[1953 Homer]

My 302 left side exhaust manifold/pipe is within 1/2 inch of the manual steering box in it's new location in my '53 Ford sedan (Homer). Some questions come to mind:

1. Do I need to be concerned about the distance?
2. Do I need to fab/install a heat shield?
3. If needed, what should the shield be made from?

As always, thanks for the advice in advance.

Mike

[curtis73]

No worries... as long as it doesn't hit it won't be a problem. The steering box will get hot, but its such a big casting and its bolted to the frame which acts like a 15-foot-long heatsink. I have a couple that I had to grind the manifolds or dent the headers to fit around the steering box (and it was even power steering) and I never had heat issues.

[alittle1]

Originally Posted by 1953 Homer

My 302 left side exhaust manifold/pipe is within 1/2 inch of the manual steering box in it's new location in my '53 Ford sedan (Homer). Some questions come to mind:

1. Do I need to be concerned about the distance?
2. Do I need to fab/install a heat shield?
3. If needed, what should the shield be made from?

As always, thanks for the advice in advance.

Mike

If it bothers you, install a heat shield. Make one out of 24 ga. stainless and attach it to the cooler object, like the steering box. Try and make it so that it will ;'scoop' some cooler air coming by it, for cooling of the heat shield. A thinner metal will disburse heat better than a thick one while maintaining structural integrity. Run it through a bead roller for some stiffness so it won't vibrate or rattle.