lessons learned installing headers
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,135
Likes: 0
From: Sebastian Florida
St. Jude Donor '06
lessons learned installing headers
drain coolant, as I had to remove the coolant temp. sensor.
Use 4 stands, raised to their highest level.
To remove dipstick tube, get a philips scewdriver that barely fits in the tube and then use visegrips to twist the tube out. So you don't crush the tube.
For the a/c bracket, just use the bolt that came out of that hole. Use one of the extra nuts on the inside of the bolt. screw the bolt in and then use the bolt on the inside to tighten the header and put 2 on the outside for the bracket.
Great time to do wires and plugs, but put the plugs on before bolting on the headers, header pipes get in the way of a couple of plugs.
Get tie straps to tie off plug wires, as the regular looms did not always work for me. I had extra wire gaurds to use where the plug wires touched.
Have a BIG can of penetrating oil and the night before hit every bolt and nut you are going to remove.
Label anything you remove, including nuts and bolts.
This is a good time to replace gaskets, especially valve cover and intake.
Remove the pass. side valve cover when installing headers, it makes getting the bolts and plugs on 6 and 8 easier.
Use 4 stands, raised to their highest level.
To remove dipstick tube, get a philips scewdriver that barely fits in the tube and then use visegrips to twist the tube out. So you don't crush the tube.
For the a/c bracket, just use the bolt that came out of that hole. Use one of the extra nuts on the inside of the bolt. screw the bolt in and then use the bolt on the inside to tighten the header and put 2 on the outside for the bracket.
Great time to do wires and plugs, but put the plugs on before bolting on the headers, header pipes get in the way of a couple of plugs.
Get tie straps to tie off plug wires, as the regular looms did not always work for me. I had extra wire gaurds to use where the plug wires touched.
Have a BIG can of penetrating oil and the night before hit every bolt and nut you are going to remove.
Label anything you remove, including nuts and bolts.
This is a good time to replace gaskets, especially valve cover and intake.
Remove the pass. side valve cover when installing headers, it makes getting the bolts and plugs on 6 and 8 easier.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,135
Likes: 0
From: Sebastian Florida
St. Jude Donor '06
They were Hedman's and contrary to what others say, they matched up to the ports almost perfectly on LTx engines. You just can't use elites, as they will not match up to the ports as well, because of the coating.
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Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
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From: stop the fun suckers
Alos if uncoated how much hotter is your interior?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,135
Likes: 0
From: Sebastian Florida
St. Jude Donor '06
I got them at Summit, they are $305 and it is going to cost me $70 for o2 bungs. They are uncoated and I stripped off the paint they came with and put on 4 coats of Dupli-color hi-temp paint, I used this paint because it has ceramic in it and so far the car has not gotten hot. But, it has been pretty cool here, so I do not know how it will be when the temp starts hitting the 80's.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 9,884
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From: Magnolia Mississippi
St. Jude '03-'04-'05-'06-'07
hedman headers are for both engine types.
I have coated for L98 w/o emissions, no pre cats, hi-aflow cat w/magnaflow exhaust...
i am replacing the stock starter with a chevy ministarter to allow for easy replacement should it fail, don't have to, but if you need to replace the starter with headers, you'd have to undo the right header and pipe.
I have coated for L98 w/o emissions, no pre cats, hi-aflow cat w/magnaflow exhaust...
i am replacing the stock starter with a chevy ministarter to allow for easy replacement should it fail, don't have to, but if you need to replace the starter with headers, you'd have to undo the right header and pipe.