Burkey
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #1
I thought this might be handy for anyone considering installing headers themselves.
Short version: Just don't do it. Pay someone. Drink beer. Laugh at them. Life is good.
Long version: Whan absolute bitch of a job!
A few points to consider before reading further...
I was doing this with a mechanic on a hoist. Anyone contemplating jack stands at home with limited tools, you are my hero.
Car is a manual (auto is harder apparently, not sure how that's possible :shrug
I'm lowering the engine 3/4" so any mention of steering clearance issues probably won't apply to "normal" people.
Final point, other brands may not present the same issues, or could present new ones. No idea sorry.
The process:
I'm skipping removal of the factory exhaust. It's simple enough.
I'm detailing the drivers side only, cos that's the hardest one from what I know so far. A full day under the car, one side done....
Remove anything you need from the boot before disconnecting battery, THEN disconnect battery. Just saying.
Undo 10mm bolts at base of steering column (inside the car) and pull up the assembly (this allows things to move a bit)
Remove as many nuts from top side of factory headers as you can before lifting the car. The furthest one forward on each side is all I coulda mangage. You'll need to push the sound tube out of the way for the passenger side too...
Lift car.
Place stand under sump to support engine.
Remove aluminium bracket for engine mounts and engine mounts.
Remove starter motor.
Remove uni joint in steering column. Mark the surfaces for alignment before doing so.
Proceed to struggle with getting the nuts off the remaining header studs.
Remove the remaining studs once the headers are off, leaving the furthest forward, top stud in place, you'll need this to hang the gasket and headers off.
I found that the gasket kept slipping off as we tried to put the headers into place. I cable tied them to the headers as shown in a coming pic. Simply cut the cable ties once you have a few bolts in place.
CJPP have a video showing how they ran the studs in and out a few times to clean the threads up. I suggest you just run a tap through and be done with it.
We were able to hetman the bottom bolts in without too much fuss, but the top ones are a nightmare. There's no clearance for your hand, you have no line of sight and because the gaskets and headers are slotted on the bottom side, the gasket can fall down a little and prevent the bolt getting started. It sucks.
Once we had the headers in place (HOURS later), the next challenge wwas the reassembly of all the other bits.
THIS PART IS IMPORTANT!
We then went to put the engine mount back into place, only to find that the aluminium cast section won't fit back in the gap with the headers tight...
So, this needs to go loosely into the cavity BEFORE you tighten the headers. You've been told. It sucks to tighten a heap of nuts in shit spots only to find that's you need to undo them and retighten again.
NEXT CHALLENGE:
The starter motor will not fit back into its home as a complete unit. Clearance to the headers is minimal at best.
We found that the only way to get it back in it's slot was to remove the solenoid from the starter motor body. Take extreme care if you're doing this, the plastic parts inside don't look very strong.
Install starter motor, reinstall solenoid.
Then there's the wiring to reconnect. Simple enough, but somehow in some crap spots. :frusty:
LOWERING THE ENGINE
As I said, I've opted to lower the engine 3/4" via some UPR engine mounts.
I selected these because apparently they are the least harsh of the lot.
It's worth pointing out that the factory mounts are fluid filled (they absorb a heap of noise and movement). I'm thinking the UPR items won't do any of that. Time will tell.
As a result of lowering the engine, the headers clash on the steering column. Tomorrow's job is to put a dent in the header tube and provide clearance. I have a selection of persuaders in various sizes for exactly this kind of job.
I didn't keep exact notes on the install so this is simply my recollection of 8 hours of intensive cursing and scraped knuckles. I'm just trying to highlight some of the bullet points in the hope that it helps someone else if they're silly enough to have a go themselves. Ideally they'll be smart enough to just pay someone else...
Apologies if it's not absolutely correct. :cheers:
Short version: Just don't do it. Pay someone. Drink beer. Laugh at them. Life is good.
Long version: Whan absolute bitch of a job!
A few points to consider before reading further...
I was doing this with a mechanic on a hoist. Anyone contemplating jack stands at home with limited tools, you are my hero.
Car is a manual (auto is harder apparently, not sure how that's possible :shrug
I'm lowering the engine 3/4" so any mention of steering clearance issues probably won't apply to "normal" people.
Final point, other brands may not present the same issues, or could present new ones. No idea sorry.
The process:
I'm skipping removal of the factory exhaust. It's simple enough.
I'm detailing the drivers side only, cos that's the hardest one from what I know so far. A full day under the car, one side done....
Remove anything you need from the boot before disconnecting battery, THEN disconnect battery. Just saying.
Undo 10mm bolts at base of steering column (inside the car) and pull up the assembly (this allows things to move a bit)
Remove as many nuts from top side of factory headers as you can before lifting the car. The furthest one forward on each side is all I coulda mangage. You'll need to push the sound tube out of the way for the passenger side too...
Lift car.
Place stand under sump to support engine.
Remove aluminium bracket for engine mounts and engine mounts.
Remove starter motor.
Remove uni joint in steering column. Mark the surfaces for alignment before doing so.
Proceed to struggle with getting the nuts off the remaining header studs.
Remove the remaining studs once the headers are off, leaving the furthest forward, top stud in place, you'll need this to hang the gasket and headers off.
I found that the gasket kept slipping off as we tried to put the headers into place. I cable tied them to the headers as shown in a coming pic. Simply cut the cable ties once you have a few bolts in place.
CJPP have a video showing how they ran the studs in and out a few times to clean the threads up. I suggest you just run a tap through and be done with it.
We were able to hetman the bottom bolts in without too much fuss, but the top ones are a nightmare. There's no clearance for your hand, you have no line of sight and because the gaskets and headers are slotted on the bottom side, the gasket can fall down a little and prevent the bolt getting started. It sucks.
Once we had the headers in place (HOURS later), the next challenge wwas the reassembly of all the other bits.
THIS PART IS IMPORTANT!
We then went to put the engine mount back into place, only to find that the aluminium cast section won't fit back in the gap with the headers tight...
So, this needs to go loosely into the cavity BEFORE you tighten the headers. You've been told. It sucks to tighten a heap of nuts in shit spots only to find that's you need to undo them and retighten again.
NEXT CHALLENGE:
The starter motor will not fit back into its home as a complete unit. Clearance to the headers is minimal at best.
We found that the only way to get it back in it's slot was to remove the solenoid from the starter motor body. Take extreme care if you're doing this, the plastic parts inside don't look very strong.
Install starter motor, reinstall solenoid.
Then there's the wiring to reconnect. Simple enough, but somehow in some crap spots. :frusty:
LOWERING THE ENGINE
As I said, I've opted to lower the engine 3/4" via some UPR engine mounts.
I selected these because apparently they are the least harsh of the lot.
It's worth pointing out that the factory mounts are fluid filled (they absorb a heap of noise and movement). I'm thinking the UPR items won't do any of that. Time will tell.
As a result of lowering the engine, the headers clash on the steering column. Tomorrow's job is to put a dent in the header tube and provide clearance. I have a selection of persuaders in various sizes for exactly this kind of job.
I didn't keep exact notes on the install so this is simply my recollection of 8 hours of intensive cursing and scraped knuckles. I'm just trying to highlight some of the bullet points in the hope that it helps someone else if they're silly enough to have a go themselves. Ideally they'll be smart enough to just pay someone else...
Apologies if it's not absolutely correct. :cheers:
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