Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

Technical => Engine Tech => Topic started by: 88foxt on October 11, 2006, 09:53:38 PM

Title: Long tube headers
Post by: 88foxt on October 11, 2006, 09:53:38 PM
Is any one running LT headers on their car with an aod tranny?
If so did you have any problems fitting them? My reason for asking
is I was given this BBk #1510 short catted H-pipe for use with long tubes.
I want to use it on my car but I wanted to ask about using this set up with aod tranny,  BBK's website Say's 5 spd only for it's LT's#1516. Let me tell you about my car It's an 88 TB Sport with 86 GT Stang motor in it with an aod tranny. The car has shorty headers now with no fitting issues at all. The hpipe on th car is from the stang also which was a 5spd. I know I don't have a high horsepower car but the BBK hpipe was free and the stock one on the car is a real piece. Any help would greatly be appreciated:birdsmily:
Title: Long tube headers
Post by: Thunder Chicken on October 11, 2006, 10:24:38 PM
I had BBK long tubes on my old '88 Cougar... for about four minutes. The first road test after installing them revealed a fatal flaw - every time I jumped on the gas the header hit the shift linkage and popped the car into neutral. Of course this was a column shift car (and the headers were bought for a column shift car) so your mileage may vary...
Title: Long tube headers
Post by: Nate on October 11, 2006, 10:48:18 PM
im pretty sure other companies make a long tube header that will fit better, i forget the reason bbk's wount fit tho. also, bbk's are very low hanging. iv had a couple friends with there's rubbing on everything they drive over sing them all up.
Title: Long tube headers
Post by: quicksilver on October 12, 2006, 01:09:54 AM
i have shorty headers right now, but is it worth the money to buy long tube headers?
Title: Long tube headers
Post by: Nate on October 12, 2006, 06:16:56 AM
long tube headers will give you more power and torque, not so much power, but lots more torque. then again tho, you already have the shorties, so its going to be less of a difference.  IMO unless your pulling the motor for somethin, or want to compleatly re'do your exhaust for maximum performance... i wouldnt do it.  you already have headers, you'll have to pull the motor up at least a little to get everything to fit, mess with your steering shaft and possibly have it run through the header tubes (which under load can lock the steering shaft if not clearanced properly), never be able to get to your starter again lol.
Title: Long tube headers
Post by: 88foxt on October 12, 2006, 06:10:08 PM
Thanks , Guys I Think I'm Just Going To Replace The H Pipe With One Made For Shorties.....
Title: Long tube headers
Post by: cougarman on October 12, 2006, 06:38:07 PM
if you really want to have long tubes you can buy a set of hedman lontubes for t-birds that can be used with column shift and with an aod
Title: Long tube headers
Post by: 88foxt on October 12, 2006, 10:14:17 PM
It's not that I really want long tubes, it's just my h pipe is well, P.O.S
and I was given the BBK one but it's for long tubes. My car is not column shift. Think I'll just go with new h pipe.
Title: Long tube headers
Post by: svtbird on October 19, 2006, 01:24:35 PM
so will I have a problem runnin long tubes with a t5?
Title: Long tube headers
Post by: Cobra'Bird on October 29, 2006, 10:33:53 AM
I had a set of Hedmans on my '86, and all I have to say is, you get what you paid for. Passenger side collector  kept digging into my AOD pan and making it leak. Drivers side collector ended up facing dead space about 3 inches left of the hump on the trans cross member. My car was column shift and I had no issues with linkage, or ground clearance. They were a pain to install and take back out, with engine lifted to the max still had to take off the starter and wrestle with them for a while. Never again. I've heard different issues with Hedmans from different people, so my guess it's quality control and no two headers are alike.

P.S. Long header runners  and short intake runners build high end horsepower and take away torque, so unless you're building a 6,000 RPM spinner, you have no use for them