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So I kind of piggy backed on an old thread for some install tips, if any of you have been following my progress throughout the past month or so.
Went the Hinson route after reading reviews, and figuring out i could afford to do all this for around $1 grand (installed on my own). Didn't realize i would need to purchase a $140 Jack (2-ton extra long suv/jeep jack, requires 22" of clearance to slide headers in place). Plus $60 for 6-ton jack stands to keep the car up at these heights. Also purchased an O2 wrench (crow foot) for $15. Plus a few new spark plugs, So that's about $250 of extra stuff I needed to complete the install.
Well, the install took a hell of a long time, i want to say at least 24 hours spent in the garage from start to finish. I was under the car for a good 7 hours on Sunday just finishing the install!
I am not exaggerating those estimates, but i want to thank everyone on the forums who helped me throughout the install process. Getting to know this car, intimately, i might say, was rather taxing on my body! Anytime i would spend 6+ hours working on the header install, boy was i sore, aching, arms cut up, face all full of soot, black grease all over me. I don't know how you older guys do it, i'm only 31 and boy I would not remove these headers and install the stockers if you paid me $500.
Some things to note for anyone installing headers on the C6,
You need at least 2 jacks, or one Extra-Long (Jeep/SUV) 2-ton jack to reach 22" of required ground clearance
The stock headers came off with ease, but be careful i broke numerous spark plugs installing the new ones, wiggling them around trying to get them in place. It is a challenge to rest the headers on something when you are trying to route them from under the car and have them stay in place until you stand up and start screwing them in from above.
Use chicken wire to hold the headers in place up against the cylinder bank, if you are a 1 man crew, this will help line them up and ensure you aren't holding up the headers with one hand while trying to screw them in place. I tied the chicken wire to the fuel rail, and used painters tape over the cylinder bank when they were exposed to ensure nothing got inside.
Coat the axle back connections (midpipe as well) with WD40, these pipes were a HUGE PAIN to install, they did not want to slide on, and I have no leverage under the car working, so i ended up kicking the pipe on with my work boots, and standing a 2x4 against the axle back pipe(which connects to the midpipe) and hitting that with a hammer, as a rubber mallet did nothing. You are aware there is not much room to work given the rear subframe is in the way, even taking the exhaust off the hangers did not help me much at all.
Removing the O2 sensor from the stock headers was a pain, make sure you get an o2 sensor crow foot wrench or you will strip it.
Wrenches to use, 15 and 16mm for most bolts underneath the car as well as the clamps, 13mm for header bolts, 10mm for the stock header heat shield, I believe i used a 3/8th metric wrench once or twice. Come prepared with a torque wrench for the header bolts! A must
After I completed the install, i started it up and let it idle for 30 mins to allow the ceramic coating to break in as Hinson suggested. Went back in the car to shut it off and of course a Check Engine Light is on. Most guys just don't run the rear O2 sensors w/x pipes, i'm assuming you can shut this off with a tune?
The car sounds BADASS at idle, it was all worth it! Thanks for your guys help again and I just wanted to let you know i did a time lapse of the entire install, and will post it on youtube, should demonstrate start to finish what took place.
Fault log report generated by Torque for Android
======================================== =========
Historic Fault Log
------------------
ECU reports no historic faults
Other discovered fault codes
(possibly pending, current or manufacturer specific)
----------------------------------------------------
ECU reports no other fault codes logged
End of report.
Last edited by ClashBandicoot; 04-27-2016 at 06:17 PM.
Good stuff , mine took almost that long as I ran into some of the same issues and I was using a lift .
One thing that is strange , I never got the check engine light and I drove mine for over a week with out a tune as I wanted to make sure I did not have any leaks before I data logged it
Good stuff , mine took almost that long as I ran into some of the same issues and I was using a lift .
One thing that is strange , I never got the check engine light and I drove mine for over a week with out a tune as I wanted to make sure I did not have any leaks before I data logged it
Dave
Funny we ran into the same problems. Forthe money, its a good valuem, cant waitto get mine tuned!
