i know this has probably been asked before but i gotta ask again, u guys are always helpful...im ready for headers...its the next step...i love working on my car but i have little to no experience. Is it difficult to do...i need the engine to stay in the car...i guess it involves removing a few items from the passenger side but anyone with time wanna quickly give me an apporximate run through to see if im capable...i want edelbrock or hooker unless anyone suggests otherwise (im not made of money) aight cool, thanks a lot

 

Removing all that stuff was...errr...........fun? At least for me removing the A/C stuff was easy. Well, we used a gauge to check the pressure of the A/C system and it came up nil, nadda, zip, zero.

I had to take the engine down to the short block though.

 

Ok, here is the list of what I had to remove this weekend:

Passenger side:
Remove AIR tubes and hoses
Remove AIR pump
Loosen alternator to move it aside
Remove spark plugs
Remove fan switch
Remove manifold
Install header
Reinstall plugs, fan switch
Reinstall AIR (if required)
Retighten alternator belt

Driver side:
Remove A/C compressor and set aside
Loosen PS pump bracket/brace
Unbolt fuel line mount to A/C bracket
Remove compressor brackets
Remove AIR tubes and hoses
Unplug knock sensor, O2 sensor, etc.
Remove spark plugs
Remove manifold
Install header
Reinstall sensors
Reinstall AIR (if applicable)
Reinstall fuel line mount
Reinstall compressor bracket/brace
Tighten all brackets back up
Reinstall plugs
Reinstall A/C compressor


That's about it. Not really all that much stuff, but it was time consuming. This was on an 87 305 TPI car, by the way. I also did some other things (rearrange brake lines, wires, etc to keep away from heat), but there isn't all that much that really has to move. Hope this helps.

Good luck,
MikeS

 

it does help a lot, ur "engine accessories" are on different sides in some cases in 87 but thanks a lot, i want to do it myself!!..i get excited...:lala:

 

It is a big project if you are just getting started. Make sure you have plenty of time to get it done. I waited until I had a long weekend in case anything went wrong. And it helps to have all kinds of tools. Sockets, wrenches, extensions, wobble extensions, u-joints, even crowfeet...

 

I've done headers twice on thirds gens and both times the engines where out of the car. The part I could see as being a real bitch, in the car, is the damn heatshields on the stock manifolds and those stupid metal tabs they bend over the bolts to keep them from loosening. I have SLP headers on my recent car and I don't like them as much as the Edelbrocks I've had in the past. The Edelbrocks had more clearance between the engine. I've already burnt a damn spark plug wire and the car was only fired up for 20minutes. Just my 2 cents.