Just got my Dynomax shorty headers for my 84 camaro, its got a 305 and a t5 tranny. I was looking at installing the headers over my christmas break. I looked at how much of a pain it's going to be to get the old exhuast manifolds off. Is it that time consuming? What's the best way to approach this? The headers I bought came with a dual exhuast package and super turbo mufflers. I planned on installing those as well, but the headers are going to be b@#*&! Any suggestions? Does anyone have a website with a step by step guide to isntalling them?
Another Question, I have all that emissions crap on my car and when I install my exhuast I'm running no cats, I don't need to get my emissions checked. My brother said it will screw up my ecu and I will get bad gas mileage, I was thinking I would route the lines into the one O2 sensor that is in my headers and throw everything else out the window.
Any suggestions/answers are appreciated.

Thanks,
Sage Hickam

 

Welcome aboard.

Getting the old exhaust off is typically a matter of penetrating oil and a Sawsall.

The O2 sensor needs to go in the header collector. It won't work having it in a tube - it has to be in the exhaust stream.

Dual exhaust kit is a poor choice for 3rd gens. The chassis/floor pan simply weren't made for it, and the "kits" available hang down really low, eating up valuable ground clearance; or require a lot of fabrication - defeating the "kit" aspect. You'd be much better off getting a cat-back for '86-'90 TPI single cat application (even if you put a 50-states illegal pipe in place of the cat).

 

I put Edlebrock headers & Y-pipe on my GTA several years ago. It wasn't that hard. Old exhaust came off no problem, but my car has never seen bad weather so no rust. Just surface rust. The hardest part of my install has the instructions said the passenger side header had to be installed from the top. Well let me tell you there was no way that was going to work. It was like figuring out a chinese puzzle. I ended up dropping the starter and going up from below. Fit no problem.

Look around the board for ideas and tips. This site has been a great help with my third gen projects.

Welcome abord!

 

i just took my whole engine out course i put a new engine in it too well its not all the way in yet but almost stupid pilot bushing

 

I'm actually in the middle of putting on hooker 2055's right now.

So far, the driver's side is completely done. Nothing was extremely hard. Everything is just a very tight fit so it takes a while to get everything out and put it back in.

A word of caution: If you are going to replace your spark plugs, make sure you do it with the headers still loose. I tightened mine up thinking I'd have enough clearance and ended up breaking one plug and spending an hour trying to get it tight. Eventually I ended up taking off the locking header bolts, loosening the header and then putting in the plugs. All in all, it set me back about 4 hours. DON'T DO THAT.


The passenger side is probably much harder. I've taken out the stock manifold, and I just need to put in the header and put everything back together. The last manifold stud was a b*tch to take out. I will kill the man that put those metal locking tabs on those studs!




Anyhow, I have a question. Should I install the passenger header from the top or the bottom? It looks like I'd have to take off the A/C pump if I did from the top. I'll have to take off the starter and deal with the dipstick (how do I get that out?) if I go from the bottom. Which is the best?

 

I would try and go from the bottom. The starter is pretty easy to take out and you will more than likely have to remove the dipstick anyway if you want it in one piece lol. To get that out just undo the bolt holding the bracket and pull it out. It takes some force to pull out. Hopefully its not stuck because some people have that problem. Good luck, the end result is definetly worth it

 

Go from the bottom. Remove the dipstick mounting bolt and pull up. When you remove the dipstick, pull out slowly and don't bend or flex it back and forth it too much or the dip stick tube may break off! It really isn't hard just take your time pulling it out! Dropping the starter is easy if your stock exhaust is already off.

 

So, I'm assuming that you guys are saying that you can install (or in my case remove) the passenger side header (2055's) without jacking up the engine? Just remove the starter and oil dipstick?


Cause I am just about to go out and pull the motor mount bolts and jack it up.....

 

That's how I installed mine. I installed Edelbrock headers. It was a few years ago but I removed the dip stick tube, dropped the starter and of course removed spark plugs. My header went up no problem. I have an 88 GTA L98.

 

Yeah BUT.....

Different headers are (naturally) going to be made differently (i.e. physically). For the past year I have been reading that the 2055's require you to lift the engine....the directions that come with them even say that...

But NOW, in this post I am reading that you just need to pull the starter and the dipstick tube to get it out....and they slide right out the bottom....

Unless the posts that are saying this are NOT specific to 2055's

 

IN GENERAL Your header swap will be 10x easier if you jack up the engine