[Dan Case]

Engine installers did have to make one fitting correction most of the time. Engine installers usually had to cut a notch in the vertical mounting plate to clear a protrusion on the engine block. The typical original plate has its own one of one custom notch cut. Some cuts were pretty and some pretty crude.

In some cases engine installers had to shim the tank bracket away from the left front corner of the intake manifold and or LH valve cover flange. These were cases where part variability stack ups worked for you (no spacers required) or against you (spacers required). My personal examples: CSX2310 didn’t need spacers and CSX2551 did. The spacers Shelby American in Venice CA used were 1962 model year fuel filter bracket spacers for Fords without power steering. SA probably got use to them through the XHP-260 prototype engines and HP260 semi-production engines Ford sent them as fuel filters with spacers were used on the street Cobras with those engines. (Ford did not sell the spacers as a service part through dealers.)

Also note that there were two versions, one of 4V induction system cars and one for 2-4V induction system cars. From my Cobra engine file notes:

McCord style street car production expansion tank and bracket assemblies, yes that is plural. There were at least two, one for single 4V induction system cars and one for dual 4V induction cars. The 2-4V assembly is listed as being completed by “Shelby” and it has a racing part number, which usually means the race shop did the fabrication. From the May 31, 1965 listing:

“S1CR 8079 Header-Tank, Dual Quad W/Bracket Shelby Ea 34.22 23.95”

“S1CS 8080 Surge-Tank, Cobra BM3266 Steel, Single Quad McCord Ford Ea 19.94 13.96”
(It is mystery as to why the word “Steel” is used in the description as the tanks are made brass and just the brackets are made of steel. There were all steel tanks but they were round drum shaped ones the Shelby race shop made to mount over the front springs of new race cars.)

In comparison the S1CR 8079 assembly moved the tank subassembly forward considerably as compared to the S1CS 8080 assembly. As it turns out the S1CR 8079 assembly also works with the Weber induction systems. The S1CR 8079 and S1CS 8080 assemblies both have McCord production tags on them using the same McCord part number. In studying an unrestored intact S1CR 8079 assembly is appears that Shelby’s works had to take pieces from two different steel tank cradle brackets to make a new cradle to hold the tank closer to the front of the car. Evidence indicates that bare metal parts were used to make the final tank and bracket assembly and painting was done last, i.e. it does not appear they took a finished assembly from McCord and reworked it, more like they took a group of pieces and made what they needed to.