ok i'm like 90% done with my lpp header install (the new design) but there are several fitment problems. hopefully you guys can offer some advice because my car is my dd and i need it on monday.

first, their y pipe will not go into my intermediate pipe (i have a stock exhaust). i've tried everything including filing down their pipe's edges and trying to expand my I pipe a bit with vice grips and a hammer. it can get about 1/8" inside but that's definitely not enough for a secure fit or to get the front end onto the header collectors. i read on a few threads that people had to take their I pipe to an exhaust shop to get it expanded. i doubt that is an option for me because i cant drive with open headers to a shop and the only real place around here that could do it is midas and i'm not even sure if they could/would.

second, the passenger side bracket with the 2 holes in the small removable section of the y pipe doesnt even come close to lining up with the matching hanging bracket on my car. my bracket is about 1.5" higher and at a different angle so none of the bolt holes line up. i was thinking that maybe i would be able to drill through their stainless steel plate and make my own bolt hole that would at least fit into the bottom hole on the car's stock bracket.

third, one of the passenger side header tubes is basically resting against the part of the car frame that the starter is attached to. besides the heat causing a problem, i'm worried that when the engine torques, the 2 sections will bang together and cause problems. i was thinking of removing the passenger header and trying to grind down as much of the frame in this area as i can.

if anyone who has done a lpp install recently can offer any suggestions (particuarly on my first 2 problems) i would be eternally greatfull.

 

For #1, rent an exhaust pipe expander from autozone. I've used it a few times, very helpful tool. Btw, they refund your money when you return it so the rental is free.

 

Well since the LPP's are new I doubt there's alot of guys that can chime in and help you out.

My advice would be to contact the guy you bought them from.

 

I had the same problems you are. The Y-pipe is just not designed well. I will most likely have to get them welded to make everything go together right

 

Well i have the older design LPPs, but had some of the same problems. I just hit the cat back with a rubber mallet until it was on there enough to put a clamp on, but it still needs to be adjusted a good 2".

You might could use a torch to heat it up if you have one.

The passenger side bracket didnt line up on mine either but i could move it enough to get the upper hole on the y-pipe lined up with the lower hole on the car. It still has a suprising amount of ground clearance.

The headers themselves fit PERFECTLY. No removing or adjusting anything, so sorry, cant help you there.

Good luck.

 

do some research on SSautochrome and you will find out why nothing fits right.
hint: search some import sites about that name.


sorry to hear about your dilema's, I would drive to a exh shop open Y pipe but thats me, then I would have that bracket piece cut off, bolt it down then weld it to the pipe and while your there get the catback expanded a bit, sucks you will have to spend that money after all you have spent, these are the reasons I went with hooker headers. As far as the primary hitting the frame you will have bend your new headers or send them back.

 

Thats funny. My headers cam in an SSautochrome box and they went in and fit like a dream. Except when I put my Spohn TA in and then I had to do a bit of hammering.

 

Well whatever works for you man, appearently they arent working that well for this guy.


And how did your tq arm affect your header fitment?

 

I agree that the headers are flawless, but the y-pipe just sucks. I am very dissatisfied with it

 

I feel the same way, the headers went on like butter but the Y-pipe doesn't fit very well. I had to take my cat back to a muffler shop to get it expanded they did it for free. I am going to have to take the car back up to a shop and get it welded or something because the fit is awful or find some different clamps

 

Well - glad i found this- I was thinking of buying some but I'll just stick to Pacesetter's. I loved them on my LT1 car..

 

Thats BS how you have to modify them to get them to fit. Send them back and get your money back. No header install should be that bad.

 

well besides the Y-pipe being a PITA they went on pretty easy, took me 6 hours from start to finish. After you tweak it around it works pretty good. If I had to do it over again I would go with KOOKS oh well live and learn. Do you have any updates on install??

 

Sounds like they just took the old design and fixed the angle of the driver collector and added the high volume merge collectors.

I cant speak for the y pipe.

This is not a good buy anymore. The old design can be had for 200 bucks. I can live with making a few modifications with a 200 dollar price tag but not 500.

 

I am going to try and hit the dyno to get my tune done finally, I should have some pics to post up to show the gains with these headers. Unless it is raining then it won't be till the weekend.

 

i have the old design and had somewhat the same problems, i just put the headers in a 20 ton press, torch, and biggest hammer i could find. after i all the work i did and i saw a set of kooks with a catted y. the fitment was amazing compared to mine. when i tried to contact the guy on here that sells them he said, "why should i help you since you didn't buy they headers from me" that's some real support there and standing behind the product you sell good luck!

 

well i was able to get the car pieced together by about midnight and i had to drive the car the next day at 7:30am lol. i ended up having to just work my *** off with some vice grips to bend the opening of the I pipe a bit enough to at least get 1/4" of the y pipe in, then i banged it in a bit more with a rubber mallet. right now it's only in like half an inch but i put exhaust wrap all around it and clamped it down really tight with a band clamp. it sounds so much louder and meaner than my old setup (which was the slp dual/dual). its semi quiet under 2k rpms which is good so i can drive on the highway in 6th w/o going deaf, but man when i get on it to say like 4k rpm its deafening. the one thing i didnt count on was that w/o cats the exhaust smells terrible. sitting at a light with the windows down makes me choke haha. now i need to get a dyno tune and have the codes tuned out so i can pass emissions (which is several months expired as it is lol).

 

how are you going to pass emissions with no egr/air ? or no cats haha good luck with that What state are you from? In Ohio we have to put the sniffer up and they look under the car for cats and look under the hood it really sucks, but I am stationed in S.C so screw it

 

glad you got it figured out man. on my install I just took my intermediate pipe to the exhaust shop and had him open it up, he didn't charge me a dime.

as for the frame clearance, I'd just take a dremel or die grinder and clearance the K member a bit. this is a somewhat common problem with most headers, as they cant be designed for the tolerances of every single f-body.

are you having problems with the passenger side transmission mount? or the driverside "anti beat on the floor" mount? both of mine were very difficult to get into place, but in the end i think made things fit way tighter.

PM me if you want any more info, I did this just 2 weeks ago.

 

with kooks i had none of these problems, i lll be installing slp loudm tommorrow and see what she sounds like, cant wait