88 auto, installing hooker coated longs

OK it took less then an hour to get the stock crap out and I'm on 7 hours getting these in. All was somewhat smooth until now...
Number 8 rear, passanger side. I give up, what is the trick?
after filling sockets, swivels, top, bottom, throwing a hissy fit I gave up.

Now I know by doing a header install is like coming of age to a vett owner and join the club of the elete and bleeding nuckles but help me out Boys need some tricks or VOODOO.

Thanks, jeff

PS. I'm using the 7/16 head bolts that came with them.

 

Isn't that the PURPOSE of going to a Hooker?

You might take a wrench and heat it up and bend it to a severe angle. If there is room for a spacer, you might use a longer bolt with a spacer on it to make the bolt head easier to get a wrench on.

RACE ON!!!

 

I knew there was a reason why I liked the TPIS headers....... They use stock bolts with tubes that extend the bolt heads away from the flange and the edge of the tubes..... But the coating is rusting off them since two years and counting now to three years. Make sure you wrap your starter and starter wires with heat shield DEI wrap or you will be buying a new starter and taking them headers off to replace the melted-ness.... Also look at how close the brake lines are to the headers on drivers side. Tie wrap them as far away as possible, you dont want to boil the brake fluid either. With the front end jacked up and the wheels off you may get a better angle through the wheel well with an extension. I had a similar problem with my 1977 trans am long time ago. I bought the smallest 7/16 wrench I could find and bent it in a vise with a torch to get to that back devil. At least my TPIS have never leaked, unlike the black jack headers and the 7/16 bolts on the trans am..... Good luck

 

You need the wrench at the bottom of this picture. They sell them at Sears in a little black bag about the size of your hand and they come as a set for around $12. This wrenches are worth there weight in gold.

 

I had to try a couple of times before it went in. To install that rear #8 bolt I put the supplied bolt into the head first the header flange was slotted so I could slip in the header and put the front #2 in. I did not make any custom tools it was a major pain to do. I do have a wrench like the one in the bottom of the pic. You might even try a distributor wrench. The one I have seperates in the middle and you can put a ratchet on it.

 

What exactly is the problem? Is it that you can't get the bolt started or you can't get a wrench on the head of the bolt once it's started?

Jake

 

#8 is best done from the bottom unless you're going to make a tool of your own. #2 front is also a fun one. I went through the wheel well for that one.

 

Sorry to post this too late, I welded a tube ointo the #8 clearance hole on the flange, that was @ 1.5" long, then used an Allen head Socket Head cap screw with a cut off allen wrench section and a small open end wrench, then I torque it down with the box end of the wrench.

Are you thoroughly confused now????

 

I certainly am.

I'm still trying to find out if he's having trouble starting the bolt or getting a wrench on the bolt. I've got an 86 with long tubes and didn't have any of the problems he's encountering.

Can't get my mind around what's his problem.

Jake

 

I found on my 2151's that I had to open the hole up opposite of the slotted hole on the # 8.

Because, when I started the bolt in the #8 slotted hole at the rear, the opposite #8 mount hole did not line up, so I filed each hole a little until they lined up,

 

I put that bolt in from UNDER the car. NO PROBLEM for me!!

 

OK got number 8 bolt on and tight. To answer some ?'s I was having trouble getting it tight. That sucked. got it with a 3/8 drive grinded down 7/16, swivel, and about a foot of extentions,

Now the rear alt support bracket will not go back on. It said to use the old extended bolt but the tube is in the way.
I was thinking I could swing it 180 deg and mount it to the lower wheel well any issues with that?

 

Someone else is having the same problem and a few different solutions were posted yesterday.

One involved using a piece of electrical conduit, bent shaped and flattened to fit.

Another was to use a threaded stud instead of the bolt and double nut your existing brace.

I know if you take a quick look you'll find the posts; just yesterday.

Jake

 

jake...
I read that post but as I recall they had no upper support being they removed the air pump.

Now I know I'm not the first one to be dealing with this......

 

I cut a wrench for #8 and went in from the bottom with the starter off. Some guys custom build a brace. I have left the rear alt brace off of mine since the hooker install with no problems and I run it hard with a shot of juice.

 

Problem is that the EGR riser is in the way from the top and can't get my big mitts in from the bottom.
hope she don't leak.

I also found these new header gaskets. I think they are from Fel-pro they are 3 layers of aluminum (almost foil like) that form to the flange and header. won't blow out, burn, and can be reused. cost about 40.00

 

Oh yeah, I meant to add. Yes, there will be a problem with bracing to wheel well. The motor/ tranny flexes with throttle and such. The alternator will flex with it and tear your brace loose or break wheel well. I think your better off without the brace than with doing that.

 

Glad you got it, but for anyone else doing hookers:
see how the outside bolt hole for #7 is cut open? Cut open #8 outside hole as well and oval out the inside one. Can then push on the primary till the bolt starts.
I used copper gaskets. They work great and best of all, very durable/re-usable.
Definitely figure something out to brace the rear of the alternator with. I didn't and it 's case eventually broke one day!

 

Even the crappy $125 Hedmans I had on my car before could be unbolted, rebolted in 20-30 minutes. Why anyone would buy Hookers when for a few more bucks they could have good headers, I'll never understand.

 

For the braces, I cut the spacer tubes off the original headers that the bolt goes through and then used that spacer and original bolt to reattach the braces.