Topic: Trouble Installing 351W Exhaust Manifold Heat Shield

[drummingrocks]

I recently purchased an extremely nice original exhaust manifold shield (the one that bolts on to the passenger's side exhaust manifold and connects to the air cleaner/snorkel) for my '69 351W Mach 1.  No matter what I do, though, I can't get the shield to install.  There's just not enough room between the manifold and the passenger's side shock tower to get the shield in place.  I can get it wedged part of the way in, but no further.

All I can figure is that Ford intended for the exhaust manifold to come off when removing or reinstalling the shield?  I messed with it for about 2 hours this morning, and even after pulling the alternator and voltage regulator (I thought it might give me more room to turn the shield and slide it into place), I still couldn't get it.  I even tried loosening and then removing the two manifold studs that the brace mounts with, but the studs wouldn't even come all of the way out before hitting the shock tower.  I finally just walked away.

Is there some magical secret to this that I'm missing?  No lie, I'm really frustrated at this point.   

[1969 Cale II]

I learned from the first 69 351 Windsor Cyclone I did for a friend was, it has to go on the engine before it goes in the car. I also tried to pull one off a 69 Mustang in a Ford yard and I couldn't get it out without removing the motor mount bolt and tipping the engine. Sorry about the bad news I had to deal with.

[jwc66k]

I will confirm that the shield comes off only in the destruct mode. I removed the shield from my 1969 Sportsroof 351W with many tools not intended for shield removal. My intent was to use a different air cleaner and the shield had to go, plus I had no desire to put it back on at a later date. This was before smog checks and that sort of rubbish.
Jim

[drummingrocks]

Thanks guys, that confirmed what I suspected.  Now I know why these shields are so hard to find.  If I were a mechanic back in the day, there's NO way that shield would get reinstalled, especially if it meant pulling the exhaust manifold.  The shield would end up behind the shop in the junk pile.  It's been quite a while since something at the shop made me mad enough to quit and walk away.  I can't believe Ford designed these this way, especially since the 289/302 ones can be removed and reinstalled all day long.   

[67gtasanjose]

 I can't believe Ford designed these this way, especially since the 289/302 ones can be removed and reinstalled all day long.   

"More" is better, that was the antage of the later 60's musclecar era. 

Remember, Ford had to deal with the competition introducing "360" in a Mopar line and "350" in the GM line, hence the need for the Boss '9-er and 2's for a higher rated horsepower. We know what had to be done to the Mustang structure to fit those in, and in '71, Ford widened the Pony's underhood measurements to help without working "outside the box" of the the standard '70 and older underhood dimensions.