I'm getting ready to to install a set of heddman headers and y pipe on my 87 GTA. I can see that the AC bracket will need to be modified, but was wondering if anyone has ran into any clearance issues or unpleasant suprises during this project. Will the heater hose / pipe from the heater core that runs along the right frame rail need to moved or modified? I was also wondering about header bolts, plug wires and boots that will be needed. Thanks for any help out there.

 

The only thing with the A/C bracket was to extend the bolt with a 1inch tube from Lowes or Home Depot - in the hardware section - use the same bolt from that manifold hole and put the cut tube inplace between the header and the bolt head - then the A/C bracket will be back where it needs to be on the stud.

No issues on mine with hoses. Headers bolts good luck! Mine come out daily - I'm saving bucks for the Bresslin Engineering locking bolts.

 

The brackets are a joke, I dont even use them.

 

Well, it's really no problem - just get the tube thing from Home Depot and use the longer manifold bolts with studs on the ends, and it'll all hook back up the way it was.

 

i have headman headers and y pipe on my 91z28 and I had to unbolt the motor mounts and lift the motor some to get the headers in because they are such a tight fit. You might have to do the same.

 

I also have those headers. The headers were a tight fit on the passenger side like iceblue said.

However, my y-pipe hit the oil pan pretty good so i had to modify it there to clear the pan.

For the price they are not a bad header/y-pipe combo. Although if I were to do it again there are other headers I would buy.

 

I saved time installing them this way...

 

the driverside must go in with the engine unless you have the brake proportioning valve and steering shaft out. So you might have to unbolt that side of the engine and get a very big crowbar to lift the engine up enough to get it in. The passenger side will go in from the bottom but you might have to unbolt the starter. I just did two engine swaps on saturday and sunday and we both had heddman long tubes.

 

This was where my problem was with the coated non-emissions headers from Hedman on my 1992 - I used the standard Hedman Y-pipe, and had clearance issues with the pan. What I did was take the reducers that were included, cut about 1 inch off the larger end, and had this welded to the inside of the flange on the Y-pipe - this essentially extended my Y-pipe 1 inch longer. The smaller end (after the cut) fit right into the Y-pipe flange, and the larger end acted like the new flange to fit snugly against the balled end of the headers. After the weld was done, I had the extra part of the original Y-pipe flange ground off, making a nice smooth look, and the 3-holed plates (for the bolts)slid right up and in place on my new extensions.

I wish my digital cam worked so I could show a pic, dammit!