Hey is there anything tips/hints/thing i should maybe watch out for when i do my exhaust (Pacesetter Headers/Pacesetter ORYP/SLP Loudmouth Catback) install next week?

Thanks in advance!

 

With the LT's take you time and double check EVERYTHING or even triple check... the connections, bolts and all that.

Might want to change your plugs and oil filter while you are at it.

 

I would agree with the plug change as well. NGK TR55's @ .055 is what i'd run myself.

 

Here is the info for a SLP Headers.
I will see if I can find one for Pacesetter Headers.

SLP Header Installation Guide

1. Drive the front tires onto 2x4s or equally thick items THE NIGHT BEFORE and set the parking brake.
2. Let the car cool overnight or for at least 4-5 hours.
3. Unplug the negative battery lead.
4. Unbolt the AIR tube that connects into each manifold, and put them on top of the intake manifold.
5. Remove all 8 plug wires. Turn the end on the coil pack side to side while pulling.... "POP". Then on the ends over the plugs, twist the rubber part while pulling, the whole piece, rubber and metal, will pop off. The back ones on the passenger side require patience. The rearmost took me 10 minutes! All total the plugs and wires took me 1.5 hours!
6. Remove all 8 spark plugs. You will need a 5/8" spark plug socket, a 1" U joint socket, a straight ratchet, a flexible head ratchet, and possibly an adjustable wrench. Basically for each plug, use any combination of the above that will work best. Each plug requires a different combo. I was able to do all 8 from above without the adjustable wrench, but using all the others.
7. Unbolt the one bolt holding the dipstick holder to the engine, pull the dipstick and tube up until it comes out.
8. Chock the front and back of the rear tires, set the parking brake.
9. Jack the front of the car by the K-member. Put a set of jack stands under the subframes at the stands' lowest settings.
10. Remove the 4 bolts from the crossbrace bracket midway to the back of the car. This is the piece of sheet metal with the Y-pipe and beginning of the driveshaft above it. Remove the bracket and set aside.
11. Loosen the cat-back and push backward to remove the Y-pipe and cats. Remove all 4 oxygen sensors carefully and set them aside.
12. There are 6 header bolts on each manifold, remove all 12, and remove the manifolds from the bottom of the car.
13. Follow the SLP instructions for the wiring slack and extension of the passenger side O2 sensor.
14. Remove the two bolts from the steering linkage, one on the top and one on the bottom (remove the bottom one from under the car). Tap and push the linkage down toward the bottom of the car so it comes off the top, then pull up and remove it completely.
15. Take a break and if you have a rotary tool or wire brush, clean the threads on all 12 header bolts and the two steering linkage bolts to remove the old loc-tite and rust, etc. I also cleaned all 4 O2 sensors' threads.
16. I jacked the car up onto 2 more stands so it was level. You may be able to skip this step, but I'm not sure how much more trouble it would be. To do this, leave the front stands at their lowest setting, jack up the rear by the differential, and place 2 stands at their lowest setting under the LCAs. Note, while jacking the back, if you have a rolling jack that comes up at an angle, make sure the jack is rolling slightly forward as you jack the car up, and KEEP AN EYE on the front stands to make sure all 4 legs remain on the ground, or you could tip them over. If you have a rough area that you're working on, you can put the jack on a piece of plywood to make smoother rolling. Mine rolled right along the pavement fine and the front stayed on all 4 feet fine. Next jack the front up as far as the jack will go (20" in my case) and set the stands to fit this new level. AGAIN keeping an eye to make sure the jack is rolling slightly and the rear stays planted. Then jack up the rear to match the new front height and set the stands. Yes, AGAIN keeping an eye out. This is a slightly dangerous process so be very careful if you have a rolling style jack.
17. Place the jack under the transmission mount (black crossbrace held up by 4 bolts, there is the end of a bolt sticking down through a hole in the middle of the mount) and raise it so it is snug up against the mount. Remove the 4 mount bolts. Let the jack out until the transmission stops coming down, then close the valve and re-snug the jack to the transmission mount.
18. There is a sharp curved piece of metal to the outside of the hole where you'll be sliding the header up. It is where the front wheel assembly attaches to the body. Cover this sharp part with 2-3 layers of masking or duct tape. Do this on both sides.
19. Carefully slide the passenger side header as far as it will go, and have someone hold it there. Raise the transmission back up so the mount is near the body. The header will slide up a bit more. Now place a 2' section of 2x4 between the body and rear of the transmission just in front of the mount, and push it toward the driver side while the other person pushes up on the header, it will slide up once the welded joint clears the sharp piece you masked.
20. Place a new header gasket between the header and the head, making sure "manifold side" points toward the header, and the "down" arrow points down. Hand thread all 6 bolts a few turns and leave it loose.
21. On the drivers side it should slide right up in with the transmission still in the raised position. Since I needed an oil change anyway I removed the filter. You may have to lower and push the tranny a bit if you keep your filter on.
22. Again with the gasket and hand threading all 6 bolts.
23. Raise and reconnect the transmission very tightly (I torqued mine to 70 ft-lbs).
24. Slide a clamp over a cat or race pipe, whichever you're using, and slide the cat/pipe onto the collector of either header. If you're using cats, make sure the side that says "top" is facing up toward the car. Tap the end (very gently if its a cat) with a hammer to make sure its all the way on the collector. I made sure the clamps were put on so that the nuts were on the inside, toward the middle of the car, and facing down. Slightly tighten the clamp, just to get it started, with an adjustable wrench, but leave it loose. Same on the other side with another cat/pipe and clamp.
25. Slide a clamp over both sides of the Y-pipe. Slide the curved side over the end of the driver's side cat/pipe, then the straight side over the passengers side. Wiggle it side to side and up and down until it slides on all the way. Tap the end of the y with a hammer to make sure its on. This is why you left the headers loose, so they will move and allow the y-pipe on. Tighten both clamps a bit, again, just to get them started, but leave them loose.
26. Reinstall the y-pipe crossbrace and tighten all the way.
27. Bolt the Y-pipe to the hanger under the car with 2 bolts and nuts, leave loose.
28. Reconnect the muffler, leave loose.
29. Install all 4 oxygen sensors carefully, noting the ones that were originally pre and post cat, and put them in the same place they were.
30. If installing race pipes, tie wrap the ends of the post-cat sensors somewhere out of the way, and attach the O2 simms to the plugs, and tie wrap them out of the way as well. The front O2 sensors should be plugged in regardless of cat or pipe.
31. Install a new oil filter and replace the plug if you drained your oil.
32. Lower the car in the reverse order you raised it. WATCH the stands and jack!!!!
33. Tighten all 12 header bolts, the rearmost one on the passenger side is easiest from underneath the car so save that one. Again you may need a combo of several tools, a 3" extension came in handy here too. A small amount of medium strength loc-tite may be a good idea on each one of these. Try to evenly tighten all the bolts, not putting any one in all the way until the others are close. My passenger side took quite a bit of playing with the order of installing the bolts to get all 6 in there. Just be patient. Double check the tightess. Now raise the car back up (just the front this time is fine) and tighten that last bolt on the passenger side.
34. Reinstall the steering linkage in the opposite order you removed it, slide over the bottom then onto the top. Make sure the steering wheel and tires are both straight (for proper alignment). A little loc-tite on each bolt again.
35. Reinstall the dipstick, insert into engine then install the bolt.
36. Reinstall all 8 plugs and wires, hit each plug's threads with some anti-sieze, hand thread it to make sure it goes in easy. Hand thread it with the socket and no ratchet until you can go no further. Then use the ratchet to tighten it 1/4 turn.
37. Reinstall the AIR tubes.
38. Reconnect the negative battery lead.
39. From under the car, use pieces of plywood, 2x4, etc to try to get the Y pipe in a place where it is 1/2 inch or so from every part where it could touch the car. Also about 1/2 above the Y pipe hanger that it passes above. Tighten all clamps and the Y pipe mount bolts, as well as anything else still loose.
40. Clean up your tools (no playing before you finish the dirty work!)
41. Double check EVERYTHING.
42. Fire it up and let it run for a while. Listen and look for anything wrong.
43. Take it for a spin. The point here is to get them good and heated to run them through a full heat cycle to break them in. A few more full heat cycles should be in order before you decide to start ripping on it or racing it.
44. If you have major banging, you need to loosen the clamps and try to get the Y pipe further away from the body. If it is just rattling a bit, there is a good chance it will settle out on its own, so give it a week or two. If not, try making some adjustments.

