V8 swap questions.

[lil_Blue_Ford]

The factory manifolds I've been seeing look a lot more like headers. Curvy tubular pieces making funny loops. Maybe not as good as welded up tubing, if done right, but they are more like headers than cast log style manifolds. Maybe some kind of hybrid compromise.

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Those look more like the Ford Racing set of headers my dad got years ago. The factory manifolds on the 98 Explorer I robbed parts off of and the Mountaineer dad did his swap from, those things are garbage. I’ll have to find the picture…

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Also, yeah, 98 Explorers had PATS with an older return style fuel system. 99-01 Explorers had PATS and a returnless system.

97 and older had GT40 heads, return style fuel system, and no PATS.