[Biginboca]

Brown Santa dropped these off today...



Going to try and install them this week. Looked for some write ups and couldn’t find one exactly for these headers, but the threads I’ve found say 6 hour install... 9 hour install... huh!?!?

What am I missing here this looks like a 2-3 hour install tops just looking at the parts, it’s just 2 bolts at the midpipe and 8 for each headers connection to the engine.

Anyone have any tips or able to fill me in on what difficulties to expect? Is there a good write up with torque specs anywhere?

Thanks!

[avocet]

Couple threads on here with some really good info... it is not a technically difficult install, but a pain in the ass.

Keep track of your O2 sensor plugs(which bank). And you might want to try and get a few special tools for the nuts and sensors.

I can't actually remember but I don't think I had to loosen the engine mount. I seem to recall people pulling the mount and support to make it easier to re/re, but I definitely didn't do that.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...header+install

[W37V]

Engine mounts? What?

I have done it twice so far. It’s easy. Bit tedious. No need for any special tools. Just unplug connectors to o2 sensors. Don’t remove sensors from headers until they are out of the car.

Putting headers back in will require some patience. However, the biggest tip I can give you is - in the front of the engine (by cylinder 1 and 2), there is a little bracket on the side that covers a cutout on the engine block. The cutout does not appear to have any functionality. When installing headers, remove that little bracket. It will give you just enough clearance for headers to go back in smoothly. They will just slide in there.

[Biginboca]

Originally Posted by W37V

Engine mounts? What?

I have done it twice so far. It’s easy. Bit tedious. No need for any special tools. Just unplug connectors to o2 sensors. Don’t remove sensors from headers until they are out of the car.

Putting headers back in will require some patience. However, the biggest tip I can give you is - in the front of the engine (by cylinder 1 and 2), there is a little bracket on the side that covers a cutout on the engine block. The cutout does not appear to have any functionality. When installing headers, remove that little bracket. It will give you just enough clearance for headers to go back in smoothly. They will just slide in there.

Thanks for that tip, that’s exactly the kind of thing I’m looking for. How long of an install would you say it is?

[Cdutch513]

Originally Posted by Biginboca

Thanks for that tip, that’s exactly the kind of thing I’m looking for. How long of an install would you say it is?

Took me 8 hours. It's easy but I have big hands so I was bustin my knuckles trying to squeeze them in. It's all about finding the right spot to slide them down. When torquing, it's also difficult to get some of the nuts. I had to use like two swivel joints with extensions. Also some of the nuts will be super tight from constantly heating and cooling. So some of the lubricant spray will help.
Needless to say I paid a shop to do it when I had them removed. I make more in a day than it cost me. Time is money.

[Biginboca]

Ok thanks. I see everyone says you need a swivel head 11mm wrench for this job. I couldn’t find a single wrench available locally, and Lowe’s only had a full set of swivels in stock for $90!

I found this set of angled heads on sale for $12. Any reason the 11mm ratcheting wrench in this set wouldn’t do the same job for the header install?

[W37V]

You could do a flexible elbow for ratchet. Get few different size extensions.

First time it took me almost 12 hours, but that includes jacking up the car, and numerous runs to Lowes to get tools.

Second time it took me less than 6 to do it all.

It’s really not hard job. Just a bit time consuming. There is nothing complicated about it whatsoever. Just remember to label your connections for o2 sensors. I used masking tape and just wrote numbers on them, so I knew which wire goes where 1-1, 2-2 etc.

[Biginboca]

Originally Posted by W37V

Engine mounts? What?

I have done it twice so far. It’s easy. Bit tedious. No need for any special tools. Just unplug connectors to o2 sensors. Don’t remove sensors from headers until they are out of the car.

Putting headers back in will require some patience. However, the biggest tip I can give you is - in the front of the engine (by cylinder 1 and 2), there is a little bracket on the side that covers a cutout on the engine block. The cutout does not appear to have any functionality. When installing headers, remove that little bracket. It will give you just enough clearance for headers to go back in smoothly. They will just slide in there.

Is this the bracket you are talking about I circled in Red? The one that holds the 3 wires going to sensors?

What about the brackets I circled in yellow? Do those need to come off also?

[W37V]

Originally Posted by Biginboca

Is this the bracket you are talking about I circled in Red? The one that holds the 3 wires going to sensors?

What about the brackets I circled in yellow? Do those need to come off also?

Just the red one. It will provide just a little bit more of clearance for headers to slide in there.

