engine compartment

[ranchbird]

Been cleaning up the engine compartment and adding a few goody's, Mummert intake and valley pan, Mallory unilite tach drive distributor, alternator, aluminum radiator, and Sanderson headers.

[thessler]

Very nice, I like it.

[ranchbird]

Thank you sir, I'm sure I've offended some people using a different air cleaner and not painting the motor red. But that's ok everything I have removed or modified I kept and can be put back if so desired.

[ICON 1956]

I like it too, It's your car make it the way you like . It's smart to keep the OEM stuff you can always put it back.

[CSPIDY]

Very nice indeed. Clean and simple

[Jim G]

Nice—. Where did you get the headers and would they fit on a ‘56 Bird with power steering and power brakes—( left side stuff) Jim G

[ranchbird]

I bought the headers through summit racing, I have had these for a couple of years and just got around to putting them on. I checked there web site and they have gone up in price since I bought mine. They are very good quality with thick flanges and bolt on easy.They fit 55-57 t-birds with any option, automatic or stick. The drivers side actually wraps around the steering column and the bolt on collector angles down through the equalizer bar for the clutch on mine, it would be simpler with an automatic. Also had to tweek the dip stick tube a little bit to go between the two center pipes on the passenger side.

[harleyhoot]

I have a set of these but also have the later style power steering box. How much clearance do you have between the box and the bottom of the tubes on the header?.....mainly the center tubes cause my box is longer. Thanks for a reply

[ranchbird]

There is plenty of room around the #5 tube, #6 and 7 tube there is about 3/4" between the bottom of the tube and steering column and about a 1/4" between the collector and the side of the tubes where it wraps around the column. I think you will need to remove the exhaust manifold and test fit the header with a couple of bolts to know for sure, every car a little different. Where there's a will there's a way.

[55blacktie]

Is that a 14" air cleaner/w 2" element and drop base? Carb spacer?

[ranchbird]

Yep, 14" air cleaner with drop base and 2" element, no spacer. The Mummert aluminum intake is for the T-bird so its slightly lower than the one he makes for the cars and the carb. is bolted directly to the intake.

[ranchbird]

Here's a picture of it, haven't decided what size tires to put on yet to make sure it clears everything. We need some more pictures of peoples modified birds and check out what they have done.

[dgewe]

Wish my engine compartment looked as nice as yours! We did an FE/AOD swap 11 years ago, into our '57, D Code. We fabricated a front mount out of aluminum that bolts on to the front of the FE using the timing cover bolts. It uses the factory rubber front mount bushing and bolts to the factory front location. The side mounts are also fabricated to use the Steady Rest frame mounts. The AOD Transmission mount bolts landed just behind and outside the factory holes. We had to elongate the holes. (I generally say we, because my wife Pat, who was reluctant to do the swap, pitched in and helped after I promised there would be "no tires or engine parts sticking out and quiet as stock" as she requested.)

[ranchbird]

Very nice installation, well thought through.

[55blacktie]

Are your wheels larger than 15-inch diameter? I have 15x7 wheels/w 3.875" backspacing and 215/70r15 tires. Clearance between tires and rear fender wells looked pretty tight, so I had my new leaf springs re-arched to provide an additional 1 1/2." It might have been fine, but I decided to do the springs while I'm restoring my car.