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By slumlord444 - 12 Years Ago
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Who makes them?
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By NoShortcuts - 12 Years Ago
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Google www.fordpowertrain.com, Slumlord.
There are threads in the Forum archive regarding members who have modified the motor mount provision of these headers.
Also, notice that in listing these on his web site, John Mummert lists a contact at Ford Performance Applications (FPA) for additional info or purchase.
Unfortunately, when Ted Eaton did his header dyno tests, those members who have purchased these FPA headers were not able to get them to Ted. Although more expensive than what Sanderson is offering, I'll wager that the FPA units will significantly outperform the Sanderson headers if your engine has Mummert cylinder heads.
No proof available to back my talk up, though. 
Hope this helps.
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By skygazer - 12 Years Ago
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I've learned on this forum that FPA offers the only readily available long tube headers that fit early birds without fender cuts. They also make oil changes more, um, "challenging" since they wrap around the oil filter. I've seen a remote oil filter installed on a tbird with FPA headers, just for this reason.
To make the most out of investing in LT headers, of course you need an appropriate cam.
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By ian57tbird - 12 Years Ago
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Others may jump in hear and correct me if I'm wrong. I was always under the impression that with a street car there was little or no advantage having long tube (what we can tuned length) headers over other good free flowing headers like Tri Y style because once you add the rest of the exhaust system a back pressure is created that eliminates the scavenging effect created by the equal length primaries and set length collector.
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By bird55 - 12 Years Ago
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I like mine. I also did the steadyrest conversion on the mounts. Stan Johnson at FORDPowertrain Applications. Or 253.848.9503.
I have some stuff about it here.
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By miker - 12 Years Ago
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I sent a set of FPA headers to Ted, and he sent them back with the dyno results. I dont know if he added the results to the test article If not, Ill try to find them and post them, if I can figure out how. He did several pulls,short and long extensions, with and without mufflers. When I took them to the coating guy, he said they were burned as clean outside as anything he'd seen. They are a bit tight in the bird, but they work well.
Stan at FPA, who's a very well regarded Ford engine guy up here, designs them, but I believe Stan's Exhaust in Auburn, WA produces them. Two Stan's, confusing. The exhaust shop is a couple older hot rodders, who have about the nicest, mandrel bending equipment you could ask for. They did some of the bends for the intake tubing on my F code motor, in stainless. They also make the stainless flanges, if you want to build your own.
Many years ago, on an OT motor, we cut a set of Eagle 4 tubes apart, and made them into Tri Y's. 400 cid, Brodix heads, moderate cam for the engine size. This was a 6000rpm motor, and the boost in the midrange was really noticeable. Same exhaust all the way back. They were properly phased for the firing order.
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By slumlord444 - 12 Years Ago
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I have been leaning towards the Sanderson headers. I am thinking the FPA headers would give me higher horsepower but I am not really thrilled about the steady rest mod. I prefer to keep things as close to original as I can. I think if I was building a strictly drag race car the FPA would be better. Mine is more of a street car that I want to be able to drag race and be competitive but not an all out drag car. I have the cam and Mummert heads to go with headers. Want to go with 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 inch system all the way back. Still trying to figure out how to get 2 1/2 inch tailpipes to fit in to the thru the bumper adapter. Looks like that will be interesting!
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By ian57tbird - 12 Years Ago
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My exhaust dumps just forward of the bumper and you wouldn't know unless you kneel down and look underneath. Though it is not original, my bumper stays clean, and the exhaust gases can cause rusting in that area.
When I eventually have to replace the system I think I would do the same again.
Miker are you saying you had some HP increase with Tri Y headers over tuned length type with nothing else changed?
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By charliemccraney - 12 Years Ago
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miker (12/21/2013)
I sent a set of FPA headers to Ted, and he sent them back with the dyno results. I dont know if he added the results to the test article...
They are included.
http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/Topic55379.aspx
A tri-Y was also tested.
