questions about installing headers
questions about installing headers well i got my pacesetters a couple days ago and i picked up my friends qtp catted y. tomorrow im going to be installing them. approx how long do you think it should take? and will i have any fitment problems with the two? so far the most complex thing i have done is a cat back but i will be doing the headers with another person.
Temple, TX Resident
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good part of a day ... what took me soo long is that i had problems getting the little bitchy bolts off like the ones on the air tubes and the egr tube ... someone didnt want those to come off ever ... make sure and have a 10mm gear wrench ...... maybe even 2 .. those will make it go by soo much faster ...and when u put the bolts back in.. make sure the threads are clean and thread them all the way in by hand first before you torque them down .. maybe someone else will think of some other stuff
Pacesetters are pretty easy. Here are a few tips.
Be sure to have a 10mm Rachet end wrench, it makes it so much easier and faster.
If the drivers header gets stuck on that little casting that sticks out of the block just stick another jack and a piece of wood under the header and force the header up which will move the engine on the mount over a little to give enough room for the header to pass through. Also be sure to get the car very high up in the air, the higher the better.
Oh yeah the best advice is to be sure to install poly motor mounts after you get the stock exhaust out and before you put the headers on. Evereyone says if they did it again they would do the mounts while doing the headers, so just take it from us, do the mounts while you are at it. It will ensure that your headers and y pipe will not bang the floor. If you dont do them now and want to do it later it is like twice as difficult with the headers in.
Be sure to have a 10mm Rachet end wrench, it makes it so much easier and faster.
If the drivers header gets stuck on that little casting that sticks out of the block just stick another jack and a piece of wood under the header and force the header up which will move the engine on the mount over a little to give enough room for the header to pass through. Also be sure to get the car very high up in the air, the higher the better.
Oh yeah the best advice is to be sure to install poly motor mounts after you get the stock exhaust out and before you put the headers on. Evereyone says if they did it again they would do the mounts while doing the headers, so just take it from us, do the mounts while you are at it. It will ensure that your headers and y pipe will not bang the floor. If you dont do them now and want to do it later it is like twice as difficult with the headers in.
Yeah the mounts were the biggest bitch of it all. you need to remove the alternator/ac/ and the starter. I had it easier too, because I used a lift and a tranny jack to line everything up, and it was still difficult.
Put some never seize on the header bolt threads. Put the front and rear bolts in. Snip off the bottom half of the ears on the gasket for the front and rear bolts off if they didn't come that way. Drop the gasket in place and then hand tight the remaining bolts BEFORE using the hand tools. You may want to get the collector side finished before tightening the header bolts. I hope you got the Off Road Y pipe. If not you're in for a lot more work then you planned on.
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I second doing poly mounts at the same time. I did mine after I did my headers and pulled them back off. Just installed my buddies headers and refused to do them unless he did motor mounts then also. It's only $50 for them and a little extra time.
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it took me about 13 hrs in 105* sunny *** phoenix and about 5 of those hours someone was helping me.Its easy but take alot of time with the stupid bolts (no space to put your hands in).
jesus christ you guys give horror stories like there is no tomorrow.... first off the only people i ever hear about banging y-pipes is people with off road y's... secondly catted y is not hard to put in cough (eallanboggs) cough
for what its worth my set up went in tit and is sturdy as hell (just ask the speed bump i hit last week)
for what its worth my set up went in tit and is sturdy as hell (just ask the speed bump i hit last week)
I'm doing the install right now actually. Lucky for me, a neighbor of mine owns a lift and is allowing me to use it for the install. Only things I finished today were: removing Y pipe, exhaust after the Y, and the O2's are out. Now the car is lowered and I am attempting to remove the A.I.R. and E.G.R. The E.G.R. is only connected to the passenger side, correct? And I can't get to the damn bolts connecting the driver's side cat. Any tips on how to get to those? Also, do I even need to remove the driver's side plugs? I haven't really looked at the passenger side, but the same question for that side? Also, what do you do with the other two O2 sensors? Since there are only two bungs on the Pacesetters for them. I'm assuming you use the rear ones correct? Then what do you do with the front two?
I'm sure I'm going to run into various other things along the install, but that's all I can think of right now.
Any other tips?
P.S. I will be running open headers for a day or two
I'm sure I'm going to run into various other things along the install, but that's all I can think of right now.
Any other tips?
P.S. I will be running open headers for a day or two
Remove the cats from under the car. Depending on how old it is the bolts should break for you and make it really easy. I also cut the pipe right after the passenger side cat because I couldnt get to one of the nuts with ease. So when I removed the pass manifold the cat was still attached to it.
Originally Posted by ss1129
Remove the cats from under the car. Depending on how old it is the bolts should break for you and make it really easy. I also cut the pipe right after the passenger side cat because I couldnt get to one of the nuts with ease. So when I removed the pass manifold the cat was still attached to it.
Originally Posted by ss1129
Fudge it. Cut the pipe right after the cat. When you unbolt the manifold the whole thing will come out. You dont plan on keeping any of that junk do you?
Unplug the sensor. Take a 7/8ths wrench and remove the 02 from the pipe. Then just unbolt the manifold. I took all my sensors out before removing the pipes. Did you take all your plugs out?
Originally Posted by spazzyfry123
I'm doing the install right now actually. Lucky for me, a neighbor of mine owns a lift and is allowing me to use it for the install. Only things I finished today were: removing Y pipe, exhaust after the Y, and the O2's are out. Now the car is lowered and I am attempting to remove the A.I.R. and E.G.R. The E.G.R. is only connected to the passenger side, correct? And I can't get to the damn bolts connecting the driver's side cat. Any tips on how to get to those? Also, do I even need to remove the driver's side plugs? I haven't really looked at the passenger side, but the same question for that side? Also, what do you do with the other two O2 sensors? Since there are only two bungs on the Pacesetters for them. I'm assuming you use the rear ones correct? Then what do you do with the front two?
I'm sure I'm going to run into various other things along the install, but that's all I can think of right now.
Any other tips?
P.S. I will be running open headers for a day or two
I'm sure I'm going to run into various other things along the install, but that's all I can think of right now.
Any other tips?
P.S. I will be running open headers for a day or two
NO you keep the Front 02 sensors you delete the rears. That is why you need 02 sensor extensions. The front o2 sensors are what monitors you fuel ratio the rears monitor the cats.
