How did you get the nut out for the air tube an the top of the factory headers? Mine is being stubborn, starting to egg it. Should I be using line wrenches? But then how do you get in there with them? And did anyone take the A/C compressor right off to get at header bolts? Or am I getting carried away? Any suggestions would be nice, and they are the EM LT headers I am installing. Thanks...

:bb

 

If you dont mind giving us the play by play so to speak on the install that would be great. I will be doing the exact same install on my car here hopefully in the next 2 weeks or so. :)

 

Yes i removed the AC for easier access.

You have to decided if your gonna keep the air tubes.My headers had no provision (BY DESIGN) so I cut off the air pipe and slid a socket over the nut.It was VERY tight!!!! :chevy

 

I used a set like this http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...&bidsite=CRAFT

Soaked the area down with WD 40 and let it set for a day, it was tight but they did come lose.

I had to losen up the AC compressor to remove the bracket that runs down to the header stud. Left all the AC hoses connected.
I also had to bend and tweek some of the plug wire brackets.
Leave the starter inplace, I had mine off for my cam swap but the header will slip up passed it. Also I had the coolant sensor in the head out and the dip stick tube must be removed.

Here's a few pic's of my installation.
Notice the Stage 8 locking system. http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/phot...7Stage8_Rt.JPG http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/phot...er_fitting.JPG http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/phot...7Oil_pan01.JPG

This is how I made my connection, no cat's for now. http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=774211

:seeya



[Modified by C4Crazy787, 12:50 AM 4/7/2004]

 

yea i had to remove the ac stuff. i think it's just several bolts and i just laid it over. hardest part of that was taking the belt off. as for the air tube. yea i just put a crescent wrench on mine and took it out. if yours is stuck soak it with some good stuff and tap on it while trying to loosen it. have someone put a screwdriver on the bolt and tap down while you try to loosen it. it should back right out. a tip for you. i found it cheaper to remove the spark plugs. i broke two and had to replace em. driver side isnt bad. passenger rear two bolts suck butt. good luck.

 

I actually already got the bolts out on the pass. side already and didn't find it too bad. The drivers side is going to be the pain. I soaked the air tube nuts over night so hopefully today they will be easier. I sure wish I had a crow's foot to get at them. I will say this for anyone going to do this mod, make sure you spray the bolts on the cat flage to header before attempting. My car has 18K and twisted one bolt off, I guess it only matters if you want to keep the factory stuff, other wise twist away....lol. :cheers:

 

Hey C4Crazy787 did you use the stage 8 header bolts everywhere, even for the dipstick mount? Was there any other places you needed stock bolts? I talked to Merle cuz I received 2 small one inch sleeves and I didn't know where they went. He said one went on the dipstick and one on a/c bracket, but the stage 8 bolts aren't long enough for these sleeves. I assume stock bolts must be used, but that will look like h-e-double hockey sticks!!!! How did you button everything up?
:confused:

 

I didn't keep the dipstick mount. You dont really need it. The dipstick will stay in place. I just ground the mount off.

Header install in in my sig. :cheers:

 

Well everything is going a little better so far today. I got the air tubes off, Letting them soak over night helped alot. And after I got all the ASR and a/c compressor and spark plug wires out of the way , the drivers side was quite easy. I got all the plugs out now, ready to start installing headers. I guess I will not use the dipstick mount, but I still need to know a little more about the a/c mount. There is a 1" sleeve to in there and it won't work with stage 8 bolts. So am I going to be forced to use stock bolt for that one? Later... :skep:

 

No, I used the stock studs and the EM sleeves for the dip stick tube and the stud on the Lt. side with the 2 brackets going to the AC compressor.
I'll try to get some pic's posted.

IMO you need the dip stick tube bolted down to prevent the vibration of the tube creating a oil leak where the tube press's into the block.


[Modified by C4Crazy787, 1:04 PM 4/7/2004]

 

Here's a pic of the Rt. side, you can see the EM sleeve in under the AIR tube. http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/phot...oldstud_Rt.JPG

Here's the Lt. side with the 2 brackets from the AC compressor. http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/phot...oldstud_Lt.JPG
I don't think it looks bad at all.

Also on the other bracket that goes from the manifold up the alturnator, if you leave that off (like I did) you will need to make a spacer for the bracket that goes over the valve cover and bolts to the AC compressor and the alturnator. I cut a short piece of 1/2" pipe, painted it black and slipped in it there.

Hope this helps.. Denver :seeya


[Modified by C4Crazy787, 3:57 PM 4/7/2004]

 

I just emailed EM abut the sleeves. I waited for 2 months for the connectors and hardware and I didnt get any sleeves. I was wondering what people are doing for that. I want the sleeves. I wish they would have told me that when I asked them for everything I need to perform the install. I want a clean install. Keep us posted on the progress.

 

For a clean install (reusing "all" factory brackets) you will need 3 sleeves, I only got 2.

 

Ill call them tomorrow.

 

Anyone know if it's worth it to put shorty headers on the L98?

 

Well she's all finished, everything installed and back in place. I had a buddy come over and lend a hand. He passed me up the headers from the bottom while I got some bolts started. Then he worked on the pass. side and I did drivers side bolts. OH ya, we turned the bolt in the left motor mount before we started the install. Well it took us about 4 hours to get the headers all bolted up, spark plugs in and all hardware back on ( a/c compressor, ASR unit, plug wires,etc.) For the omitted alt. bracket, I just cut the end of the bracket off as the spacer ( won't be needing the bracket agian anyways) I used stage 8 bolts for all except the a/c mount, for that I used the sleeve and facotry bolt. But the pass. rear bolt was a PIA and was soooo close to the header I couldn't even use the lock on the header bolt. Would have had to grind it till there was nothing left of it just to get it on. So there wasn't much use trying it. The whole install would have been alot easier if there was more clearance between header bolt and headers. Had to use allen wrench for most of them cuz couldn't get a wrench near it. There was about 3 or 4 out of 12 that I got the box end of wrench on ( had to grind it down also to get it to work) But the underside went like a flash, everything bolted up easy and fast. Random tech cats slide on the collectors, utilizing a SS band clamp to secure. I have Corsa exhaust, so the pre-made extentions slide in to resonator and the other end is flanged to bolt right up to the cats. I installed two O2 simulators after the cats. The dipstick tube doesn't utilize the mount ( ground it off, and painted ) and just used some RTV on it before sticking back in, so it shouldn't go anywhere. That's it, I'm glad it's over, I'm not looking forward to ever doing it again, so it had better not f#@* up...lol. I had some pics to post but some didn't turn out, too blurry, so I'm working on that today. Later...
:party:

 

I'm trying to keep this thread updated for those of you who asked. but here is a link to the pics of the job, during and after....

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=794637

 

Hopefully Ill be doing mine in a couple weeks. Called EM and talked to Shane and they are sending me some sleeves. Getting new rockers on Tuesday, hopefully headers to follow. Cant wait. :cheers: