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header installation

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Old Jul 28, 2004 | 11:08 AM
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Default header installation

How many people have done this on a late model C4? is it as much of a nightmare as i imagine it would be? how many of you have taken it to a shop to have it done? whats the going rate to install a set of headers on a vett?
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Old Jul 28, 2004 | 01:33 PM
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I have a 90 so it may be different for a 96. I used hookers, so other makes may be different.

I paid $400 to have my headers professionally installed a few years ago. They are quite a PITA to do flat on your back without a lift. That plus the fact that I don't weld caused me to out source it.

It was a little tricky to cut the y-pipe and weld the collectors on. I could have gotten a prefitted y-pipe but at the time hooker was having problems with these y-pipes and many did not fit right anyway. He also had to fit them to the heads, evendently they did not fit properly. He had some junker heads that he used to beat up on.

I also had to build a small extenstion to make the EGR tube meet up uo the header fitting.
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Old Jul 28, 2004 | 03:25 PM
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I just dropped my 93 auto off at Exotic Muscle this morning. They're charging me $350 labor to install the headers, extension tubes and bullitt cats. Sounded like a pretty decent price to me.
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Old Jul 28, 2004 | 03:30 PM
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I also paid to have mine done $400.00
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Old Jul 28, 2004 | 03:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Lichen
I just dropped my 93 auto off at Exotic Muscle this morning. They're charging me $350 labor to install the headers, extension tubes and bullitt cats. Sounded like a pretty decent price to me.
I just installed the EM long tubes myself. It's not a difficult job, in fact removing the old manifolds and cats was probably the most difficult and time consuming part. Tip: a crows foot makes removal of the back manifold bolts a cinch. The 7/16" Crows foot also came in very handy when torqueing the new locking header bolts.
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Old Jul 28, 2004 | 03:43 PM
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Since I don't even know what a crow's foot is, it's probably a good thing I'm not attempting this myself!
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Old Jul 28, 2004 | 04:03 PM
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there not bad if you are doing them on a lift! if you do them on the ground jack your car as high as possible so you have plenty of room! also i would removed the starter and of course plugs and wires and i always would go and power was the engine down so it is nice and clean!

i have blown out gaskets so if you do them your self make sure to get good gaskets!!!! but all in all not that bad just time consuming!
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Old Jul 28, 2004 | 04:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Lichen
Since I don't even know what a crow's foot is, it's probably a good thing I'm not attempting this myself!
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...id=00943635000
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Old Jul 28, 2004 | 05:33 PM
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Thanks 99svrcpe. Never knew what those were called. Looks like it might come in handy in many applications
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Old Jul 28, 2004 | 08:57 PM
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It's not really a big deal. There's plenty of room once you get the stock manifolds and cats off. Get the car up fairly high, as previously stated and both sides should go on from underneath. Fitting to your exhaust will vary depending on what you're using but can generally be done by an exhaust shop with little problem. I'd never heard of bullet cats only 4" in diameter but if so, they may fit next to the auto. trans. It might still be close though, it's pretty tight in there. I don't know why someone would put on long tubes and still run a resonator though. I'd just put your cats back there, much simpler.
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