Funny we ran into the same problems. Forthe money, its a good valuem, cant waitto get mine tuned!
The power increase across the whole PowerBand is amazing once it's tuned .... mine pulls like a freight train all the way up to the red line
I had the trans tune done also (A6) had a Diablo TCM tune set to firm , thought that was good but after having the custom tune loaded it really shifts hard and fast with no delay when you are getting into it . its crazy when it shifts into 2nd . When you are driving normal it still shifts in split seconds but it's smooth as silk
It takes a long time to wipe the smile off my face when I let it loose for a quick 1st into second sprint
The power increase across the whole PowerBand is amazing once it's tuned .... mine pulls like a freight train all the way up to the red line
I had the trans tune done also (A6) had a Diablo TCM tune set to firm , thought that was good but after having the custom tune loaded it really shifts hard and fast with no delay when you are getting into it . its crazy when it shifts into 2nd . When you are driving normal it still shifts in split seconds but it's smooth as silk
It takes a long time to wipe the smile off my face when I let it loose for a quick 1st into second sprint
Dave
Really? Please post up a video, definitely want to see how your car pulls man!!!
How much was the Diablo TCM Tune? Is this similar to the COW tune? Do you need to purchase the Diablo Software for this? And have a shop tune it? I can't wait to get my tune done at ECS. Sounds amazing with the shift delay removed. Did that also re-map your throttle position? SO when you step on the gas it is responsive to your foot?
Lol. awesome man, can only imagine, mine sounds terriffic with the headers and h-pipe now, just waiting for my halltech to arive!!\
Take a look at the Time lapse video I did of my install (8 hours)
sounds nice, really like how deep it sounds, and I'm guessing that's the stock npp exhaust ?
Hey,
So I have the B&B Exhaust with the actuators (Similar to NPP), where i can open this with a keychain whenever i want. Pretty sweet if i wanna drive like a jerk and not be too noticable, or just want to show off and have a loud exhaust in a parking garage
Thanks for the complement, i'm getting my Go PRo HD Hero 4 soon and will take some legit videos cruising around, full throttle, etc, with an external mic.
Really? Please post up a video, definitely want to see how your car pulls man!!!
How much was the Diablo TCM Tune? Is this similar to the COW tune? Do you need to purchase the Diablo Software for this? And have a shop tune it? I can't wait to get my tune done at ECS. Sounds amazing with the shift delay removed. Did that also re-map your throttle position? SO when you step on the gas it is responsive to your foot?
Lol. awesome man, can only imagine, mine sounds terriffic with the headers and h-pipe now, just waiting for my halltech to arive!!\
Take a look at the Time lapse video I did of my install (8 hours)
I bought a "Diablo InTune" 1000 here on the forums and I used Diablo Lew to set me up with a custom tune , If you go to his web site you will see the prices and the directions . He also includes the custom TCM tune
So after you put some miles on the car and make sure you have no leaks , you then send him a DATA log that you record with the Diablo InTune , he then makes the changes and then sends you the custom tune back for you to load with your Diablo Intune
After you put 150 miles on it you then DATA log Wide Open Throttle and send it to him , then you can send him other logs so he can fine tune it
I will try and video the WOT run , I am still looking for a place other than a drag strip that is long enough to where I can run it up thru third gear
I did not remap my throttle positions as I have a Vitesse Throttle Controller
The reason why I went this direction with the Diablo Tune was because of 3 reasons
1- I can put the car back to stock both mechanically and ECM/TCM tune at any time using my INTUNE and not be dependent on a shop as there are some that lost their stock tunes because shops closed or changed software
2- Its a given that you are going to pickup 40 horse power with CAI , Headers , High Flow Cats and a tune . you can read the 100's of posts here of people who have had their car up on a dyno after an install
I really don't need a Dyno sheet to tell me that , then throw in the variables of how the different Dynos produce different numbers
3- its just so easy to do and I can modify it at any time if I chose to
But ... if you are going to have ECS do your tune that's GREAT !!
