Guys I just completed the motor swap in my '86 W250... Dropped in a low mileage Magnum 360. I decided to stick with the magnums exhaust manifolds but my exhaust will not bolt up (LA manifolds exit in the middle and Magnum at the rear). Now I am going to have to have custom exhaust made up because on the drivers side there are extremely tight tolerances with clutch linkage, starter, etc. My question is how long can I run it open manifolds? Safe to pull her up onto a trailer and back off into the exhaust shop?? Just dropped some into this motor and have no desire to burn a valve or any thing of the sort. Little advice here guys???

 

Don't worry,you will be fine.

john

 

Use an electric wench to pull it onto the trailer. That's what I did for the same reason.

 

Dave -

On the street. you can run them until a cop stops you and writes a ticket.

Archer

 

LOL!

Yes, you’ll be fine running it for those reasons. I wouldn’t suggest constantly running it like that, but a few min here and there is just dandy.

And loud.

 

You might be ok BUT make sure there is nothing that can get burned or catch on fire...Most times there are flames coming out of the manifolds... just my $.02...Bill

 

Thanks for all the advice guys... I have a trailer with an electric winch but I want to make sure she will even crank and run before I take it to put exhaust on. I will make sure if anything is highly flammable I will tie it up out of the way. One more question... any opinions on stacks? Turned straight back or out to the side at some angle? Also on the note of loud... has anyone actually busted out the glass in a building? My pops keeps bugging me to pull it out of our shop before trying to crank it.

 

I don't understand..............why can't you install the original system?

 

The manifolds are different in where they bolt up to the pipes. The lengths, bends, and angles needed to clear components are all wrong.

 

Probably a good idea...Fire, Gas leak,Noise.Etc...all possabilities when starting a rebuild until you get the timing right.And even more so with open manifolds...Your Father is right it will be extremly loud in the shop but it wont break the windows...He is just saying that so you dont start it in the shop and I believe it is just a term us old timers use...I believe it is said """"" dont start that in here it will blow the windows out""""Take it outside....Right??? Why didnt you use the LA manifolds??? Bill

 

Yeah that's basically it! Hah! I dumped the old emissions restricted LA manifolds for the Magnums. Heard the Magnum manifolds flow better.

 

If a 360 LA was originally in it, the LA manifolds are probably not that bad.

 

They have a bi-metallic spring controlling a butterfly on the passenger side (restricting flow till it warms up) dual smog pump set up with lines and ports on both manifolds. The smog controlled 86 360's had such restrictions and no power!

 

I actually managed to get some small maybe 6"-8" pieces of the old y pipe cut off and fit to the manifolds to get the exhaust down past the starter, wires, clutch linkage, etc... Hopefully this will be ok till I can get her up on the trailer... Also hoping the initial fire will go well. It's been one think after another trying to get this truck finished up.