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header install advice.

gtphayes

gtphayes

New member
i'll be ordering a set of pacesetters after work tonight. (finally) and i was looking into how to install them. i cant find a good write up. the only one i could find on here the domain was shut down. anyone have one? or could explain the best way to get to the rear manifold? the front seems easy to get to. and i know to soak the bolts real good the night before. but any other good tips on getting the bolts off? thanks! and if there are any other threads that have the write up the link would be good. i looked just couldnt find a good one. i think the headers will make a big difference.
 


i dont know how pacesetters are, but the easiest way to get the rear in is from the top. you just have to pull the engine forwards as far as you can with the dogbones off and a strap from the motor to the front of the frame.

also, look into a better set of clamps because ive heard nothing but complaints about the ones they come with.
 
welding the rear section with pacesetters seems to be the way to go. and they will still slide in from the top.
Hope this helps!
 
I used some nice band clamps and didn't weld. SO far they have worked great, of course you have to watch where you position the band clamps so when you tighten them the bolt doesnt hit the firewall.
 
yea the clamps BLOW. get some good band clamps. im still looking for some good ones for mine :/

and for the back header, pretty much i slid them up from the bottom while a buddy laid on the motor and tighten them down.

also when you go to tighten the down pipe down, make sure its not pulling down on your cat-back. mine was at first and my mufflers were hitting the underside of my car. just an FYI
 
thanks for all the info. and i've been looking into headers for a while and have seen all the complaints about the leak at the Y pipe. as far as i know the zzp package fixes it? i know its a much tighter fit with it. anyone know from experience? from what zzp says if you pay 42 bucks you get a better y pipe and gaskets. and i was hoping that it was easiest from the top. my manual i bought said to go from underneath and you gotta take a bunch of crap off. so im glad its reachable by pulling the motor forward.
 


dont really have to take a bunch of stuff off, just move it out of the way :D

and the gaskets BLOW too!!! i used my orginal gaskets. save your money man and get some good band clamps, reptile has the part number if you need it, and seal it up right. ive heard it still leaks with there kit at zzp. idk about there gaskets tho but the orginal ones work fine.
 
FelPro exhaust manifold gaskets - $14.99
they work good? or are they the same ones zzp sends you? i might get the regular package and use band clamps. i think my dad has a bunch in his shed from when he did his exhaust. the Y pipe 2.5 inches?
 
gtphayes said:
FelPro exhaust manifold gaskets - $14.99
they work good? or are they the same ones zzp sends you? i might get the regular package and use band clamps. i think my dad has a bunch in his shed from when he did his exhaust. the Y pipe 2.5 inches?
Click to expand...

huh, i can't remember if it was 2 1/4 or not... but I went to NAPA and they had a few. I had to take a few bolts out and shorten them when i tightened everything down because they hit the firewall, so just watch for that or position them better, I tack welded the nuts on the clamps so I didn't need two wrenches in there. I didnt want to weld the y-pipe.

You also need longer bolts for the crossover pipe, again, i'm not sure what size I went with, i just found two that would work. The one's they come with are too short.

I re-used stock manifold gaskets as they looked good, many people do this.
 
i have a feeling my car's gaskets wont be good. the car it's self has over 200k miles on it. had a different motor put in. motor only has like 80k if that. so if its the 200k gaskets they should be replaced. and dang i forgot about the bolts being short. i think in the review someone said what size. i think ill wait to order them to make sure i get all the info right.
 
i used the gaskets that came with my headers...otherwise ive used felpros before and they worked just as well.
 


gtphayes said:
i have a feeling my car's gaskets wont be good. the car it's self has over 200k miles on it. had a different motor put in. motor only has like 80k if that. so if its the 200k gaskets they should be replaced. and dang i forgot about the bolts being short. i think in the review someone said what size. i think ill wait to order them to make sure i get all the info right.
Click to expand...

The bolts work, but I just replaced them after a few weeks with longer one's because the one bolt looked like it was about to slip through the hole...

Just get the basic header package and put them together to find out what you need, mine sat for months before I did it. Once we installed it, I realized it was not something I should have been so worked up about. Just do it.
 
so the bolts work fine? just they SHOULD be replaced? and yours sat..... would it be drivable for like 2 weeks with the short bolts?
 
gtphayes said:
so the bolts work fine? just they SHOULD be replaced? and yours sat..... would it be drivable for like 2 weeks with the short bolts?
Click to expand...

My headers sat in the box for months until I put them on. Now that I think about it, I can't remember if we used different bolts for the crossover right away and then I ended up replacing those with a better pernament fix. I had a couple people working with me and can't remember if someone found other bolts... You can just get them, attach the crossover to the front header and see if the bolts work, if not find a replacement, not too difficult
 


just figured i'd say i finally ordered them. got the regular kit, but got the extended 02 bunge. and i also ordered a 180 t-stat since i spent less money not getting the zzp package.
 
o yea, i had to use the extension for the rear 02 sensor, and then for the catback sensor, the sent some wireing and i had the splice the new wireing in to make it long enough. wasent that hard, if you can splice speaker wire and put it together then you will be fine. just keep your colors correct. the colors arent the same but in other words if you cut a purple wire and use a white wire to extend it. conect that white wire to the other purple wire at the end.
 
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