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By Vic Correnti - 12 Years Ago
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I have had these headers on my 55 street/race Bird for a long time and I was concerned with the steady rest as well. I do race the car and it leaves hard being a stick car. Last year I broke the Heim joint after many years of abuse and found that the supplied joint is not made of very good material. It's load capacity was 5,100, I replaced it with a capacity of 9,500. I never got around to doing the conversion but I needed to. Now for the exhaust, I run 3 inch from the headers all the way and exit through the bumper like stock. I had to machine the bumper bumperette insert to accept the 3 inch pipe. The mufflers are 3 inch Flowmaster Pro Series and the whole system is located as was original just larger. I used all mandrel bent pieces and welded them together. The exit through the bumper was a challenge to say the least but well worth the effort. I Plan to dyno on a chassis dyno through the exhaust system, and open headers some day to see the difference. I know that the pipes going over the rear end is a killer. Before this I had 2 1/2 inch to the muffler and 2 1/4 the rest of the way and I had a muffler shop do it but it was not mandrel bent. Doc Eaton convinced me to go the mandrel route this time.
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By miker - 12 Years Ago
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Ian, what I felt I got was an increase in mid range torque. That OT car was an auto, with a looser converter, and a governor set for a 5500 rpm up shift. I didn't race it, so I've got no hard numbers. But the 1-2 shift went from a chirp, to spinning the tires. That's the advertising I've always heard abut tri-y's, mid range torque at the expense of top end power. When I pulled the Red's tri-y's and put the FPA header on, I made several other changes, so I couldn't compare them.
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By NoShortcuts - 12 Years Ago
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OOPS!  THANKS to Charlie for correcting my incorrect statement that the FPA 'Bird headers were not tested by Ted.
The exhaust testing that Ted reported upon in the thread, 'Exhaust test to end all tests?' in the 'Technical' section of our Forum presently goes for ten (10!) computer pages.
Pages #7 and #9 of that thread have extensive information on the test performance of the FPA 'Bird headers.
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By slumlord444 - 12 Years Ago
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Always good to see what works for everyone else. No sense to re invent the wheel if you don't have to. Am leaning to Sanderson headers with 2 1/2" pipes all the way back. I am thinking 2 1/2" Flowmaser mufflers. If 3'' pipe will work on a '55, 2 1/2 should clear on my '57. May take some fabricating to get the tailpipe to go through the bumper but I think it will work. Will be sometime before I actually get around to the final exhaust system but at least I know enough to be dangerous. I am not trying to build the fastest 312 in the world, just one healthy enough to have fun with and make the non Ford guys take notice.
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By pegleg - 12 Years Ago
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Can't help with the headers, but I will tell you that 2 1/2" pipes and Flowmaster's work very well. Read Vic's answer carefully, His T'Bird is a rocket.
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By Ted - 12 Years Ago
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In the lower right of each post, there is an icon with a ‘i’ in it and selecting this will bring up the link that you can cut and paste which will take you directly back to that specific post. Really handy when threads get several pages long and you need to link to a post that’s in the middle of it.
Here’s the link to the post about the FPA Thunderbird headers mentioned earlier. http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/FindPost57228.aspx
And here’s the link to the post that shows how the FPA headers compared to the rest of the exhaust systems that were tested. http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/FindPost58704.aspx
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By skygazer - 11 Years Ago
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Vic Correnti (12/21/2013)
... Now for the exhaust, I run 3 inch from the headers all the way and exit through the bumper like stock. I had to machine the bumper bumperette insert to accept the 3 inch pipe....
Very impressive! I had enough trouble getting decent clearance around the axle and shocks with 2" tailpipes... finally got them so they don't rattle! I'm guessing you had to do a little cutting on the body behind the bumper guards to fit 3" pipes.
I'm one of those who feels that exhaust belongs "though the bumper" on a '55. I didn't have a set of donuts, so I used 3.5" slip-on stainless tips instead. I kind of like the look.
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By GREENBIRD56 - 11 Years Ago
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When the FPA headers came out several noticed that the steady rest Heim joint design wasn't quite as recommended by the manufacturers of the joints. Their rated load is always for axial pull - not side load on the ball. Many of the cheap ones are poorly fixed in place.
I sketched this up for Al and the "Bird55" machine got a different set-up than came with the headers. I believe there are pictures on his Blog.
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By Vic Correnti - 11 Years Ago
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I'm with you that exhaust belongs "though the bumper" on a '55. You are right that I had to enlarge the holes behind the bumper guards not to mention the holes in the X frame but the worst was between the gas tank and frame on the left side. The clearance area there was not in line with the hole.
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