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Cad500 swap with Sanderson headers?

N

Ned Kelly

1/2 ton status
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Depends on if you are making your own engine mounts. If you are I would think they would limit how far down you could set the engine between the frame rails.

Only way to know for sure would be to buy or borrow them & mock up the engine in the bay. I can tell you this. I bought a set of swap headers from the Cad Company. They suck, crappiest set I have ever seen. Buggar welds & the bolt holes in the head flanges were off a little. I sent them back for a refund after a lot of fuss. I wound up making a set from long tube BBC headers.
 
Thanks for the feedback and heads up on the Cad Company. I checked the shorty Sandersons and they look like they dump out onto the crossmember like you mentioned. I'll mostly likely stay with the Eldo exhaust manifolds for now.
 
They can be made to fit. Lots of work though. The engine either goes way up or way down. Or you torch out the top flange of the frame to get about 1/2 inch of clearance. The Sanderson headers are about 1/2 inch to wide to fit between the frame rails.

CadCo, nice people but horrible products.
 
smalltruckbigcid said:
They can be made to fit. Lots of work though. The engine either goes way up or way down. Or you torch out the top flange of the frame to get about 1/2 inch of clearance. The Sanderson headers are about 1/2 inch to wide to fit between the frame rails.

CadCo, nice people but horrible products.
Click to expand...

TRUE AND TRUE.

I have been dealing with Cadco for the last 2 months on a header issue. I set my 500 really far back and low in my 72. I notched the frame and then beefed it up with plating. All was good so I thought!!! I pulled the headers and began the install of the accessory's.

The header hits the starter.

Still waiting for them to send the passenger side.
 
Small and 90k5,
Thanks for the feedback on CadCo. Sounds like a painful experience with those headers. I did see the headers on their website and emailed them. They said they have exactly what I need..... now I know it's not.
 
When I put the 500 in mine I center the stock fan into the radiator shroud. It cools great and looks stock that way. I've been too lazy to build/modify headers for it though.
 
Did the BBC header mod. They work but not ideal, they're in the crew cab and really need one more modification but will have to work for now.

Built a set from scratch and am much happier with them. That set is in the Blazer.
 
If you notch the top flange of your frame to get header clearance, you will need to box that part of the frame. Years ago I put these same headers on my buggy, notched the frame so they would fit, went wheeling, and promptly cracked my frame and dented my nice new headers. :whistle:

header_clearance.JPG


Boxed.jpg


boxed_02.jpg


boxing_01.jpg


I originally did the BBC header conversion, they hang too low for a real off-road rig, and they didn't fit very well. I'd love to TIG up a set of full custom SS headers, but that will likely never happen on the Freak.
 
Thanks guys. I wanted to avoid notching the frame. I think I"ll try using the Eldo exhuast manifolds for now.
 
Here is what I ended up doing for motor mounts so I could run the Sanderson block huggers. I hope some of this helps someone. The caddy is awesome, and worth the extra effort. The last picture is how I measured between the frame and the poly bushing that I used for the engine mount. Its just a block of a known dimension and a thing called a sliding parallel, you could use feeler gages just as easily. It also helped me get the engine exactly centered in the chassis. (ya, only a fool would want their engine centered to the thousandth of an inch. HA!)

P1030076.JPG


P1030068.JPG


P1030066.JPG
 
That is impressive work. Unfortunately beyond our skill level :dunno:.....so sadly our build cannot come close to that!:bow:
 
I don't believe it, you can do anything you put your mind to. When I first started building the Freak I couldn't fabricate my own shackle reversal, I had to get my old man to help! Just take what you see on here and other forums and make your own version in a way that compliments the skills and tools you have available.
 
10 hours of honey do's, 5 hours of garage time. Sometimes thats how its gotta be :waytogo:
 
Thanks. She is a tight fit when everything is at full compression.

Even with the Sanderson block hugers, exhaust clearance can still be an issue. A mini starter helps allot.

full_compression%20007a.jpg


Kinda hard to see in this crappy picture, but I had to cut wedges out of the bend to tighten the radius by the collector.

cycle%20013a.jpg



Oil filter clearance is often a problem on these conversions too. Most people just notch the stock cross-member, but that wont be a problem if you get the Sanderson headers since you'll probably end up taking it out. Remote filter works great.

full_compression%20017a.jpg
 
Like I said earlier I built mine from a set of BBC headers.

Like BG said, If there is a will there is a way.

I am happy with mine but I have a lot of time in the header mods. I had to shorten the overall length & hiegth of the passenger side header to make it work & clear the drive shaft at full stuff. I set the engine in as low & close to the firewall as possible. Mounted all the acessories & then built the engine crossmember & then the headers. Exhaust is 3" into single 4".

Modified Headers
headers.jpg


Mounted headers during mock up
P1010014.jpg


Underneath engine in the mock-up stage
enginemounts.jpg


Passenger engine mount
1231.jpg


Passenger side
P7120003.jpg


Y-pipe
P6150046.jpg
 
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