alright - in order to 'match' the exhaust configuration I had with the 440 I settled on a nice set of Lil Red Express center dump exhaust manifolds, 4041466, that I got from a friend in my local Mopar club. These were the OE pre-smog center dump units on the mid-late 70's truck 318s and 360s, with the same 1-7/8" collector exit port size that are on the 71 340 center dump manifolds and the 02 magnum manifolds, and should work perfect for the truck. I have a pair of the 71 340 p-side center dump manifolds, but I decided on these because they have smaller port sizes (still bigger than the magnum cylinder head exhaust ports but smaller than the giant 340 inlets) have a bigger 'interior' and should flow every bit as good as the 340's, and have more cooling fins. I removed the p-side heat riser hardware, will have the holes welded closed, and just like the 440 manifolds the center sections had both warped 'away' from the head face, so also just like the 440 manifolds I flat-planed the head face to get everything nice n flush, and clean. Then I'll have them sand-blasted and I'll coat them with POR-15 Manifold Gray paint - should make for a long-lasting and leak-free seal for another 100,000 miles.

Meanwhile, the radiator is at C-fab (with my local TIG guru Wayne) getting a couple mods, and I'm whittling away on the remaining items before firing it back up including: ram-assist hoses, pwr steering pump mounts and plumbing, fuel lines and Sniper linkage, trans cooler lines, alternator wiring, air cleaner...and of course, exhaust.





using a nice flat steel plane and 36 grit paper and the majority of the elbow grease focused on the outer ports, after several hundred 'back n fourths'...the center section(s) went from no contact at all...to this -



...and ultimately to this -