I thought asking this in the advanced tech would have found me an answer but no luck so far so I am reposting in this section. sorry if this breaks any rules, or if you end up reading it twice.

Asking this question for my uncle since he knows very little about a computer. He has a 67 camaro with a big block, he bought some hooker super compition headers for it. He got the headers on but now the headers hit the steering gear box, and the sterring "shaft" (rod coming from steering wheel). He has heard from someone that some after market company might make a smaller size gear box and it might solve the problem, but since this is not really a total custom job, I'm sure someone has put this headers on a big block in a car like this before. If anyone knows what i should do about this problem that would be great. This is a strip car and the weather is starting to get nice, so we want to get her running and figured out as soon as possible. Thanks in advance for any and all help.

 

Theres a cheap and inexpensive way to fix this problem...HAMMER. My dads friend had an original 69 SS 396 4 speed w/ power steering and his Hookers did the same thing. He bought the car with them on there already and thats what the previous owner did was put a small dent in it on that side to clear the box.

 

Yeah the hammer trick isn't going to work here. His car is non power steering so the gear boxes are a little different, and the headers he bought seem to be designed to not hit the gear box but they still do, so I'm really not sure whats going on. I believe he has merlin heads on the engine, I was wondering if since there aftermarket could they possibly be designed a little different where the headers will not fit exactly as they should? and besides them hitting the gear box, they hit the "knukle" or "rag joint" in the steering shaft also. Any other sugestions?

 

Was it originally a big block car? If not, mounts might not be right. BB mounts in 1st gens shifted motor to passenger side to clear steering box. I think you need to change the mounts and towers. I've also seen some cars where they use ujoints on the shaft.

And yes, a lot of aftermarket BB heads raise the exaust ports. Get the casting # off the heads and see if they have raised ports by checking the manufacturers website. Wouldn't hurt to ask them for a header recommendation too.

As far as a smaller box, ujoints too, try flaming river, they are a steering specialty company.

http://www.flaming-river.com/

 

I've got the exact same problems with my Headman headers. They are 2.25" primaries, very big. I fill the steering box with grease to slow the loss of fluid diring the transfer of extreme heat during engine operation. I have a small manual steering box.

I installed smaller fasteners in the rag joint and ground as much of the outside diameter down as I could. I still had to indent clearance in the header tube.

To the best of my knowledge there is no one that supplies a "U-joint" to directly replace the rag joint (been down that road already).

Alternatives include Lemmons headers for a custom set or something like steeroids for a rack setup.

Be on the lookout for the passenger side upper A-arm bushings. The one in the rear melts and allows the A arm to wander. I made my own aluminum bushings to solve this problem.

Find anything different please let me know.

 

Merlin heads "do" have raised exhaust ports which causes problems. Off the shelf headers are all designed for factory heads with exhaust ports in the standard locations.

My 2-1/4" header tubes have a bunch of strategic dents in them to clear stuff.

 

A simple fix that sometimes works is a spacer under one or more of the engine mounts.