ARH Stepped Headers & Catted Y K-Member fix?
ARH Stepped Headers & Catted Y K-Member fix? So my Vert. Camaro SS is out of the shop (no lift access so I didn't want to attempt it) after installing American Racing Headers' 1 3/4 to 1/7/8 Stepped Headers & Catted Y, Noweeds Diverter plugs/wires/new OEM MLS gaskets, new OEM motor mounts, and 1LE rear LCA bushings -- more muscular sound and feel, and no SES codes thus far! As the picture below implies, the fit is tight between the 1 7/8ths section of the headers and the OEM K-Member on the driver side. The result is the headers touch and make noise at some points with certain movements and RPMs due to this, not sure if this is a convertible-specific issue -- maybe I should have stuck with 1 3/4... The shop did a little grinding of the K-Member corner, but it will have to go back for some more adjustment. I am also going to phone ARH to see what they have to say...
Any advice from anyone else with similar issues? All help appreciated!
The Noweeds diverter is top notch -- very nice operation, fully automatic, wicked sound.
Any advice from anyone else with similar issues? All help appreciated!
The Noweeds diverter is top notch -- very nice operation, fully automatic, wicked sound.
Last edited by libertyforall1776; May 27, 2013 at 12:20 PM.
So everyone with 1 7/8 or stepped headers has issues with the K Member then? Damn, just put the new OEM rubber ones in there assuming that would help. Didn't go w/poly since I was trying to minimize NVH, but this was unexpected. Grrr. I am really surprised there are not more comments about this issue -- at least others will be more aware now for their installs...
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So everyone with 1 7/8 or stepped headers has issues with the K Member then? Damn, just put the new OEM rubber ones in there assuming that would help. Didn't go w/poly since I was trying to minimize NVH, but this was unexpected. Grrr. I am really surprised there are not more comments about this issue -- at least others will be more aware now for their installs...
Update: Sent pictures of the rubbing spot and spoke with Mike and then Nick (Owner) at ARH, and they are going to correct the issue and replacing the driver side header which touches the K-Member intermittently on engine start, left and right hand turns and at various drive RPMs. Hopefully this fixes it.
Moral of the story, if you have fitment or quality issues with a product, you have to call the company, else how will they know about the issue, and how would they fix it if they are not given the opportunity?!
Moral of the story, if you have fitment or quality issues with a product, you have to call the company, else how will they know about the issue, and how would they fix it if they are not given the opportunity?!
Last edited by libertyforall1776; May 31, 2013 at 04:16 PM.
So after much back and forth with Midwest Muscle Cars, they still did not resolve and identify the header hitting issues I had -- not happy with that experience at all, and they even charged a premium! 
Kudos to Nick at ARH who continued to help resolve the problem and arranged to have the car clearanced and checked today at Speed Inc., and no more banging! Apparently the first shop did not take enough material off the driver side K-Member! With this done I am happy again! It pays to work with a shop that does more installs on LSx f-bodies!
So in the end -- the poly motor mounts were NOT required! But NEW motor mounts I do recommend, and installed (OEM rubber in my case)…
Now I just need to address my low hanging diverter a bit -- but Speed helped with that too by adjusting the exhaust.
Kudos to Nick at ARH who continued to help resolve the problem and arranged to have the car clearanced and checked today at Speed Inc., and no more banging! Apparently the first shop did not take enough material off the driver side K-Member! With this done I am happy again! It pays to work with a shop that does more installs on LSx f-bodies!
So in the end -- the poly motor mounts were NOT required! But NEW motor mounts I do recommend, and installed (OEM rubber in my case)…
Now I just need to address my low hanging diverter a bit -- but Speed helped with that too by adjusting the exhaust.
All of this would have been avoided by going to the poly motor mounts to begin with.
The OEM rubber you replaced them with is still going to rot and sag eventually, more so with the additional heat in the engine bay.
The OEM rubber you replaced them with is still going to rot and sag eventually, more so with the additional heat in the engine bay.
So after much back and forth with Midwest Muscle Cars, they still did not resolve and identify the header hitting issues I had -- not happy with that experience at all, and they even charged a premium!
Kudos to Nick at ARH who continued to help resolve the problem and arranged to have the car clearanced and checked today at Speed Inc., and no more banging! Apparently the first shop did not take enough material off the driver side K-Member! With this done I am happy again! It pays to work with a shop that does more installs on LSx f-bodies!
So in the end -- the poly motor mounts were NOT required! But NEW motor mounts I do recommend, and installed (OEM rubber in my case)…
Now I just need to address my low hanging diverter a bit -- but Speed helped with that too by adjusting the exhaust.
Kudos to Nick at ARH who continued to help resolve the problem and arranged to have the car clearanced and checked today at Speed Inc., and no more banging! Apparently the first shop did not take enough material off the driver side K-Member! With this done I am happy again! It pays to work with a shop that does more installs on LSx f-bodies!
So in the end -- the poly motor mounts were NOT required! But NEW motor mounts I do recommend, and installed (OEM rubber in my case)…
Now I just need to address my low hanging diverter a bit -- but Speed helped with that too by adjusting the exhaust.
My car actually stop making the noise once I had my subframe connectors and other rear suspension parts installed. Not sure if it had anything to do with the headers at all..
If so, I will pass that bridge when I get to it… In retrospect I would get my next set of headers coated… Poly can melt and then sag, and I have read accounts of the same, here for instance: No benefit there. Read the post by CurtP 01-08-2009, 06:38 PM
http://mallcrawlin.com/forum/showthr...nts-for-ZJ-WJ&
Poly is cheap, I guess that's a benefit… I would be more interested in a higher durometer rubber.
Last edited by libertyforall1776; Aug 4, 2013 at 05:41 PM.
Poly motor mounts not only lessen the chance of this happening again once the originals crack and sag again in 10,000 miles, but it makes everything crisp. There's really no increase in vibration I didn't notice but I did notice the motor was A LOT more responsive now that the motor is in it's place and not rocking side to side. I loved them enough that I did them in my c5 too hope you get your issues solved though. Ever thought about going with a tubular k-member? You'd save weight and the header would be far away from the k-member.
hope you get your issues solved though. Ever thought about going with a tubular k-member? You'd save weight and the header would be far away from the k-member.