My QTP headers...
My QTP headers... They are rattling against the body of my car the passanger side! They have been for 4 months and it just started about 2 weeks ago... It looks like it is up againts the 1" hole underneath the passangers side but it has always been like that and now around that area its making a horrible sound and it is retarding my timing (0.7). I have already hit it with a 5lb hammer with a piece of wood between the header and hammer.
How would i go about fixing this? The bolts are tight.
Thanks for any input.
How would i go about fixing this? The bolts are tight.
Thanks for any input.
TECH Resident
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 937
Likes: 0
From: South Alabama
You need to get it up in the air and/or look at it closely from the top and figure out exactly what is transpiring. At least thats the impresion I get from your thread, Its not very clear from the info you've given exactly what is happening. Perhaps you just need to explain it better to us before a logical solution can be reached. Perhaps the header bolts are loose? Or a dozen other things.
The header bolts are tight.
When the engine is under normal stress/driving condtions i can here this knocking and i can feel it. The clearence between the header and body (the hole where the header fits down through) is bad, so bad i can not fit a piece of paper between them and i now can see the ware on the headers where its rubbing and rattling. Also if i put my car in drive and pull the brake and get out i can hear the rattling.
The only way i can see to fix it is to have someone bend the headers some or get some solid motor mounts.
When the engine is under normal stress/driving condtions i can here this knocking and i can feel it. The clearence between the header and body (the hole where the header fits down through) is bad, so bad i can not fit a piece of paper between them and i now can see the ware on the headers where its rubbing and rattling. Also if i put my car in drive and pull the brake and get out i can hear the rattling.
The only way i can see to fix it is to have someone bend the headers some or get some solid motor mounts.
Man that sux, I know my clearance on mine there is very little as well but they dont bang around like that. My guess is somthing in the exhaust got loose, maybe not the header bolts but somthing else. I would check all the hangers and clamps. One thing to check is if you are using some band clamps around the headers check the position of them. If they are upside down the bolts can possibly be hitting somthing under the car. I would put it up in the air if possible. Maybe if you have a drive on lift or alignment rack you can get it on I'd put it on there and have a buddy in the car with the parking brake on and in drive and you can look and see. Good luck man I hope you find the source of this.
Trending Topics
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Gifts Neither Your Dad Nor Grad Will Shove Into the 'Trinket Drawer'
Brett Foote
Topdon ONE vs. Artidiag 800 BT2: Which is the Diagnostic Tablet For You?
Pouria Savadkouei
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Done that with my ORY in two places, i used the AIR pump box tubing. The problem is that i can't even fit a piece of paper between the header and the piece its rattling against.
TECH Resident
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 937
Likes: 0
From: South Alabama
Answer may be as simple as slightly denting a primary, or you may need a BFH mod, or could be the QTP's are out of configuration (not impossible with their quality control), and the list goes on...
Need more data...
TECH Resident
iTrader: (1)
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 848
Likes: 0
From: Tree-Hugging, Bug eating CALI'
Have you tried to loosen the header bolts and position them further away from where they are touching. Also, consider loosening the tranny crossmember bolts and see if you can move it enough to compansate. I've done both of these and have had a little luck. In the end, I ended up just grinding my K-member and the problem stopped. Make sure the #2 cylinder primary tube isn't just resting on the crossmember. That could be your problem too.
Good luck
Good luck
Tech Resident
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,117
Likes: 3
From: Philly
It's weird that it was fine for 4 months and the rattling just started out of nowhere. Check your motor mounts. One may have literally dropped. When I put my headers in, I was shocked to find out that one of the motor mounts completely dropped. The engine was sitting totally crooked and it was impossible to tell from the engine bay. We had to throw the car up on the lift and straighten out the motor. I gotta check mine too because for some reason, my cat is tapping my floorboard when I take off under moderate to hard throttle. It was totally fine two months ago, and I've only driven my car 2 or 3 times since then. It's come out of nowhere. Something may have come loose. These freaking rubber mounts SUCK. I COMPLETELY regret not getting poly motor mounts put in during the header install. I think I've tweaked the mounts 3 times. I found a box of 1000 degree HVAC insulation at work that the contractors threw away and left out in the rain. I think I'm going to jam a piece between the driver's side cat and the floorboard for the time being.
When i first installed my QTP LTs, they too were resting on the K member. I forgot what side it was, all i did was part of the K member away and have been perfect since.
And while you were doing the LTs, that would have been the time to do poly motor mounts! B/C with the LTs in the way, there are a PITA to get too.. Take it from me who just did motor mounts 2 weeks ago..
Ohh and Anthony..... I LOVE MY GMMG
And while you were doing the LTs, that would have been the time to do poly motor mounts! B/C with the LTs in the way, there are a PITA to get too.. Take it from me who just did motor mounts 2 weeks ago..
Ohh and Anthony..... I LOVE MY GMMG
Give it a few months til you get bored with that, too. You'll wish for the TD's again TECH Resident
iTrader: (1)
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 848
Likes: 0
From: Tree-Hugging, Bug eating CALI'
It's weird that it was fine for 4 months and the rattling just started out of nowhere. Check your motor mounts. One may have literally dropped. When I put my headers in, I was shocked to find out that one of the motor mounts completely dropped. The engine was sitting totally crooked and it was impossible to tell from the engine bay. We had to throw the car up on the lift and straighten out the motor. I gotta check mine too because for some reason, my cat is tapping my floorboard when I take off under moderate to hard throttle. It was totally fine two months ago, and I've only driven my car 2 or 3 times since then. It's come out of nowhere. Something may have come loose. These freaking rubber mounts SUCK. I COMPLETELY regret not getting poly motor mounts put in during the header install. I think I've tweaked the mounts 3 times. I found a box of 1000 degree HVAC insulation at work that the contractors threw away and left out in the rain. I think I'm going to jam a piece between the driver's side cat and the floorboard for the time being.
What my point is is if yours is in a similar location, have a look around the crossmember. You may have to trim it in order to get more clearance. After I did, I didn't have near the ground clearance issues and no rubbing.
Tech Resident
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,117
Likes: 3
From: Philly
Where is your driver's side cat' located? I remember that you posted pics' when you had the Y-pipe but I couldn't view them from the computer. Anyways, the reason I ask is because I changed my catd' QTP Y-pipe and moved the cat' from QTP's position on the driver's side, to hang right off the collector on that header. That, unfortunately, put it right under a stamped sheetmetal crossmember and I ended up trimming it a little bit to gain clearance to the body and to push the cat' a little higher from the ground.
What my point is is if yours is in a similar location, have a look around the crossmember. You may have to trim it in order to get more clearance. After I did, I didn't have near the ground clearance issues and no rubbing.
What my point is is if yours is in a similar location, have a look around the crossmember. You may have to trim it in order to get more clearance. After I did, I didn't have near the ground clearance issues and no rubbing.
Here's a pic:
The collectors are perfect. That's just a tough location for a cat.
EDIT - now you got me thinking. Maybe you're right and all the tilting of the motor mounts I've been doing may have pivoted the headers to be touching the k-member under hard throttle. It's only there in first gear when I take off hard. I'll have to check next time I do an oil change or get it up on the lift. I may have to take a file to the edge of the k-member.
Last edited by ChocoTaco369; Jul 19, 2008 at 01:49 PM.
Are you saying they should point slightly downward? yes before i did my poly mounts they were sitting a little high, then when i did the poly moutnts the LTs were at a slight downward angle....