Finally got my Kooks installed yesterday. Took about 9 hours. There was three of us working on it in a garage on jackstands. Things seemed to be going pretty good on the teardown. Removing most of the stock stuff was okay. Until we hit the EGR. We didn't unhook it from the stock exhaust manifold when it was bolted up to the head. So with the one bolt unhooked out of the intake manifold, we tried working the whole stock exhaust manifold w/ EGR down through the bottom. Nope. So we dicked around using a sawzall, but ended up using a cutting wheel and nuked the thing. Everything else on the teardown went smooth as butta. For the install, well, that got a bit hairy.

For the passenger side, it slid right in. No probs whatsoever. The drivers side, um, yeah, that's a different story. We had the car more than high enough to get it in, it just wasn't going in. All 3 of us tried putting it in, with no luck whatsoever. Dropped the oil filter hoping to get room, but it didn't seem to help. So we undid the big 18mm bolt in the motor mount and tried lifting the engine. The bolt didn't seem to come all the way out. So we got the engine up about an inch, still wouldn't slid in. Undid the tranny mount and jacked the back of the tranny hoping to tilt the engine a little and let it slide in. Nope. About this time, I'm ready to yak. I start having the BubbleGuts in the stomach. Nerves are getting to me. So we do the motor mount one more time. We jacked up it so high, the intake started to hit my strut tower brace. Held up, undid that, and continued. A couple of pumps of the jack and BOOM! It's in!!!

So, of course, there is a mandatory trip to the auto store. Swing down to AutoZone, get a sparkplug gapper for the NGKs, a oil filter and some oil. Come back and get to work. Removed the AIR pump from underneath and the tubing. Left the UFO looking thing in there. Have to go back and grab it. Got everything with the headers wrapped up. New MSD wires on and new plugs gapped and installed. Fired it up with just headers. Thing would barely stay running. Made a clip right here-->

http://video.ls1tech.com/video/a5754...8ded1687eb.htm

So, onto the Y-pipe. Great fitting Y-pipe. But it seemed the GMMG I-pipe was going to be too long. We undid the rear bolt mount on the GMMG, and moved it back to fit the Y on the headers. Got the Y on, but the bolt sat nearly 1 1/2 off the GMMG. Time for a board and a BFH on the Y to move it foward on the headers. After some banging, got it on far enough to be able to bolt the GMMG back on the stock bolt. Everything seemed to be bolted up. Started it up. Think it's done, but far from done. RANCID exhaust leak from the drivers side header. Turned it off after 5 seconds. Tighted things up, tried it again. This time had it running for 3 seconds. Didn't want things to get too hot. Still had a leak with reusing the stock gaskets. One more pass on the bolts and gave it shot. YES!!! No leak!

Backed out of the garage and gave it some gas. Smoked like a damn chimney out the exhaust. That stainless steel smell was rank. Car idled fine. No bouncing and real smooth. Right now, this thing is LOUD! Sounds way different right now when acclerating. Going from stock manis/cats/GMMG to KOOKS/CattedY/GMMG. It has a more crisp gurgly sound. I'm thinking once I put some miles on it, things will learn and get re-adjusted and the sound will change.

Here is a clip of startup/reving on a warm car. Shitty digital camera mic, waiting to get camcorder back.

http://video.ls1tech.com/video/fc557...adf9ba17fc.htm

Thanks to Greg and Brad!! Even when **** don't go right and it disgusts me, they never give up. Thanks fellas.

 

Bad *** man! Looks like you have a 2000$ setup on there! Glad you like it.

 

Sweet! I'm glad everything worked for you! Now it's time to cam that thing!

 

Nice. Sound is perfect.

I didn't know that Kooks stainless y-pipes came in catted as well.

 

Yep, here are some pics of the Stainless Steel Catted Y.




Here are a few shots during the install. I wanted to take a lot of pics, but I also wanted to get done in a timely manner. So I didn't get to take as many as I wanted. I'm sure I'll end up doing someone elses headers sometime, so I'll do it then.

 

Yeah, I'm waiting for a fella I know around here to step up to bigger cam in his drag car, then maybe I'll get his "sloppy seconds".

 

My driver's side Kooks header went right in without having to remove anything. I guess every car is just different.

 

Did you get a chance to start it with open headers? Thats the fun part

 

Congrats!

I totally forgot to tell you that you had to remove the steering knuckle to get the drivers header in easier.

 

Sounds exactly like the install of my friends Kooks. He has the exact same setup as you. Driver side was tricky, removed oil filter etc. Ended up jacking the car all the way enough to stick the header in with the collector pointing straight at the ground and it went in.

I like the way they bend their driver side section of the y-pipe so that it fits better. Kooks **** is the only stuff you don't need poly motor mounts on.

 

can we see some clearance pics of the y pipe? nice set up you got there!

 

Sounds tough man! Need to bring it over sometime so I can hear it in person.

 

AUUGHH!! Now ya tell me!!! I'm already a nervous type person as it is! So I've had these things for like 3 months waiting to install, and I've read nearly EVERY header install thread there is. I keep seeing the same thing in the threads made in the last year and half. Do poly motor mounts while you're doing it! Especially to cure the Y-pipe banging. I was "on the fence" for about a month, and just decided to give it a shot without them and face the consequences. After really giving just gas, and not hearing the Y hit the floor, I was happy to say the least. Now I read I probably didn't even need to anyways with Kooks. Thanks a lot!! LOL.


Here are some pics. The pop can fit all the way under the Y-pipe. The cats hang down just a smidge lower on the can. Maybe 1/4 inch. Excellent clearance from the Kooks headers and Y! I can post up a few more if need. Imagevenue is pooping on me.

 

Diet dew? What are you watching your figure now?


Car looks good/ sounds good.

 

Yep, once you get married, you think you can let your body go to slop? Gotta maintain my friend, maintain.

Plus, something else I just though of. I'm trying to improve my ET, not just with Headers but with driver weight reduction.

Sorry - >

 

Good, this means I'm not the only one who thinks about that while working out!

"Hmmm new k-member will cost me $400 to loose 25lbs when I could loose it for FREE right now!"

 

Haha thats the extact same thing we had to do when installing my Kooks headers, reading your story was like deja vu.

 

nice setup, i wish i had that much clearance... i couldnt even get one of those mini cans under my car... haha

 

nice setup

 

thank you sir!