BBK 1569D long tube ceramic coated headers are supposed to be a direct bolt on for a 351W. But they hit the clutch cable cover. They will bolt up if I remove that cover, but it still hits the clutch finger. What are you guys doing to remedy this problem?
I believe BBK’s website specifically says 86-93. My guess is due to the bell housing being 5/8” longer and the clutch fork being longer than the 86-93 cars.
The clutch fork on the SN95 5.0 cars is clocked at a different angle, which makes Foxbody long tubes incompatible if you run the stock transmission and bell housing. There are a couple of options, none of which will sound good ($$$) since you already have the parts.
1) Modify the BBK headers you already have. You could go old school with a hammer on the primaries until they clear, or take it to a fabricator who can cut out sections and re-route them back to the collector.
2) Switch to shorty headers, if you can find them. The problem is that I think Hooker just discontinued the best fitting option several years ago.
3) Change to a different transmission and bell housing. Depending on your 351 and how you drive, a T5 may not last long behind it.
Good luck! Please let us know what path you go with and how well it works. After working on a couple 351 swaps, I'm always interested in hearing about how others pull it off. It's not super complicated, but there are some details like the exhaust that can really hang up the progress.
I have solved issues like this with stamped metal parts by cutting them, overlap the cut sections and weld them back together.
It would be an easy fix if you can cut the fork and weld it back together.
Since I never have done it, make sure the cable will still line up with the socket on the fork before you try it. If there is to much of a bend in the cable as it exits the outer jacket it will wear and break.
With a shorter fork, the petal pressure will go up.
You may need a cable with a threaded end to provide more adjustment.