to get them on. if i had about an inch and a half the header would clear the crossmember. mo problems, mo problems.

MountainMoparRobin · Post by **MountainMoparRobin** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 5:59 am

The first thing that came to mind was to take it off, but you said that it was somehow a part of the leaf mount, so next I'm thinking does it bolt to the frame or riveted??? personally I would take my cutting wheel and cut what I needed out of the way or take it off completetly, or use a BFH and modify its direction

Jeffc · Post by **Jeffc** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 9:50 am

Unless you got the trany mounted "funny" that 727
should not fit right anyway with the crossmember behind the engine, if it does it will be very tight......
and you will be banging the trany on that crossmember
all the time.....
cut the member out, that is how they did it a the factory in the auto trucks 61 to 68.
Photos below in the "tech" section.

BULLDOZER_69 · Post by **BULLDOZER_69** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 11:50 am

yeah the crossmember was trimmed pretty well to get the 727 in. my main concern is if i cut the crossmember out will that cause a strength issue with the front leaf springs... screw it, i'm cutting it, there is another crossmember about a foot back from the one behind the motor (for the 727).

anyone got one of them fancy plasma cutters i can use?

Jeffc · Post by **Jeffc** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 10:50 pm

it should not be a big issue, but mopar did install
2 spaners made from angle iron were the crossmember was.
Did you see the photos?
Now on the later trucks (69 to 71) they did not install this crossmember and no extra braces, just the rear trans hagger.......