Fox Body Headers

Factory Headers

Ford’s factory headers leave much to be desired. At the time they were installed at the factory they were a good step up from cast iron exhaust manifolds. However, the Ford shorty’s have small diameter tubing. There are areas in the tubing that are pinched restricting exhaust flow. They also rusted very badly.

Time For An Upgrade

For our project we needed a set of nice looking and good flowing shorty headers. Of course, the exhaust sound was important too. After much research we chose to go with BBK’s 1515 Shorty Headers. BBK’s headers are more free flowing than factory headers. There are no crimped tubes restricting flow. The chrome plating offers some much needed under hood bling. Reports say you can pick up an extra 8 to 15 horsepower by installing these headers.

BBK’s 1515 shorty headers are made from1-5/8″ tubing. The tubing is bent using high precision CNC benders. The one piece flanges are laser cut. One piece flanges offer great strength. BBK leak tests every header to detect any leaks. This attention to detail ensures a great fit and high quality.

BBK offers these headers in chrome plated or silver polished ceramic finishes. For our project we chose the chrome finish. We love the fact that BBK manufactures their headers right here is the United States.

BBK includes flange studs, nuts and washers and header bolts in each set. They also include their exhaust gaskets. There is no need to purchase any extra parts.

Installation Process

Installation of these headers wasn’t too difficult at all. An extra set of hands does come in handy. For the driver’s side header installation you do have to remove the dipstick and tube. Ours popped right out with a little tugging. You have to reposition the tube once the header is installed. The passenger side of the engine is much more cramped. Removing the smog pump hoses gave us a bunch of extra room to work. With the car sitting up on jack stands we were able to wiggle the headers in from the top side. We also found that a 3/8″ wrench seemed to be the best tool for tightening the header bolts. It took us a couple of hours to install them.

Results

We didn’t run into any unexpected issues while installing BBK’s Fox Body Shorty Headers. Everything fit together nicely. There was plenty of clearance between the header tubes and the steering shaft. Once installed the headers looked darn good. The chrome really adds some sparkle under the hood. We were glad we chose BBK headers for our project. Without a dyno we’re not sure how much of a power increase we saw by installing these headers. It does sound better though.

Extra Tips

1. We read that any residual oil or grease left on the headers after installation will result in discoloration. Before starting the car up for the first time, wipe the headers down with a mild degreaser and a clean soft cloth.
2. We found that some minor tuning was needed after the installation. The information on this page was very helpful:
   http://www.stangfreak.com/Idle_Problem.html

Thanks for reading. We hope you found this article helpful. Be sure to check out our other Fox Body Mustang articles.

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