Holy crap! What in the hell have I gotten myself into?

I started removing stuff to get ready to remove my stock exhaust manifolds and install headers which I have not purchased yet and I think I got carry'ed away.

I am being serious when I say I really dont think I can remember how everything goes back and in what order.....I took the Smog pump out cause I dont care about that...I also removed my AC pump...but I mean MY ***! I have to take alls kinds of brackets off just to get that CHIT! off....


did you guys have to remove all of the front of the motor like I did just to get ready for headers?

Since I have all this off I am going to keep going and replace my leaking water pump and while I got that off Im going try and find someone that can put a cam in for me...



I really think I NEVER should have started this...but I cant turn back now.....

 

You'll do fine....All the info to get it back is on this site...including some pics......detail the motor with some clean and paint while your into it.....And if putting that cam in take the time to loosen the oil pan hardware to pull the timing cover....I found it to be simple with the y-pipe and starter out...good luck

 

I had to remove:
All my AIR hoses and control box
Plugs and wires
Dipstick tube
Motor mount bolts (jack up engine)
Fan switch (drain coolant)
That's about it, don't think I'm forgetting much.
Yeah, you might have gone a little far, but you're right - you might as well do it all now.

 

By the way....on your crank pulley...the furthest back v-belt groove...isn't that a crank -p/s pulley belt only? I'm trying to figure if I can run my p/s and A/C off the one middle crank groove . That's about where my alum pulleys will locate the v-belt.

 

here is my 87 engine... hope it helps with whatever...

 

DO I have to remove the power steering pump to get one of the brackets off that attached to the drivers side manifold? Why in the hell did GM make so that you have to remove everything just to get one thing off?

Where do I start to remove the exhaust manifolds? underneath? take the bolts off the collectors? Then what?


I can believe I got myself into this.....

 

AHHHHH, you know your having fun.

 

you got to be kidding? Well its kinda fun taking it apart .. its easy to take anything apart but putting it back together is a different story..

 

You'll do fine. I removed my AIR stuff, AC compressor, alternator brace, oil dipstick, plugs, wires, and I think thats it. Don't worry, theres people on here who'll help ya get it all sorted out.

 

Well...heres where Im at now........Im stuck, I cant get any of the manifold bolts off, HELL i cant even get to most if not all of them....


What now?

 

$200, TACreationsusa, serpentine conversion. no more worries on assembling the ignorant GM jig-saw bracket puzzle crap
Actually, I was in the same boat once when I installed my 1st set of headers. I went to a local GM dealer, had them look up the bracket parts diagram for a/c and p/s and had them print it out so I could see what bracket when where. It shows where everything goes, very handy to have with the '87-older bracket mess.

 

Actualy When I installed my headers, I just had to take 3 braces off, the ones wich were connected to the manifolds. But seems like you are doing fine, just keep one going and you'll have a nice looking engine and bay in no time. I mean while your at it might as well paint the block and so on It's not that difficult to get back together, just a bit time consuming...

 

What did you guys use to remove your stock manifolds? I can get mine off I cant even get to the bolts....did you go from under or over? Did you jack the motor up to get to them better?


HELP!!!

 

My bolts came out way easier than I was expecting them to. Once I had the stuff removed, it wasn't that bad at all. Try putting some WD40 on them and letting it soak in. Just be careful not to break any off.

 

Ive done soaked them with penatrating oil...I cant get to the bolts..what did you use? a socket? did you cut the air tubes or leave them on? I swear, I feel like calling GM and just cussing them out for the hell of it and then hang up on them!...LOL

 

Seems to me I used a ratchet and socket or a combination wrench depending on the location of the bolt. I got them all from the top, and the passenger side rear is going to give you a few wrinkles and white hairs.
I didn't need to jack the engine up until I installed the driver side header.
Just take it one bolt at a time, there's a way.

 

I too used a ratchet and socket or a combination wrench. I got most of the bolts from the top, but I had to take at least two out from underneath... One bolt I could only turn 1/8 turn at a time and then had to change the position of the wrench or change to a different one (longer or shorter). Took me ages to get that one out (cant remember wich one) but it came out. I hammered the AIR tubes off of them, cause I was ditching the old manifolds anyway, so I tool all the extra space I could. The bolts fought a furious battle, but they never had a chance

 

I used PB Blaster on all my bolts the day before every couple hours on my 20+ year old manifold bolts and had no real problem loosening any of them (I did use a 1/2" racthet to get some leverage to loosen some of them). I also took a sawzall to all of the air tubes and that made my life a lot easier.

 

I was able to reach my arm underneath the header from the front and take the first five bolts off (had to use extensions, universal, etc). On the back passenger side bolts, i took off the valve cover and used a 12 point wrench to take the back bolt off. It is very easy with the valve cover removed. I suggest you try that
-Dan

 

Hey guys,

Today I just removed my smog pump on my 89 RS 305 TBI camaro. Guess what happened? A lot of white/gray smoke kept flowing out of the exhaust pipe. Is it suppose to be like that when you take the smog pump out. I mean the engine sounds great and feels smoother, but the exhause emission is just TOO MUCH. Even at idle you see a lot of smoke coming out and when you rev the engine, it's even greater. I'm just curious about this.

 

Oh NO! You've got to be kidding? I hope this is just an isolated problem.....I have never read anyone having a problem like this......Speak up people,,,,,,whats the word on this?

 

DAMN! I swear! Everytime I look at my engine bay I ask myself, "why in the hell I even started this chit!" The car was fine before but I got caught up in the header, cam craze!...LOL

I gotta buy the headers now and I dont now what kind to get....or the cam for that matter.......


WHY!????................

