Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications General Mods 3.0 Exhaust Manifold Swap Info

So, do we have a verdict on the 3.0 manifolds?

Cool...nice to be of some help. I know that the newest body style MPV is the one using the 2.5. I can't remember the model years...no more than the last couple or so.

FYI, the LS or Jag 3L manifolds won't help you, they are set up for north/south engine configuration.

Good luck finding something that will work! Let me know if I can help at all.

Maybe the X-Type. It has a 2.5 or 3.0L in it.

X-type is a good idea, or the escape, but it will be some time before X-type manifolds will be easy to locate (maybe even never EASY)

I think the Escape would be the next logical place to look.

Sorry guys I've been away for awhile, but I haven't forgotten about this topic. I have a couple more vehicles to look at as I get time. My summer is booking up pretty quickly, so it may be awhile before I know anything new. As soon as I find out, I'll be sure to update here. In the meantime, if anyone has anything else to offer please keep chiming in.

Darkhorse-would it be possible to take an angled cut on a vertical milling machine to change the angle that the manifolds bolt up at the head sealing surface? This way you could get the header exit closer to the engine by tilting the header inwards at the bottom. Am I making myself understood?

Bradness-- Yeah, I had thought of that also (maybe Great minds think alike-LOL!) but it wouldn't work. There is just too much distance for it to have to move in order to clear the crossmember/craddle/sub-frame whatever you want to call it on the rear bank. There is not enough material on the manifold flange in order to get THAT MUCH of a change in the angle. You could however do it on the front if you wanted extra clearance between the fan or didn't want to use as much of a spacer.

I still think that there is something out there that will work. We just have to keep looking. Have you had a chance to personally look at the manifolds from any other years or cars? Let me know if you have and can tell for sure that the rear one won't work so I don't come behind you and look at something you already know won't fit.
Remember, we really only need the rear bank so it is going to be kind of hard to get a good view unless you get the car up on a lift or something. That is one thing that is kind of slowing me down, but I'll crawl under all of these eventually!

I think that all this is for nothing. I know that headers work and the MSDS headers are reasonably cheap HP that comes ceramic-coated, has a provision for the vortec supercharger as an add-on later, and works on the 3L as well. Why would I want to bolt on a set of factory mild-steel or cast iron manifolds when these great tubular ones are available? Jeez, people paid the full $1200 for SHM headers just 5 months ago.......

Hey man, to each their own! Nobody is forcing you to do anything. If you have the money to shell out for them, then get a set. Hell while your at it get a couple of sets! I personally think that the MSDS headers are a little over-priced and the SHM ones outrageously so.

Especially in the case of MSDS, since as far as I know there are no back-to-back dyno runs showing the actual gains of just the headers. Hopefully all that will change shortly as more people are getting them for their cars. Then once we get a reliable set of numbers we can do some comparison shopping. That is for those of us that are interested. What's wrong with being an informed consumer anyways??

But if you are really that loaded and want to make a donation of your second set, I'm not above accepting it. However, most of us remember the name of the car we drive no matter what version it maybe. Therefore, I have no illusions of dropping the car off at some German dealership for my $300 oil change. If I had that kind of money I probably wouldn't be on this site, right?

One last thing, since MSDS didn't do any dyno tuning with different configurations and primary diameters during testing as far as I know (much less on the finalized version). How much REAL engineering do you think you are getting in the deal? Experience doesn't always equal optimal design and function. It still baffles me why they can't produce hard numbers.

Let's see, I'm a header manufacturer, what is the first question besides cost that my customers are going to want to know? It's a wild guess but if I were a betting man, I'd say it is probably how much HP & Torque do they make? That is unless I had something to hide, then I would try and sell them on some nice features like a Y-pipe and ceramic coating. And let's not forget the biggie, they are half the price of my nearest competitor. Nevermind if this is a fair price or not for what you are getting. That is since I have seen fit to make sure that you don't REALLY know what you are getting. But hey, as long as they look nice...

I would just like to see how the headers alone stack up against a set of gutted stock manifolds and/or a set of Taurus 3.0 manifolds. Of course we would want it to be fair, so the test would have to be on the same car with the same Y-pipes, cat-back, etc. (read stock) on the same dyno and day. I think the results would be very interesting. I'm not saying that the other manifolds would equal or beat the headers in the final numbers. But it would be nice to see how much power all of your money just bought you versus what you could get for free or $75-$100 in a junkyard. It's just a few questions that's all!