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Just finished putting them in on the 13th and I love them! Beautifully made and they fit like a glove, I was thankfully one of the lucky ones that had no issues with fitment. The steering shaft had to get pulled and brake lines were slightly moved but they went in from the top no problem. I will say the bolts recommended are life savers, there is no way that it would go on without them. Hopefully next week I will be getting the new cat and muffler put on and it will be smooth sailing. Thanks Don!!
Just finished putting them in on the 13th and I love them! Beautifully made and they fit like a glove, I was thankfully one of the lucky ones that had no issues with fitment. The steering shaft had to get pulled and brake lines were slightly moved but they went in from the top no problem. I will say the bolts recommended are life savers, there is no way that it would go on without them. Hopefully next week I will be getting the new cat and muffler put on and it will be smooth sailing. Thanks Don!!
Hi Dabesiv -
I just ordered a set from Dyno Don as well for my '88 TA. When you say you had to pull the steering shaft, what did this consist of? I've seem a few other posts where people have commented on a tight fit with the steering shaft and others who have had not issues. Hoping for no interference but I guess I'd like to be prepared if necessary. Appreciate any tips on the steering and brake lines. Photos if you have them would be cool too.
I was not able to drop the pipes in from the top without separating the shaft from the steering box and the shaft that goes into to firewall. I probably could have come in from the bottom with the headers and not pulled the shaft but it was easier with one person to go from above.
It's an easy process to remove, just two bolts and a little bit of wiggling. I will try and get some photos today.
My 305 block is currently at the shop and I procrastinated for over a month before purchasing a set of Don's headers, which have an ETA of approximately Aug 1. (Looks like I will not be driving the car much this year.) I too would like to see pics of relocated brake lines, because I plan to drop the engine into the car with the headers installed, and would prefer not to have obstructions to deal with with the block dangling on the crane.
I apologize for the delay with pics guys, been busy with work and then my dizy coil decided to melt on me while leaving work. It was towed to a shop (cheaper than towing it home) and have been waiting for the only master tech that knew how to work on older cars supposedly. Hopefully can get pics up today or tomorrow.
Honestly the brake lines didn't move far, no more than half an inch towards the fender, it wasn't some huge relocation job.
You need to reroute your brake lines, that's too close.
The Hooker headers are fairly close also as far as the steering shaft is concerned.
I'll try and snap a picture of mine for comparison.
You need to reroute your brake lines, that's too close.
The Hooker headers are fairly close also as far as the steering shaft is concerned.
I'll try and snap a picture of mine for comparison.
I was worried about how close they were running to the headers, wasn't sure of the negative side effects to it.
Thanks for the photos Dabesiv. Headers look good. Just curious - what brand of gaskets did you go with? Any leaks? Also, what header bolt?
No problem, I used both of the ones recommended by Don, Earls Gaskets 29D03BER and the ARP-100-1109 bolts. The gaskets were a new experience, they have what looks like graphite to make the seal and it is fairly sensitive to pressure and will not do well with any twisting or bending. The bolts were pretty nice, had some trouble getting the bolt by the firewall on the passenger side, but I have all the A/C and heater stuff too. Most bolts fit fine but clearance was very tight for the 5 and 6 cylinder tubes. I can't imagine the struggle you will have with regular header bolts.
So far no leaks I can find, next seam foam treatment will give the final say. One bolt backed out a little but it didn't cause a leak and snugged right back up.
Received my headers yesterday and went to install them temporarily so that i could route, cut, and crimp new spark plug wires. I now see that I should have purchased new bolts specifically for headers; however, not sure what bolts to get. I saw one post (https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/afte...s-headers.html) that mentions that the stock bolts must be modified if accessories (brackets) are to be used, which I do plan. Is there a set that would accomplish this without modifying the existing bolts? surely this should be a "faq" for DD headers.
I have today off and am attacking the header installation, but I have a quick couple of questions. Do people cut the Earl's 29D03B header gasket insert to better match the DD tube? Would there be enough material left to properly seal the header/head interface?
I ask because the is a good 3/16" step at either the top or the bottom, depending how the asymmetric gasket is installed.
1643hrs: I made an executive decision and cut/rounded the inserts.
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