Quote Originally Posted by charles1943 View Post
Back in the day KEONIG supplied a factory header pipe with a dimple they put in it for clearance. Someone handy could do the same.....
Thanks, charles1943. I may be mistaken but I'm thinking the pipe dimple you mention is a mod lower down the vertical section of the front pipe itself so it doesn't contact the PTO shaft once the pipe is bolted in place. This truck's existing front pipe seems original and indeed has a pipe dimple exactly where the pipe passes the PTO shaft so they don't touch. The dimple mod is the easy part

Before I dive in, buy parts, and remove the old front pipe, or, give the job to a trusted shop... I'm keen to know if it's possible to squeeze/get the *front end* of the front pipe (and sliding mounting bracket) up through the gap between the winch's PTO shaft and the block... in order to get the pipe end and pipe mount bracket up to the manifold (without removing PTO shaft).

Are you saying the dimple's existence helps navigate the front end of the pipe and the sliding mount bracket up/through the PTO shaft and block gap? If so, then I'm envisioning fitting the end of the pipe up through the gap first, then sliding the triangular pipe mounting bracket to the dimple area where the pipe is "narrower" ...and then separately trying to get the bracket up through the gap between the shaft and block... perhaps at a slight angle with thanks to loose bracket play allowed by the dimple area. Is that what you mean? Thanks.

Ideally I'd love to also hear from someone who has been through this and fit the front pipe successfully with the PTO shaft in place... even if a shop did it for them...

Cheers