Now my question is how big of a job is this going to be? Can I do it in my garage or do I need to have someone install them for me? I am not bad with the wrenches but does the car need to be up in the air?

 

I do everything in my garage (normal 2 1/2 car). The car needs to be in the air about a foot or so, getting all the old stuff off will probably be the hardest part of the job. Haeders going on is realtively easy, I disconnect battery, remove starter, heat shield by fuel filter, and on mine taking off the angle brace to the cross member makes pass. side easier (drivers side is peice of cake and collecter flange will probably run into the heat sheild (some minor creative tweaking on shield and re-install).....just take your time.

 

I agree you can do this in your garage, but for me, there is not a chance in the world it could be done with only a foot off the ground, I need more room, because I have a major bad back. Still it is something you can do with jack stands. As soon as we get back from breakfast, I am going to start my tear down in my garage, as I am pulling the engine and trans, and plan on rebuilding both of them this winter. My biggest hurtles in all of this are the need to remove the hood, as I get it in the air on the jack stands, and the corners of the hood want to go through the garage door, and it really bites when you forget it is open and your in the driveway and hit the button by mistake. Then it is going up and your scrambling to shut it off, as it heads for the hood! I plan to just take it off, and get it out of the way, so I can have more light, and do not have to worry about the door. If I can pull the entire engine and trans, I bet you can do your headers. If you have problems or anything, just take a break, rest a few, and come in to the computer. Ask for help, or see if there is anyone close that would like to have a couple of cold ones, to come help or just come over for mental support. Amazing how much easier things are when someone is sitting in a chair, and having a nice cold beer, and watching you work.

 

Pretty straight forward job, I have the car up about 18".

Those Hookers make some very good power.

Vic

 

These Hookers are not difficult to install. Toss the supplied gaskets in the trash and buy aluminum gaskets for the collectors and at the exhaust ports. Paint the heads of the supplied header bolts with black rustoleum paint before installing them, or they will rust. Use anti seize on the threads and recheck tighteness for the next several days.

Well, the driver's side header goes in from the top with the plugs and oil filter removed with some manuvering.

The passanger one goes in easier from the bottom, with the starter removed. Get the car up pretty high for this one.

It's straight forward really. It takes longer the first time you do this.

A problem I ran into, was this. The passager header would hit the raised corner of this front cross brace preventing me from being able to align the bolt holes at the head. The picture shows after I cut the raised part off for clearance.



The last header bolt on the passanger side is a bitch to tighten all the way. I used a small 1/4 drive ratches with short wobble joint, and small hands to get it all the way tight. Also on my Hookers, a few of the primary tubes cut to close to the bolt holes, so I could not get the bolts started into the head's threads with the header against the head. I had to install the bolts through the hole first, then press the header against the head while threading the bolts in by hand.



Also, one of the upper collector bolts (can't remember what side) is not fun either. The only way I can tighten it fully is by wedging an open end wrench against the under carriage on one side, while tightening the other with a series of extensions and wobble joints.

 

I am using ARP 3/8 heads, 12 pts. in most of them and 6 pts. were the tube is close to the flange, helps all of clearance w/a wrench or socket.

 

Big help