Broken041

Oh where to begin. This was a fun install.

My friend Jack and I started right around 4pm on Sun afternoon. Enjoying the little bit of warm air before we had to shut the garage door. In about an hours time, we came to our first break. We had removed the following: Driver and passenger manifolds, Cats, O2's, AIR, and EGR. Basically we were down to the block and ready to install the headers.






After our little break we started back to work. Currently we were working on my Rhino Ramps. First was to get the car as high as possible, right? So that required the use of a jack, 2 4x4's and some 6 ton jack stands. Supported, and now up in the air. I had read on this forum or one of the others that there needed to be 15" or more of clearance from the tire to the floor. And I can now back that statement up.



From there we worked on the drivers side first. Header in and up. Not quite. We had to remove the oil diverter, #4 and 6 spark plugs, and the steering shaft. After that it fell right in. Good enough for me. Inserted the gasket started all of the supplied header bolts. Like a dream. Tightend them all down, and then began to reinstall all of the driver side items, such as plugs, wires, O2 sensor, steering shaft, oil diverter, and AIR tube. The AIR tube did not even match closely. It required that I spend a half an hour bendin the tube so that it would even bolt up in the proper location. Doing that bending and making the AIR restriction mod slowed progress down, but it was finally done a couple of hours later. (That time reflects the breaks) Check clearances and I have about a 1/4 of an inch in the dreaded K member area. If the dent had not been there, it would have been very close, if not touching the K-member. As it sits now, the flange on the collector kinda rattles on the floor, so to me I think that it is kinda close on the floor. The pipe it's self does not touch, just the flange as it spins on it's own. (Y-pipe is not here yet).




Once that was completed, there was only one more side, the passender side. A little wiggle and up in it goes. These bolts were a little more involved. The last bolt on the back, well I managed to reach between the bell housing and the headers while the bolts were loose to start it. That bolt brings people agony I am sure. A lot of agony. But for me it did not. A wonderful young lady happened to stop by. She was much more slender than I. Without hesitation after being asked, she hopped up on 2 stacked milk crates and leaned into the engine bay. Ratchet and socket in hand she tightened the rear bolt, and then allowed me to put the final torque on it. What a girl and thank you, Amy H!



The remainder of the install was once again trying to figure out how in the hell to get the emissions back on. Kept working on the AIR and EGR bottom tube to get it right. I don't see how some of those tubes did not break. But like the other side it buttoned up well. And this upcoming pic does not even show the amount of bends that I had to add to get the pipe to go in the proper directions. Without the sheathing I am sure that you could have seen more, but if you are familier with how the tubes should be, and how they are now, then....well you understand.



And finally here is a pic, the driver's side of the header installed. I'd show the passenger, but...well we really can't see it.




So for time it took about 7 1/2 hours. If I had deleted the emissions, things would have went a lot more smoothly. Looking like around 3 1/2 hrs to do those headers. I know that every car is diff, but this one was actually very nice, with the exception of the emissions which I have so much ranted on already. With that said, a big thank you to my friend Jack, Ralph, Amy H, and the wealth of information that made this install easier on this forum. *suck a$$, huh?*

Would you believe that I the owner of this wonderful T/A, am not the one eating the burger, but rather killing myself on Marlboro lights?



Kim
11.77 @ 116mph
00 T/A, A4, TCS 3800, Lid, Flowtech headers/Y, Cutout, N20
No times with headers

JTM

Nice write up on the install, I bet you run some 11.4*'s.

Zo6Killer

Thanks for the detailed info! I'm planning this install soon (month or so) but will hopefully have access to a lift. If not, looks like milk crates here I come!

Broken041

Yeah, I am hoping for something a little faster this year. Just a little. I don't really know how to expect for headers, so I'll hope for about 0.30

Thanks all

ram-it

Great write up, Kim! Now am all hot and bothered to start on mine this coming weekend. Oh yeah, and that burger will kill you too.

Got Me SOM

iTrader: (2)

good post!

foff667

iTrader: (2)

I just need me one of those cute petite chicks around the garage to help with those tight places

LS1LT1

iTrader: (16)

Thanks for the detailed write up ...any pics of the headers alone off the car?
And the Y-pipe too once it comes in.

Redlinez

iTrader: (5)

Sweet write up/commentary. You may want to post more pics of Amy working on your car!!! Funny how those headers were designed for your year ls1 and you had to relearn pipe bending. That's nuts.

2001SS#3013

iTrader: (2)

The last bolt can be easily reached from underneath. Just a heads up.

Broken041

I do have other pics of the headers before they were installed. Shoot me an email and I will get some of them to you.

As for the header bolt from underneath, yes I was able to start it from underneath, with my arm between the header, block and bellhousing. Once the header was snugged to the block, I was unable to get my hand back even close to where it would have been able to reach the header bolt. But hey, a pretty girl snuggled up under the hood for the last bolt was a welcome sight.....err..I mean help.

NBM2001z28

iTrader: (43)

Here's my little dilema with them already being installed for a week now. i have a leak somewhere- its not on the head/header flange. but it is there. i can hear it just i havent been able to find it yet. i have a feeling its in the collector and im waiting for it to blow out the gasket. Then i'll know where it was at least . but right now i have a little studder or miss also. all the plugs and wires are fine and on tight but it is still there. i havent been able to figure out what it was for the life of me and its extremely irratating. if anyone has any suggestions let me know. im going crazy trying to figure it out.

slik98z

check the air tubes, did you use the air restrictor plates? i haven't done my install yet however i was given alot of information about these things. kinda makes a slight ticking sound, like an exhaust leak from what i've been told. there are a few write ups on how to make your own.

good luck
Travis

NBM2001z28

iTrader: (43)

already have block off plates. although, i did put the A.I.R. tubes back in and mine went in fine. so im not really sure what happned to his?

00Streak

Does it look like if that engine torques even a little bit that it will break this o2?? maybe a photographic illusion???? :shrug:
S

BADSZ28

iTrader: (39)

Thats a good question. I am considerring these too. I am also concerned with the AIR tube adjustments Kim made. I understand headers are not made to fall into place, but if one of those things broke it's an unwanted trip to the dealer.

Broken041

There is an illusion on the drivers side. Sort of. I have about an inch or so of clearance there with the heat shield. Something has to break pretty bad for the O2 to smash into the body, being either the top or the side.

As for the AIR tubes. I wondered too. Once I was done making my "adjustments", I capped the end and pressurized them to see if there were leaks. The only one that I did not pressurize was the bottom EGR tube. So far, so good. Once the Y pipe goes on, there will be a little more restriction, but I believe that it will still be fine. *crosses fingers*

WickedWS.6

Kim thats a good helpfull write up im ordering my flotechs at the end of the month i hope mine goes in as easy as yours but ill have a lift

P.S. thats one nice TA you got

Doc

iTrader: (9)

Thanks Kim for sharing the most excellent write up...great to hear about you percevering and overcoming the dilema that one can face in the aftermarket persuit of speed and power by keeping your head and overcoming the emissions hook ups not lining up. Now with that said, a well thought out, decent manufacture of headers will make them to "fall into place." These IV gen fbodys have been around long enough now that when it comes to getting a set of headers to "line up," with or without emissions, etc.

marcus26

Awesome write up kim! it will be very helpful when i finally put my flowtech's on..by the way i was looking at my flow's and the air and egr and welded opposit of yours..mine are horizonal on the header and i see that yours are vertical on the header? it it possible they welded them on wrong? did you notice a huge diff in power after the install?