I was changing the oil yesterday and I looked up at one point and saw the manifolds and I thought, at least the driver side, that doesn't look to hard to change out.

Is the passenger side worse looking?

I mean, remove the Y-pipe, remove the plugs, and the bolts then drop out and wiggle the header back up in there. Am I missing something? I'm thinking I am, but damn. I want to ask for headers again for my Bday next month.

 

Its not the slightest bit hard, its just time consuming. Removing accessories and fighting rusted bolts takes a while.

 

The headers I installed (Hedman 68470) were shorty headers, but it was SOOOOOO much easier than the nightmare installations people desribe here. They were in the car, bolted on, and ready to have the Y-pipe bolted on in 1/2 an hour. The only thing I had to do to make them slide in was remove the drivers side valve cover. I didn't even have to remove the spark plugs!

Header installs, IMO, are way over-rated as being rediculously difficult. That goes for shorties only though, I've never installed a set of long tubes on these cars, but it looks a good bit more difficult to do.

 

The nightmare installs are probably more frustration than anything else getting in the way of the people completing the job. To do emissions legal headers are a PITA in these cars just because of the amount of time and contoryions you need to make.

 

Will cars pass emissions with AIR removed? Or is it just visual?

I'm might be doing Long Tubes, so they are harder?

 

MA is fairly strict when it comes to emissions (not like CA but its up there), and my car passed visual and emissions with the air tubes clearly cut and clamped shut from the previous owner. Hedman long tubes were extremely easy to fit in my car, no cutting or grinding.

 

i installed Hooker 2055's with AIR tubes.

the only bastard part of the deal was breaking loose the stock manifold bolts..

and on installation, the passenger rear bolt is almost impossible to tighten with out removing the A/C box.. now i have A/C delete and its a dream.

when you do install a set of headers.. key trick i learned was put the rear and front bolts in half way with your fingers 1st... then put in the middle bolts. dont use the crappy gaskets they give you..

ive had success with Mr. Gaskets exhaust gaskets.

dont forget to check/retighten the header bolts after you drive around the 1st week, they tend to work themselves loose.

 

I bought the hooker 2055 headers, and they came with the gaskets...wouldn't the manufacturer's gasket be the proper one to use?

 

Tell us that 2 months after they blow Honestly I'd go buy some better ones, but its up to you.

 

not necessarily.. they usually give you some low quality paper gaskets that they get for .3 cents each and just toss them in the box so people dont complain about not getting gaskets. take a look at them and you will see they are really low quality.

i have had 5 cars, and all 5 i have used aftermarket headers.. and none of the gaskets that came with them have ever been any good at all..

ive used Gibsons(for my Tahoe and Suburban)
Flowtech for my old 86 IROC
Hooker for my 92
and JBA for my 95 Z28

all came with crappy gaskets..

 

I've got the "Y" pipe, driver's side manifold, and all but the farthest 2 bolts on the passenger side off. I removed most of the A/C and put in the delete pulley last month. Do I need to remove the stock A/C box to get to the last 2 bolts? The tabs on the stock bolts that keep the nut from backing out are a real pain! So far I haven't broke any bolts off. I have also got the plugs, wires, cap/rotor, and o2 sensor to replace. Should I use the heat shields even though the new headers are ceramic coated? Am I going to need to get new nut retainers? Should I get new hardware? Thanks for any responses, Daniel U
Also, will I be able to drive a short distance with out a muffler (to weld up the y pipe to the existing exhaust) without doing any damage(running to lean)to the motor?

 

delete

 

Looks like my post was dug up from the grave. This thread is over a year old. I got my headers in March. Install was easy as hell.

 

Mine have been holding up for 3 years so far.

 

Are you interested in my stock y pipe? If you pay shipping from 93446 in CA. it's yours. It's a 5.7 L98 with TPI if that matters.
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Do you have A/C though?
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What type of gaskets did you use?

 

The ones that came with the headers.

 

Should I go with Fel-pro? Mine didn't come with any.

 

commifornia ?

damn well that wont work then

figures.........


hum

thanks
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exh manifold gaskets work the best and dont blow out

its all i ever use on headers


real simple


good luck

 

I'll take that into consideration. Never thought of stock exh man gaskets on headers. huh?