installing longtubes, need quick help.
installing longtubes, need quick help. hey i am in the middle of my longtube install and we are having a hell of a time with the manifold bolts on the passenger side, havent even really looked at the drivers side yet. any tricks or anything, cause this isnt looking good.
what i did was have someone move hold the collector under the car and move it around till i could get the farthest back bolt screwed in. if your solo then you could use a block of wood to support the collector to give you a better agnle to move it around at...
also what i did that seemed to help alot with the gasket is cut the corner of the last bolt off so i could get it started without having the gasket in the way and then do the front bolt with the gasket and slide it over the bolt... make any sense?
also what i did that seemed to help alot with the gasket is cut the corner of the last bolt off so i could get it started without having the gasket in the way and then do the front bolt with the gasket and slide it over the bolt... make any sense?
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 321
Likes: 0
From: Buffalo, N.Y.
I started the front bolt on the passenger's side 1st...didn't tighten it!!! Just get enough threads engaged so it'll hold the header. I then used the front bolt as a kind of pivot point, and progressively swung the header up to match up the bolt holes in the header, to the bolt holes in the heads. I didn't tighten ANY of them down, until they were all in at least a 1/3 of the way...that way I was sure I wasn't going in crooked, and in danger of cross-threading/stripping the threads in the head bolt holes. And there's no getting around the fact that you're going to have to install a few bolts by "feel".
If it's any help, I used a 10mm ratcheting, box-end wrench....the kind where the box side has a pivoting head. It really helped on the rear-most bolts. MAKE SURE YOU USE A DAB OF NEVER SIEZE OR EQUIVALENT ON EACH BOLT THREAD. Tapped aluminum holes do not like steel bolts...especially dry ones. No, the never sieze will not cause your bolts to loosen. I used it on both header install jobs I did, and the 1st one is going on 3 years...no problems. I also used the GM OEM MLS exhaust manifold gaskets for both jobs.
Just resign yourself to the fact that you're working in a VERY cramped space. Take your time, be patient, and you'll end up with a 1st-rate job. Sometimes you get lucky, but as a whole, long-tube header install jobs are not your everyday, simple bolt-on.
If it's any help, I used a 10mm ratcheting, box-end wrench....the kind where the box side has a pivoting head. It really helped on the rear-most bolts. MAKE SURE YOU USE A DAB OF NEVER SIEZE OR EQUIVALENT ON EACH BOLT THREAD. Tapped aluminum holes do not like steel bolts...especially dry ones. No, the never sieze will not cause your bolts to loosen. I used it on both header install jobs I did, and the 1st one is going on 3 years...no problems. I also used the GM OEM MLS exhaust manifold gaskets for both jobs.
Just resign yourself to the fact that you're working in a VERY cramped space. Take your time, be patient, and you'll end up with a 1st-rate job. Sometimes you get lucky, but as a whole, long-tube header install jobs are not your everyday, simple bolt-on.