I bought a "Diablo InTune" 1000 here on the forums and I used Diablo Lew to set me up with a custom tune , If you go to his web site you will see the prices and the directions . He also includes the custom TCM tune
So after you put some miles on the car and make sure you have no leaks , you then send him a DATA log that you record with the Diablo InTune , he then makes the changes and then sends you the custom tune back for you to load with your Diablo Intune
After you put 150 miles on it you then DATA log Wide Open Throttle and send it to him , then you can send him other logs so he can fine tune it
I will try and video the WOT run , I am still looking for a place other than a drag strip that is long enough to where I can run it up thru third gear
I did not remap my throttle positions as I have a Vitesse Throttle Controller
The reason why I went this direction with the Diablo Tune was because of 3 reasons
1- I can put the car back to stock both mechanically and ECM/TCM tune at any time using my INTUNE and not be dependent on a shop as there are some that lost their stock tunes because shops closed or changed software
2- Its a given that you are going to pickup 40 horse power with CAI , Headers , High Flow Cats and a tune . you can read the 100's of posts here of people who have had their car up on a dyno after an install
I really don't need a Dyno sheet to tell me that , then throw in the variables of how the different Dynos produce different numbers
3- its just so easy to do and I can modify it at any time if I chose to
But ... if you are going to have ECS do your tune that's GREAT !!
Dave
Hey,
This is really helpful. So you seemed to enjoy your expeirence with diablo lew, and his tunes are solid! Now you purchased yours used correct? WIth the In Tune, you can change the TCM as well at no extra cost?
How is the Vitesse Throttle Controller? Easy to use?
Also, how should i look for leaks? First time doing headers on this car, should i just put my hand by the clamps and check?
Yes I did purchase my INTUNE used , if you purchase one make sure its unmarried , it will come with some canned tunes , I ran the 93 octane tune and the FIRM tcm tune before my CAI and Headers , it was awesome !
Below is a picture of what an unmarried device should look like
So you seemed to enjoy your experience with diablo lew, and his tunes are solid!
Yes, I did purchase my Custom Tune from Lew , he answered the 1,000 questions I had and is super responsive!!
I told him what I had , what I installed and what I wanted which was Aggressive ECM Tune and TCM tune, as soon as I loaded it I could feel the difference from the Canned TCM/ECM tune
You will feel even more of difference in the ECM tune after about 100 miles
then you will send him a WIDE OPEN THROTTLE LOG and he will fine tune it , he also will give you updates for a year I think
WIth the In Tune, you can change the TCM as well at no extra cost?
Yes the TCM tune is free , After loading the ECM tune, Custom or Stock, the tool will ask you if u want to load the TCM tune, just click on the Green checkmark and then it will ask if you want to modify the tune , say no .... just go with what is "canned" or "Diablo Lews custom tune" till you get use to the tool as there are many settings you can change and many you can mess up lol lol
How is the Vitesse Throttle Controller? Easy to use?
Plug and play , Absolutely the best mod you can make , removes the throttle lag that Corvettes are noted for , do a search of these forums as it is a subject that has been written about many times all with good results and happy owners
Also, how should i look for leaks? First time doing headers on this car, should i just put my hand by the clamps and check
You could if its cold but I would not , pretty much you will hear a header or a pipe leak ....., just re-torque the header bolts and muffler clamps after a few heat cycles and you should be OK ( careful with the head bolts they are Aluminum heads , just make them tight and then sum .... 37 FT LBS is not much )
Just sent diablo lew an email, sounds good. Are you close to commerce? I went to college down in SC, what a great track!!
You will be very happy with Lew I can assure you
He might not answer you as he works Monday's thru Fridays , send him an email during the week and he will reply in an instant , on the weekends its spotty
Yes I am close to Commerce , the track is off of route 85 at exit 149 , I live just off of route 85 at exit 120, when they have a big funny car meet We can sometimes hear it , We also have Road Atlanta the next exit down .... awesome track
04-27-2016, 06:15 PM
Installed: Hinson Headers 1 7/8" H-Pipe (Catted) - 2008 C6 LS3, Auto
