Texas speed headers rubbing/getting dented by other part

[Mak3fit]

So I recently got texas long tube headers and had them installed by a shop.
I have been hearing a strange rattle from engine passenger side and decided to check around the headers and saw that a part of the headers is touching another part(have no idea what part that is) and there’s even a small dent from these parts rubbing I guess. I have Texas speed catted headers, did my shop install them wrong? Is this normal for long tube headers on mustangs and I just have to deal with it?
(Images are attatched)

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[LOL WUT]

That is your AC line.

The best option is to loosen the motor mounts and shove the motor to the drivers side as far as possible.

The second but easier and riskier option is to try and coax that AC line to move up and to the passenger side. The AC line is not the strongest thing so too much force on it is not encouraged.

Lastly, that has got to be creating false knock and killing your timing and subsequently your power.

 

[NGOT8R]

Another way to make sure you get plenty of clearance from that primary tube is to mark it off where it makes contact, with thr AC line, remove the header, heat it up red hot and put a socket on a long extension, hold the socket against the red hot area on the header and tighten them down together in a vice to make a dimple in the header.

If this is not handled correctly and in a timely manner, the continued rubbing will wear a hole in the header and then you’ll have an exhaust leak right there.

 

[Mak3fit]

Hey guys, I put metal zip ties for now and it worked. Rattle and banging is gone and the zip tie will be able to withstand the temperatures. Is the tiny dent anything to worry about? Should I try to get a refund or replacement for this side of header? It was 1320 Motorsport who did this job

 

[NGOT8R]

The dent is nothing to worry about (other than aesthetics). It won’t affect power at all. I read an article ,a while ago about a test that was done on a header set. They beat the primaries with a hammer and dinged them up badly and it still didn’t hurt power at all.

 

[Mak3fit]

Alright thank you, still sad about it:( but glad it’s just an aesthetic issue only. Planning on boosting the car soon so didn’t want to have to replace my headers already

 

[NGOT8R]

Alright thank you, still sad about it:( but glad it’s just an aesthetic issue only. Planning on boosting the car soon so didn’t want to have to replace my headers already

If you ever have to remove them for any reason, you can take the time to dimple them and make them look better. Can you install a camera from underneath to see what’s happening during engine torque over during acceleration? I wonder if the straps will hold from the repeated stress.

It sucks to have to remove them, but it’s really not that bad to do. I had to do the same thing with a brand new set of headers that didn’t fit my car (steering shaft wouldn’t clear the primary tubes on one side and the collector was angled up on the passenger side). It was worth the extra effort to remove them and get it right. I haven’t had a single issue with clearance since then and that was over 3 1/2 years ago..

 

[Mak3fit]

the straps I think will be fine cause I made sure to put multiple and also to push the AC while locking them so that it would be extra tight. I’ll see if I can get a go pro underneath or something to see if it’s fine under load.

as for the dent I’m gonna see if the shop will cover the costs because I feel like this is something they should have checked for before giving the car back to me anyways. Whether they fix the dent or just order a new right header it wouldn’t be that expensive for them

 

[NGOT8R]

the straps I think will be fine cause I made sure to put multiple and also to push the AC while locking them so that it would be extra tight. I’ll see if I can get a go pro underneath or something to see if it’s fine under load.

as for the dent I’m gonna see if the shop will cover the costs because I feel like this is something they should have checked for before giving the car back to me anyways. Whether they fix the dent or just order a new right header it wouldn’t be that expensive for them

It’s worth asking for sure. That would definitely be a stand-up act on the part of the installer if they order a new header for you. If they do, I would ask them to dimple it in the area where contact was made with the AC line before installing it. They wouldn’t have to guess at it because they could used the damaged header as a template.

After I removed the first set of headers from my car, I contacted the manufacturer and asked them to send me a call tag, so that I could ship them back on their dime and they ignored me. They obviously didn’t want them back, so I mounted one on my garage wall as wall art and threw the other one away, since no one else wanted it to use for wall art in their garage.

Here it is mounted on my garage wall.

 

[Mak3fit]

Pretty sure the ac line is still rubbing under load sadly, might purchase kooks headers as people say the fitment of those would be better and I won’t run into these issues. The catted kooks are extremely expensive though and I don’t really need to replace my cats of course. If I bought kooks catless headers would they work with my texas speed high flow cat connection pipes?

 

[Ls_Eater]

Loosen the top of the motor mounts - place a pry bar between the passenger header & the body and push towards the driver side.

Have a buddy tighten down the motor mounts while holding pressure - I had the same issue with mine when they sent me their prototype set way back when.

The dents are nothing to worry about - people have been hammering their headers for years to make clearancing better - been dyno proven over and over again not effect power.

 

[Mak3fit]

I don’t really want to screw with the engine placement too much and I heard that if u move it too much to the drivers side it can hit the steering column. Id rather just have good fitment without this headache which is why I’m asking if the kooks headers will connect to my texas speed catted connection pipes

 

[Ls_Eater]

Kooks use a Ball/Socket style connector where as Texas Speed use a slip over joint - you'd need either an exhaust shop to modify them or to purchase kooks cats and connect them to your existing mid-pipe.

 

[NGOT8R]

Have you considered adding polyurethane motor mounts to help reduce engine torque-over?

 

[Mak3fit]

Considered it but many people complain about the vibration and say it’s just too much for a street car and I would like to keep the daily drivability

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