shorty header install update
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Joined: Feb 2006
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From: king of prussia, pa (home) and williamsport, pa (school)
shorty header install update well, this weekend was quite an adventure. i began by trying to remove all the bolts to the catback and y pipe and stripped all the threads. so, i rented a sawzall from home depot and went to town. took 10 minutes to take everything from the cats-back off.
drivers side manifold wasnt too bad to remove. just a bit time consuming. none of the bolts were truely a PITA.
tryin to get the new header in the drivers side and the steering linkage is all in the way. i gave up on that and moved on to gettin passenger side manifold off.
got all but 2 bolts off on that one right now. the furthest to the firewall bolt broke off.
i was quite pissed about it. it was the only bolt i didnt pb blast, and thats why it broke i suppose.
the 2 bolts that are holding it in right now are already loosened, just not out yet. i have 2 more afternoons to work on this car before it needs to be done.
Im just hoping i can get it all done in time 
drivers side manifold wasnt too bad to remove. just a bit time consuming. none of the bolts were truely a PITA.
tryin to get the new header in the drivers side and the steering linkage is all in the way. i gave up on that and moved on to gettin passenger side manifold off.
got all but 2 bolts off on that one right now. the furthest to the firewall bolt broke off.
i was quite pissed about it. it was the only bolt i didnt pb blast, and thats why it broke i suppose. the 2 bolts that are holding it in right now are already loosened, just not out yet. i have 2 more afternoons to work on this car before it needs to be done.
Im just hoping i can get it all done in time
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 148
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From: Stillwater, OK
theres 2 bolts one that connects the steering wheels shaft to the flexshaft then the one that connects the flexshaft to the rack and pinion, undo the one that connects the the flexshaft to the steering wheel first, makes it easier, then undo the one that connects to the rack and pinion, then be prepared to use a lil bit of finesse 
cough*hammer*cough because they rust on there a bit then just work it back and forth and the bottom part should come off first then you can just slide the upper part off of the steering wheel shaft coming thru the firewall, you can do it, just takes some time and finesse and patience
cough*hammer*cough because they rust on there a bit then just work it back and forth and the bottom part should come off first then you can just slide the upper part off of the steering wheel shaft coming thru the firewall, you can do it, just takes some time and finesse and patience What if you stripped out a header bolt where it goes into the head. I did that. Its one in the middle and there is no air leakage at all. Seals fine.
I'm gonna get it fixed at a shop. How hard do you guys think it is?
I'm gonna get it fixed at a shop. How hard do you guys think it is?
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I wasn't sure how to get the steering linkage loosened on mine (seemed rusted up, didn't want to break anything), so I just pulled the drivers side motor mount bolt and jacked the engine up an inch or so. Made it simple as pie, just an option if you can't get the linkage crap off.
That sucks about the broken bolt, I was very fortunate that none of mine broke off or stripped the holes in the heads. Only stuff that broke on mine were the studs for the stock y-pipe flanges to mount up to the stock exhaust manifolds, no big deal. I imagine it will be a bear to get that broken bolt sorted out depending on exactly how/where it broke off...
That sucks about the broken bolt, I was very fortunate that none of mine broke off or stripped the holes in the heads. Only stuff that broke on mine were the studs for the stock y-pipe flanges to mount up to the stock exhaust manifolds, no big deal. I imagine it will be a bear to get that broken bolt sorted out depending on exactly how/where it broke off...
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I tossed all of my old exhaust ****. lol
Stupid y-pipe bolts broke on at the cats and it hit me in the head lol.
Did you guys know that y-pipes fly like boomerangs? The air pissed me off too. That last bolt just wouldn't come out so I ripped the air out. Yeah I punted that sumbitch. Steeltoe does a number on that piece.
Stupid y-pipe bolts broke on at the cats and it hit me in the head lol.
Did you guys know that y-pipes fly like boomerangs? The air pissed me off too. That last bolt just wouldn't come out so I ripped the air out. Yeah I punted that sumbitch. Steeltoe does a number on that piece.
The steering linkage is easy to disconnect with 1 bolt where the flex joint connects onto the rack and pinion. Remove that and slide it up and off the R&P and the shaft will have plenty of play to install the header. My biggest pain was getting the EGR hooked up to the headers. the auto trans dipstick tube was in the way so I had to cut the bracket and move it because the bolt wouldn't come loose.
