Headers

[Papaw2eleven]

I have completed a 289 swap into my 2000 Ranger 5 speed. I am looking for a set of headers that will clear the steering shaft without any modification. Any suggestions?

 

[franklin2]

The guy in this article used Torque Monster headers. https://www.therangerstation.com/tech/explorer-5-0-swap-in-a-2000-ford-ranger/#gsc.tab=0

But he used the Explorer motor mounts. If you use some other method, you engine may be in a different place and the headers he used may not work. Here's a picture of the header near the steering shaft.

Here is the monster site. https://www.torquemonsterheaders.com/home.html

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

For a 4x4 in the 98-11 vintage, your header choices are typically Torque Monster or you try to find used Ford Racing or OBX headers. But that is with the “normal” 5.0 swap from an Explorer and using it as set up from the Explorer (Explorer motor mounts and all). I can say, the TM headers wrap pretty close around the steering and come close to a lot of other things. There’s also a long lead time waiting for TM headers and the guy isn’t the best at letting you know what’s going on.

 

[franklin2]

You didn't ask, but I will give my 2 cents anyway.

Do headers add power? Of course they do.

Are they a pain and in the way with most everything you want to do maintenance wise to the engine? Yes, always.

Does the power added versus the pain worth it? Not in my opinion on a street driven vehicle.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

You didn't ask, but I will give my 2 cents anyway.

Do headers add power? Of course they do.

Are they a pain and in the way with most everything you want to do maintenance wise to the engine? Yes, always.

Does the power added versus the pain worth it? Not in my opinion on a street driven vehicle.

So, as with a lot of things, this is somewhat subjective…

Most modern exhaust manifolds flow just fine for a stock to slightly modified motor. Most.

My Choptop has headers on the 4.0 because I got a deal on headers. I’m not sure it really makes a difference over a stock manifold. It also hasn’t helped or hurt servicing anything.

My green Ranger got the Torque Monster headers on the 5.0, which definitely makes a tight engine bay a little more congested. The stock Explorer manifolds however were super restrictive. I’m not sure how the engine can breathe in stock form, I can’t get my index finger past the first knuckle in the ports and I don’t have sausage fingers. Pretty sure the claim of 10-20 hp gain on the TM headers over stock Explorer manifolds is accurate.

My 95 F-150 with the 300 straight 6 is EFI. I’ve seen claims with supporting data that the EFI manifolds on those flow as good or better than headers… to the point that a lot of guys with carbureted 300 motors source the EFI manifolds over headers.