[Biginboca]

Originally Posted by W37V

Just the red one. It will provide just a little bit more of clearance for headers to slide in there.

Ok cool, thank you!

[Biginboca]

Just to wrap this up, the headers install went very smoothly today. Here’s a few notes for those who come after...

Enlist a friend. With 2 of us working we got it done in 5 hours with just the front on jackstands. Having someone under the car and one above under the hood looking down makes this job exponentially faster and easier.

Soak all the header bolts and exhaust bolts with PB blaster and give it at least an hour to do its thing. Not one head stud came out of my block the header nuts all came off clean and easy not a single issue.

The 4 bigger 15mm nuts where the exhaust bolts to the header, well I had to bear down on those with a breaker bar they were super rusty. And 3 of those broke! But a non issue you aren’t reusing any of these so if you have to cut them or they break it’s a total non issue.

I removed both brackets in the photo I used above. (The red circled one and the yellow circled one.) Once you move the coolant reservoir out of the way it’s easy to get to those brackets, and it’s only 3 E-Torx bolts total to remove both brackets. A 1/4” socket fits these E-Torx bolts fine.

You need a 22mm open end wrench for swapping the O2 sensors. Make sure you have one before you start if you don’t have O2 sockets, which I don’t but I have wrenches luckily.

Using ratchets, extensions, and a 7/16” box wrench I was able to remove and install the headers no issues. Never needed the floppy head 11mm ratcheting wrench others say is indespensible. I used the U shaped end of the 7/16” wrench at an off angle on the 2 pesky bottom center bolts on both of the AA headers. These 2 on the rear header are the only bolts out of the 16 total I installed from below the car, all the others was decent access from topside and a normal/extended 11mm socket and ratchets with various length extensions and a 1/4” swivel.

[CobraMarty]

Nicely done.

There is going to be a glut of stock exhaust manifolds for sale on Ebay now. Ha.

So how is the results of your hard work??

I'm sure last night you had to got out and buy a bottle of water and then go back out for a piece of gum and today again go out for a cup of coffee. Or any other reason to get to drive it.

[Biginboca]

Originally Posted by CobraMarty

Nicely done.

There is going to be a glut of stock exhaust manifolds for sale on Ebay now. Ha.

So how is the results of your hard work??

I'm sure last night you had to got out and buy a bottle of water and then go back out for a piece of gum and today again go out for a cup of coffee. Or any other reason to get to drive it.

Well I didn’t have the chance to run it last night but I did get up early to get coffee this morning lol

I have an Ap I use called ProRace to check results after mods. I use it for comparisons on my car before and after mods, I but don’t consider the results accurate for comparing to real track times, magazine times, or other cars, so take all these numbers with a grain of salt.

(For the record I did a clutch delay valve delete also yesterday while I was waiting for the PB blaster to work it’s magic on the header bolts. So this was my first time driving with the headers and valve delete.)

I did 2 test runs this morning got my fastest 0-60 ever right off the bat first run 5.47 my previous best was 5.7. But I spun tires all the way through first in that run there’s a lot left in it probably can get *Ap Time* of around 5.2-5.3 with a good launch.

2nd run took it through the quartmile. Again spun all the way through first even got a little sideways right before shift to second. 0-60 that run was 5.8 and then finished the quarter at 13.8 and 99mph. My previous best were same time (13.8) but trap speeds were 95ish. (Previous best was with 3Stage Intake and 3.73 diff for mods).

So I feel there’s a lot left in it. With the clutch feel changed and grabbing instantly now instead of dragging I need to get used to feathering the clutch more so I’m not breaking traction on the launch.

I still don’t have MILV’s tune. I’m waiting on Bob to send me that. He graciously sorted all my programming issues but the best tune I have which I’m running now is a 3stage and Headers tune that I only nstalled yesterday so it’s still adapting and I doubt I’m getting anything out of the MILV’s right now.

Mods on the car are:

AFE Ram Scoops
K&N Drop In
Charcoal Delete
Rev Silicone
3 Stage Intake
MILVs
AA Headers
3.73 Rear Diff

Hoping to get the MILVs tune from Bob tomorrow and if so I’ll hit up the drag strip this coming Friday for some real times and trap speeds.

[Biginboca]

Btw, wanted to ask a question to those running AA headers...

I had this raspy sound at cold start up today that went away after warming up a bit. Im wondering if it’s a leak somewhere that goes away after the Gasket’s and exhaust warm up, or cause the engines run rich at start up to heat the cats which aren’t there any more. I’ve never had headers with deleted cats on a car before. What do you think?