Bill

 

Here is more on Pace...

For those that don't want to read the whole thing, here are some key points.

The headers are great qualifty
The ypipe fitment still sucks or combination of how the ypipe and headers join up suck(more later)
Do they press the stupid dipstick in with a hydraulic press or what?
Ypipe design sucks

Stock stuff removal
1. Ypipe came off no problem.
2. then came the cats(most of the bolts broke, no suprise and not too difficult)
3. Air and egr came right off.
4. the passenger side is a little tricky on the back coil pack and manifold bolts
5. The oil dipstick put up a fight. Finally ended up prying the lip with a screwdriver and working it out.

Header install
1. Cleaned the heads/gaskets with degreaser
2. applied the orange high temp sealant
3. with the help of a friend got the headers started(did not have to remove anything. The driver side squeeked past the steering shaft.

notes: These headers would make life alot easier downstream if the collector were just a 1/2 inch shorter. There is barely any room for a y pipe.

Ypipe install
1. would not fit in stock exhaust. Used a pipe expander and impach wrench.
2. The I pipe is too long. But really, it appear sthat Y pipes that connects to the headers are too long. Or if they were to expand the pipe further for more adjustment, it would have worked alot better and the brackets would have lined up. Nothing lined up very well.
3. the ypipe has a terrible design that does NOT promot scavenging. That is not secret to many.
4. I understand why they crush the pipe for clearance. But, crush the entire pipe. This ypipe must suck for flow. It would flow alot more if there weren't so many size transistions. A fully crushed pipe(oval) would outflow this pipe easily.

 

Another link for Pace install with pictures.....

http://www.geocities.com/foff667/98Camaropg4.html

Bill

 

More info...

https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthrea...Header+Install

That's all for today...

Good luck with your install.

Bill

 

Thanks bill.. I just found that install with the search feature. Thanks for giving it as well and all your helpful hints...

More are welcome lol... Keep them coming... you can never be TOO safe. Thanks

 

Be sure to get that car up as high as you can but as safe as you can. I used pieces of flat wood to put the jack on to get the car higher then it was originaly could. I recommend a couple of sets of jack stands. I even used car ramps to put behind the car so I knew it wouldn't roll. Also be sure to do it on a flat surface. Good luck and TAKE YOUR TIME. It's never as easy as the boards make it out to be. I have to cut my entire exhuast system from Y pipe back with a die grinder and a 4inch cutting blade because the cat bolts and everything was rusted. If you have accsess to a lift or air tools I would mos def use them it will shave you time down so much.

 

if you have to cut down the I pipe you may wanna consider putting borla muffler or bullet in there in place of the I pipe. unles syou arel ooking for that loudmouth/no cats sound

 

Just put a penetrating lubricant on all the bolts the night before you start. It will make things A LOT easier. Also don't even bother separating the cats from the manifolds.....as many have said the bolts WILL break. I found it easy to just disconnect the assembly from the Y-pipe and pull the cat and manifold out together.