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how hard to put headers on LS1

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Old Oct 2, 2006 | 11:26 PM
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From: Leon Iowa
Default how hard to put headers on LS1

I would like to buy some used longtubes for my 2000 WS6 but how much of a pain is it to do? My buddy and I put some on my C5 and that was a bitch! If it isn't that hard to do then I will post a WTB and see if anybody has a set. Don't want to spend a ton but I just got some money in paypal so now I need to spend it.
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Old Oct 2, 2006 | 11:32 PM
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The first time I did them on my car, it wasn't that hard but just a lot of bruised knuckles and scraped arms. You need patience and extra hands to get done faster. Have a nice 10mm wrench and sockets and all that good stuff and you'll get them done. The 2nd time we did them on a friends car and had them in the car in about 3-4 hours. The more people the better. Make sure you remove the coil packs, that should make it easier. And since yours is a 2000, your coils should come off in a rail, making it easier.
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Old Oct 2, 2006 | 11:37 PM
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Originally Posted by DaGeneral
The first time I did them on my car, it wasn't that hard but just a lot of bruised knuckles and scraped arms. You need patience and extra hands to get done faster. Have a nice 10mm wrench and sockets and all that good stuff and you'll get them done. The 2nd time we did them on a friends car and had them in the car in about 3-4 hours. The more people the better. Make sure you remove the coil packs, that should make it easier. And since yours is a 2000, your coils should come off in a rail, making it easier.
How do they go in? Like on my vette the drivers side went in from the bottom and the pass side went from the top.
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Old Oct 2, 2006 | 11:43 PM
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I honestly enjoyed putting headers on my car. I didn't enjoy putting them on my friend's LT1 . Both of mine went in from the bottom VERY easily (pacesetter), and took 11hrs... thanks to 5hrs of trying to get the dipstick out (it was being a *****). I'd go for it personally, pacesetters with y-pipe can be had for 500 new, and even less if used. Good luck.

-J
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Old Oct 2, 2006 | 11:44 PM
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both go in from the bottem. mine were pretty easy only had to take off the oil filter and the steering knuckle for the drivers side and the passenger side just slide in. Just be ready to bust your hands up some
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Old Oct 2, 2006 | 11:50 PM
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Originally Posted by najss
both go in from the bottem. mine were pretty easy only had to take off the oil filter and the steering knuckle for the drivers side and the passenger side just slide in. Just be ready to bust your hands up some
yea when we put the headers on my vette I looked like I had been in a fight and lost
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Old Oct 3, 2006 | 12:00 AM
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It is not really a pain at all. It can be a difficult task in some instances however. Other than that you will feel like you accomplished a pretty good project when you finish up.
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Old Oct 3, 2006 | 05:42 AM
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I was so skepticle about doing the install. After, glad that I did it. Me and the wife did it actually. Both slid up from the bottom, no probs at all. We just got done with our first H/C swap about 3 weeks ago. Im telling you, these engines are really pretty easy to work on.
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Old Oct 3, 2006 | 06:07 AM
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real easy passanger side went right in and drivers side i just removed the steering shaft and that slide right in to. also i removed the coil packs on the passanger side and it made it 100x easier. this was edelbrock lt's btw awesome product for the price
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Old Oct 3, 2006 | 06:21 AM
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It's not to bad. This was my first fbody. My friend I had helping me had done like 4 header installs on LS1's. He baby sat me while I did some work. I had him help me with quite a few things which turned out to be just a little trick. We finished in like 4 1/2 5 hours dicking around some + with me not really knowing what I was doing.
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Old Oct 3, 2006 | 06:55 AM
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Have a shop do the install and do not bother with that ****.
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Old Oct 3, 2006 | 07:05 AM
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Its really not that hard. If you have any mechanical ability at all, you shouldn't have to much of a problem. Only thing you should really run into problems with, is maybe mating the headers to the ypipe, or the Y to the rest of the exhaust.
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Old Oct 3, 2006 | 09:30 AM
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Ya there not all that hard, just watch for all the wires on the pass. side. And you do have to push the tranny and stuff to get the headers in usually but i know i had to with my SLP's. took me bout 11 hours just bc i kept screwing up.
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Old Oct 3, 2006 | 10:51 AM
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Originally Posted by Urban Legend
Have a shop do the install and do not bother with that ****.
this guy is the smart one
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Old Oct 3, 2006 | 11:53 AM
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Originally Posted by Tainted
this guy is the smart one
HaHa, my shop turned me down.
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Old Oct 3, 2006 | 12:32 PM
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If you can use a lift, it will be a cake. A friend w/ helping hand is all a big help.
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Old Oct 3, 2006 | 12:43 PM
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Drive the car for about an hour before you do the work. It helps to loosen the header bolts.
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Old Oct 3, 2006 | 12:51 PM
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Its not that hard. I've had mine on and off couple times. Once you get the damn coil packs and secodnary airtubes out of the way its failr easy access. I didnt have to do thing on the drivers side slid right in. In fact they fall out if not attach its that easy.
Passenger side was more fun. First installation I had the egr tube. Had to move the starter and then get them almost vertical to get them in. You need to be off the ground by at least 30 inches. If you go race style then its a lot easier. My egr tube broke after I deleted it so I had to take the header off and have it repaired. Was a heck of a lot easier going back in without the egr tube.
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Old Oct 3, 2006 | 01:16 PM
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its not too bad, def go for it, both headers will go in from the bottom, the passenger side will take some persuasion but it will go in, everyone told me to get the ratcheting 10mm wrench, dont get it, you will never ever use it once as long as you have a good socket set, I never used it, and the whole job took me about 2 days about 15 hours total of work, but this was me all by myself w/o one bit of help and I also changed the plugs and wires and the oil while I was at it. just make sure you set aside at least 2 days for the job just in case you run into problems.....for me I broke spark plug putting the driver side header in and I had I couldnt get one until the next day....
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Old Oct 3, 2006 | 01:57 PM
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As long as you have a buddy, it's not that hard. It took me and a friend about 10 hours total, only because we had to do a few tool/bolt runs and also had to grind a little bit off the k member. Plus my car is a 98 so we had to remove each coil pack one by one. Not to mention the bitch of a time i had with the egr egr and air bolting up using the spacers. One big bit of advice is to safely get the car as high off the ground as possible.
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