DIY Explorer 302 Headers

[410Fortune]

You can also Run longer egr valveBolts and leave it really loose when you screw on the egr pipe and the start the pipe, tighten egr, tighten pipe this will force the final bend into the back of the tube

Only way I can get everything all
Lined up in the truck sometimes is have all connections just barely started one maybe two threads then slowly start mashing it all down

Now that looks like a proper “after all this crap I will have headers” egr tube
I think we need to hack these pcms and just delete the egr for some of these trucks lol lol

 

[97Sandbox]

Sounds like a good strategy. I'll see if I can relax the bend at all, but then probably just get the pipe fully welded and do whatever it takes to work it in afterwards.

 

[410Fortune]

So I would chop the egr side tube back here before the bend (red slash) and my sleeve would be about 1-1-5” long (rectangle) that way you have plenty of space to finagle the angles

 

[97Sandbox]

Hmmm I'll have to see if that could work. I think the angle may be a little deceiving, but you're probably right that with bigger sleeves, I could finesse it all together.

 

[97Sandbox]

Took @410Fortune suggestion and I'm glad I did (as usual).

I'll have my coworker TIG it all together next week then high temp powder coat.

 

[410Fortune]

Excellent! I way cleaner then what I gobble together hahaha

My favorite word is fabrication
Stock sucks

 

[vroomzoomboom]

My favorite word is fabrication
Stock sucks

<===

ive been saying that for years

 

[97Sandbox]

I wrestled with the passengers side header bolts for like an hour last night till I got too cold and tired. I thought I was fighting the downpipe, so today I tried a different approach and used a ratchet strap connected to an exhaust bracket and the rear sway bar to pull the whole exhaust system back. It actually worked perfectly.

I was also able to tighten all but one bolt with a ball end Allen socket. The one I couldn't access, I got to with an Allen key I cut down and a "handle" (socket and extension) slid over the end.

If you've ever felt a bolt yield, compressing the Remflex gaskets feels similar...kind of scary haha. But I know all that crush will make for a good seal.

I'm still working on finding someone to finish weld my EGR pipe. I may end up MIGging it myself.

 

[C420sailor]

That bolt yield feeling will make your stomach drop out your asshole

That sudden realization that your one hour job just turned into a six hour one

 

[410Fortune]

Looking good!

 

[97Sandbox]

I made some good progress tonight but ran into a snag. While all the plug wire lengths and heat shields I had in mind fit well around the headers, I missed the fact that a steering shaft has to go back in. Looks like my only option will be to run the #7 wire down and around the steering shaft. Too bad the wire I have is too short (all the other wires fit well where I have them).

I may just use one of my old plug wires to get the Mounty up and running. I'm not sure if using a straight boot for the #7 wire would put things in a better place.

 

[410Fortune]

What’s wrong with where it is in the picture?

 

[97Sandbox]

It's interfering with the steering shaft.

I thought about things more and I think I can swap my #7 wire for #3, use #3 for #8, and #8 for #7 so I get longer #7 and #8 wires that I can run along the frame.

I won't be able to run #3 along the firewall an behind the valve cover anymore, but I can bundle it with #1 and #2 and I think it'll be fine.

I promise to upload pictures, this musical chairs with plug wires is hard to visualize haha.

 

[410Fortune]

I Lay the wires out and I start with the longest that goes to cyl 8 second longest goes to 4 third to 7 fourth to 3 and so on

You have seen where I route them, away from headers and way around lol the steering shaft can come close but not rub… zip ties are your friend! Progress is good!

 

[97Sandbox]

Yeah, that's pretty much what I did, but now I'm changing my mind and having to shuffle things.

I went back to your pictures last night -- do you have one of the driver's side? I only saw your passenger side routing (which I'll be pretty much copying now).

 

[410Fortune]

Not on my
Phone! I will snag one this am for you

I spent so much time with headers and wires and routing and melting wires (sucks so bad! Only way to get another is order another set $120!!) that I try to show everyone how i/ we resolved all these issues so you don’t have to! Lol smart man! Changing wires on a factory 5.0’going along the valve
Covers and what not sucks so bad! Routing them away from engine makes it soooo much easier

 

[410Fortune]

Hard to get a good angle with the shock tower there but this shows you what’s happening
When I build the inner fender skirts (modify stickers to fit the fiberglass) they will be secured in place better there is at least 1” clearance on all sides of #7 (red wire) and about 1/2” from the grey boot to any metal so negates the need for a heat sock on that plug

If you notice that during the routing I do everything i can to keep any wire from crossing another, good practice ford has a tsb about not crossing 5 and 8 or something like that, with these wires I doubt there would be any issues but it is good practice none the less

Battle on!

 

[CDW6212R]

That's good wire routing, tough to do with all those parts. That's another reason for better headers, I want the pipes away from the plugs as far as possible, routed all straight out or down, never up if possible. I dream of the COP system with the short wires going straight off the valve covers, to the plugs.

 

[97Sandbox]

Thanks for posting those pics! That looks like what I was thinking I have to do to stay away from the steering shaft and 6/7 primaries. I'll keep the aluminum shields on mine just because I'm paranoid, but routing the wires away from the block/valve cover seems like the best approach.

 

[97Sandbox]

Got my plug wires routed today. I don't love the cylinder 7/8 routing, but I don't think I'll have any issues with burning wires.

In the end, I reused all the original plug wire brackets, but in different spots and I mixed and matched the plug wire boot heat shields too.