 

You could get a ZZ4 cam. They sell pretty cheap on Ebay and make some decent power. Headers, go for what you can afford. Hooker, SLP, Edelbrock all are better than the manifolds.

 

hey wishmaster one easy way i fiqured out (well not real quick anyway) was to go to home depot or some store and buy tile, stone masonary saws-all bits about 8 inches long. get a good angle on the bolt heads and start sawing baby!! i did this on my camaro last summer when i was in the same boat as you and after a while it does work.

AND YES these special saws all blades will cut through cast iron manifolds

 

That don't sound right. Seems like you have a problem, somethings burning off in your engine. Did you ever notice any smoke before you took off the pump? All the smog pump does is pump air into your cat to warm it up fast so I don't see how you would have any smoke come out due to it missing. Sounds like you had a problem before the smog pump removal.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Wishmaster's87IROC
[B]DAMN! I swear! Everytime I look at my engine bay I ask myself, "why in the hell I even started this chit!" The car was fine before but I got caught up in the header, cam craze!...LOL

I feel the same way, I had to replace my intake manifold gasket and decided while I had to do all that work I might as well do some upgrades.I decided to port and polish the plenum and get a cam and headers,new cam led to timing chain and gears,new springs,roller tip rockers,AFPR,fuel gauge,new pushrods,new injectors,new valve seals(needed the valve seals anyway).Removed AIR pump for header install,had to grind on A arm to get headers to fit(longtubes),had custom Y-pipe made. AAHH, all done,drove car one day and my fuel pump dies! I put a new Walbro pump in now the tranny starts giving me ****! It will not shift out of first, adjust TV cable and it does no good,I think the throttle valve in the tranny is stuck.I never had a single problem with this car before, I am not trying to discourage you but once you start, one thing leads to another. But when it is done, it will be worth it !!

 

GREAT!.......thanks for filling me in on all that...LOL

Im not gonna get caught up in changing all that....Im changing as little as possible....Hell I might not even change the CAM....just put it on the bottle and be done with it...
I am doing the headers for sure though...


I dont know!...Im in to deep now to turn back....

 

Headers and smog pump removal alone is an excellent upgrade. As stated above, just do some cleaning and painting while you have the brackets and crap off. Did you get your manifolds off yet?, the hardest bolt I remember was the very back bolt on the passenger side manifold. It had kinda like a star type of washer that was bent around the head of the bolt so that you could not get a socket or wrench on it.

 

Here is how mine turned out...

 

engine looks sweet..what kind of plug wires are those? They dont look like MSD boots....

 

They are Accel 8mm, I need some new ones but I didnt want to get them until I have some decent wire looms.

 

No offense, but grab a beer, a good manual (NOT a Haynes or Chilton), and read about the operation you are undertaking before you fly off the handle about how hard it is.... Believe me, non of this is as hard as you are making it out to be....

What kinds of tools do you have at your disposal? The manifold bolts require nothing more than an average 3/8 drive ratchet and socket set. Maybe add a wobble extention and some 13, 14, and 15mm wrenches too, depending on what is still on the car, but that is about it. Oh, and a good hammer and prybar (EVERY job requires these ).

And the V-belt/ribbed belt non-serpentine system is not as bad as those with Serpentine systems seem to think it is. It is much better for removing components that you don't want/need anymore. This is another place where a good service manual is handy.

The GM version of mounting the PS pump with that system (pretty much any non-serpentine) does require that front header bolt. March makes a direct replacment bracket kit that will mount the pump in the same location but not use the header for mounting. It's about $100 if you are interested and really looks sweet. Probably won't work with the A/C system though if you want to keep it.

Your local library will probably have Motor Alldata access that you can use and make print outs of for a minimal charge and that would be the place to go if you don't have a good service manual. Alldata has the GM manuals in a pdf (sort of) format.

If you can run long tubes, go with Hooker 1 3/4. If not, SLP 1 3/4 shorties. Don't mess with anything else. Get them coated too.

For the cam, do a search and you will get more opinions than J-lo has had boyfriends. But if you are keeping the TPI setup, the ZZ-9 will work very well and the LT4 Hot Cam will also work fairly well if you are on a tight budget.....

 

Well I got the manifolds off, FINALLY! Remind me to go punch in the mouth the GM guys who came up with the metal CRAP wrapped around the bolts...WHAT IN THE HELL WAS HE THINKING?

Anyway, now alls I have to do is buy me a set of headers....

Hey, is the install alot easier than taking them out? BOY I sure hope so....

Oh yeah, that air pipe thats attached to the back of the head on the passenger side, does it just go over to the drivers side? it looks to me to be the same pipe...

 

I'm in the middle of putting hooker 2055's on my car and have a couple of suggestions for you.

First, on the right side head on the back exhaust port there are two tapped holes. (The very last two) The stock manifolds use the very back hole, and headers due to a difference in design use the next hole forward. I didn't really realize this when installing my right header, and started all the bolts and found that the last one was apparently rusted and full of crud. I did finally get the bolt tightened up, but it was a real *****. I could have avoided this by running a 3/8" x 16 tap into that hole to clean the threads up. So do yourself a favor and pick up a tap and clean this hole out. And on hind sight, I would have ran the tap into all the holes. This would have made things go a lot quicker for me.

The second thing I did on this same back bolt hole on the right head was use an allen head bolt. Made things much easier for me especially since it went in hard due to the threads being rusty from not being used. I also made up my own long allen socket by using a deep 1/4" drive 5/16" socket with a peice of 5/16" allen wrench jammed into the socket. I took a peice of shim stock and put between the allen wrench and socket, and pressed them togehter. Worked like a charm.