LS Fox Mustang guys with Kooks headers come in
05-03-2009, 01:20 AM
#21
On The Tree
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While I haven't used the AJE/Kooks combo - I have seen several and something doesn't look right here. I agree with quick88 about the rack as well. Do not move the rack around to make the headers clear... thats just dumb.
From that last pick it looks like your motor sits too high or maybe is tilted too far forward or in other words the crank pulley needs to go up and the trans crossmember down. Not there so not sure but it sure seems to me that the crossmember may be the problem here. Those angles just look wrong. Is the trans bolted up on the mount and bolted to the crossmember?
Regardless of which k-member or headers you are using, the collector should not be anywhere near as close to the floor pan as those. At least from the angle those pictures were taken....
I have been into Mustangs for much longer than I have the new GM cars and motors so I know what quality pieces are out there as far as K members go... The AJE just frankly looks like a drag race k-member and the way it is layed out id not suitable for my liking. A-arm mounting tabs/design dont look to good either in my humble opinion - a friend of mine has one of their k-members with same design and it is constantly chewing up the bushings in the A-arms. If you're not too deep into the parts I would sell and buy a good quality k-member and then fab some headers up or have them fabbed up. This is the route I took and I have zero regret. Everything was built around my car for my car.
I know thats not what you wanna hear at this point but hey... it's only my opinion. Could always buy a K-member and throw some flipped manifolds on it... lil boost never hurt anyone!
Also, my steering shaft was basically a modified 4 cyl mustang shaft, I cut and lengthened it using some tube stock, it fit great with the factory knuckle at the firewall side and they aren't the smallest thing to start with. Seems to me the headers/motor are too close to the firewall by a touch. How is the clearance at back of heads and firewall?
Where are you located - what state?
From that last pick it looks like your motor sits too high or maybe is tilted too far forward or in other words the crank pulley needs to go up and the trans crossmember down. Not there so not sure but it sure seems to me that the crossmember may be the problem here. Those angles just look wrong. Is the trans bolted up on the mount and bolted to the crossmember?
Regardless of which k-member or headers you are using, the collector should not be anywhere near as close to the floor pan as those. At least from the angle those pictures were taken....
I have been into Mustangs for much longer than I have the new GM cars and motors so I know what quality pieces are out there as far as K members go... The AJE just frankly looks like a drag race k-member and the way it is layed out id not suitable for my liking. A-arm mounting tabs/design dont look to good either in my humble opinion - a friend of mine has one of their k-members with same design and it is constantly chewing up the bushings in the A-arms. If you're not too deep into the parts I would sell and buy a good quality k-member and then fab some headers up or have them fabbed up. This is the route I took and I have zero regret. Everything was built around my car for my car.
I know thats not what you wanna hear at this point but hey... it's only my opinion. Could always buy a K-member and throw some flipped manifolds on it... lil boost never hurt anyone!
Also, my steering shaft was basically a modified 4 cyl mustang shaft, I cut and lengthened it using some tube stock, it fit great with the factory knuckle at the firewall side and they aren't the smallest thing to start with. Seems to me the headers/motor are too close to the firewall by a touch. How is the clearance at back of heads and firewall?
Where are you located - what state?
05-04-2009, 08:39 AM
#22
On The Tree
I have similar feelings about the AJE k-member. Does not look durable at all to me. We modified a 5.0 tubular k that we already had in the car (my brothers car for the record)and I am glad we did not order the AJE. As far as the collector/tranny mount issues you are having, I don't think it is as bad as you think. My brother called me and told me the same thing and then went to cutting out the stock tranny mount brackets. (we had already welded in new brackets further back). I went and checked my car which has a 5.0 and longtubes. The collector spacing is different by about 1 inch and a half on center. The biggest difference with the KOOKS headers looks like the collector length. They give you plenty to work with but it looks like you can cut them back significantly before welding a flange on and give yourself plenty of room to make the transition to fit in the cutouts of the crossmember (if you have them). In my 5.0 car the collector on the drivers side points straight at the tranny mount and the mid pipe is angled to bring the exhaust to the notches in the stock tranny mount. Also, I don't know if it matters or not but we have the flaming river steering shaft and kcnuckle.
Last edited by GlennNo50; 05-05-2009 at 08:53 AM.
01-25-2010, 05:43 PM
#26
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I'm using the exact same setup you are, i.e. kooks headers and AJE cross- member. My collectors didn't come that far back on mine and was able to bend a pipe to connect to it and use the double hump tranny cross-member. as far as the steering shaft goes, I had to totally collapse my column to clear the primary but it works fine.
if i can find a kit.
01-25-2010, 11:38 PM
#30
If you loosen the colume under the dash you can move it about 1.5" side to side.
The collector just needs to be trimmed back to get it away from the trans crossmember.
The AJE dosn't use tabs. I have over 10,000 miles on mine have never had a issue or torn up bushings in the control arms. Sounds like a spacing shim issue.
Tim
The collector just needs to be trimmed back to get it away from the trans crossmember.
The AJE dosn't use tabs. I have over 10,000 miles on mine have never had a issue or torn up bushings in the control arms. Sounds like a spacing shim issue.
Tim
01-26-2010, 07:03 AM
#31
If you loosen the colume under the dash you can move it about 1.5" side to side.
The collector just needs to be trimmed back to get it away from the trans crossmember.
The AJE dosn't use tabs. I have over 10,000 miles on mine have never had a issue or torn up bushings in the control arms. Sounds like a spacing shim issue.
Tim
The collector just needs to be trimmed back to get it away from the trans crossmember.
The AJE dosn't use tabs. I have over 10,000 miles on mine have never had a issue or torn up bushings in the control arms. Sounds like a spacing shim issue.
Tim
03-14-2010, 11:13 PM
#37
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I'm glad I am going to make my own, If i shelled out all the extra money for the aje kmember and the matching headers and I had ANY problems. I would be so pissed.
03-15-2010, 09:26 AM
#40
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I got a set of dyna techs but haven't installed them yet. I think the problem is on the driver side of the car and I have also heard that there is clearence issues around the cross member. Thats what the guy from dyna tech emailed me.