I just read the SLP write up on installing their headers. I've never seen such an incoherent, convoluted mess! It's even required to lift the engine! This got me thinking...if you are not keeping the stock headers, why not remove them with a sawzall, and toss them out. It sure would make the removal a lot easier..you could just remove the fasteners on what's left and pull the stuff out without removing all those engine parts.

 

It's not removing the OEM stuff thats tricky.

It's snaking the LT back in that is fun w/o a lift...

Peace
Chip

 

 

 

that is just one of about 6 reasons to buy American Racing Headers
1. performance
2. fit
3. finish
4. sound
5. price
6. installation ease

 

Well, Chip, maybe you should read this... This is just a small portion of the instructions:

6. Separate, then group all wires together as shown in Figure 4. Route the heavy black negative
battery lead and the small black ground lead to the very last rearward threaded hole in the
passenger side cylinder head and bolt them there using the same bolt that held them to the
engine block originally (See Figure 5). Push the excess small black ground wire into the main
harness behind the cylinder head. Cover the three starter wires with a 10"-long piece of orange
heat shield tubing. Cover the starter end of the red battery positive wire with a 12"-long piece of
heat shield tubing. Use a piece of the 3/4" plastic wire loom removed in Step #5 to cover the
remaining wires that branch out of the T-junction (11 wires total). Cover them from the Tjunction
to where the 3/8" plastic loom starts on the oxygen sensor leads. Add 3/8" plastic loom
from install kit to finish covering the engine oil sensor lead and the crankshaft position sensor
lead (if necessary). Using electrical tape, re-tape the T-junction area of harness securely. Clip
on crankshaft position sensor extension lead to the sensor, and let the free end hang straight
down. Route the 3/4" loom leg of the harness (containing oxygen sensor, engine oil, and crank
position sensor leads) along with the covered starter leads downward and tucked behind the
cylinder head (See Figure 5). Put an 8"-long piece of heat shield tubing over the engine oil
sensor lead, and an 8" piece over the crankshaft position sensor lead (not the extension
harness). Loop the engine oil sensor lead and crankshaft position sensor lead under starter
area and attach both to their sensors. Put the starter back in with one bolt in it hand tight.
Attach and tighten the three (3) starter leads in heat shielding to starter (but not the heavy red
lead from battery). Locate the long, metal guide-wire bracket behind the block, just below the
cylinder head. All of the above wires in their looms are to be wire-tied back to this bracket. Prebending
the two (2) wire ties into a "U" shape will help make this easier. The finished position
can be seen in Figure 5. Figure 5 also shows location of an oval, plastic plug-in wire clip that is
to be removed and replaced with a high-temp cable clamp and #17 x 3/4" sheetmetal screw,
installed as shown in Figure 6, with two (2) leads (engine oil sensor, and crankshaft position
sensor) protected with heat shielding where they will cross over the collector section of
passenger side header. Remove the single (loose) bolt holding the starter position and let
starter sit down on top of oil pan wing.

7. NOTE: This step may require lifting the engine slightly on the passenger side.
Slowly and carefully insert the passenger side header down into position from topside of engine
compartment. Before header is fully down into position, run the starter end of the battery
positive cable (previously covered in heat shield tube) through the rearmost opening in header,
where the third tube back (#5 port) forms a large loop rearward. Reattach the wire to the starter
stud with its brass nut. Orient the cable on the stud so that when the starter and header are in
proper positions, the cable will run toward the center of the open loop in header. Tighten the
brass nut, and be sure all other starter wires are also tight, then install the starter with both bolts
and tighten. Use a new gasket from installation kit and the bolts removed earlier from stock
manifold(s) to install the header to the cylinder head. Tighten the bolts only enough to still allow
the header outlet end to move up and down. Connect the loose end of the crankshaft position
sensor extension harness to the loose end of the lead for that sensor, and connect the engine
oil sensor lead to that sensor. Pull the heat shield installed earlier on each wire so that it is
above the header collector, and install both wires into the high-temp cable clamp installed earlier
(Figure 6). Be sure the wires will not droop down and contact the header.
8. NOTE: This step will require lifting the engine on driver side.
Use the alternator bracket as a pry point with a block of wood (or similar) against the chassis.
With the assistance of a helper, pry the engine up slowly, and carefully insert the driver side
header down into position from topside of engine compartment. Mount header to cylinder head
using new gasket and bolts removed earlier from manifold(s). Tighten bolts only loosely as
described for passenger side header.
9. (Refer to Figure 9) Install the front pair of oxygen sensors into each half of the h-downpipe. Put
the 2-1/2" unibolt clamp over the female side of the balance tube, and a 3" band clamp on each
of the front female ends (inlet ends) of each h-downpipe half. Put the two halves of the hdownpipe
together at the balance tube joint. The oxygen sensors should point upward. With hdownpipe
assembly supported as a unit, and near installed position, connect the oxygen sensor
wire to its appropriate connector. Next, raise h-downpipe assembly up into place and start each
slip joint onto the header outlets. The 2-1/2" balance tube joint may have to be almost fully
apart to do this. Fully seat each 3" slip joint over the header outlets. Tighten each 3" band
clamp over joint JUST ENOUGH to hold joint together. Fasten the oxygen sensor wires up and
out of the way, insuring they cannot fall or droop down onto h-downpipe assembly/header
outlets. Loosely re-bolt the two (2) tabs on h-downpipe assembly to their support bracket along
with the two (2) large flat washers from the installation kit. Figure 10 shows one version of the
h-downpipe in position. From the topside of vehicle, tighten all header-to-cylinder head bolts on
both sides in two passes on each; First to 15nm/11 ft. lb., second pass to 25 nm/18 ft. lb.
NOTE: If installing SLP #30068 weld-in H-Downpipe on 2000-2002 Corvettes, tighten
two (2) bolts ONLY on each side header to approximately 5 ft./lbs. These bolts will be
loosened later to enable removal of O.E. midpipe/converter assembly
10. (Refer to Figure 7) Clearance the brake lines that run along header tube as shown. Air gap
should be at least 1/2." (Refer to Figure 9) The aluminum air conditioning tube must be
carefully pushed (with a blunt, soft-ended tool) away from header and rearward. Move the tube
just enough to give 3/8" clearance. DO NOT push too far, or with a sharp-edged tool, as
damage may result.
On driver side, note the hose clamp that retains plastic bell-shaped guard on the steering
shaft joint. Position hose clamp to clear header when wheel is turned from left to right.
This is very important. Re-install/re-connect all parts listed in Step #2, as well as the two (2)
nuts onto motor mount stud nuts. On 1997-2000 vehicles, use 1/4”-20 x 1/2” long bolt from
installation kit to re-attach the dipstick tube to the passenger side header


I rest my case...

 

Forget all of those instuctions; I don't know about other brands but it took my friend and I 3 hours to install LG pro long tubes on my c6 during which we had several cigarette breaks, 6 pack corona, and 2 pizzas.

It was our first time. With a lift and proper tools you can do it in about two hours if you have some general mechanical knowledge.

 

AR are the sheeet!

Prob on some is

1.) you might have to take off the top of your engine to get them in.. because you cant always go form teh bottom for some.
2.) watch NOT to get too close to the AC line. Severl headers melt the line, and its not pretty.

3.) oh teh joy of a whole day under your car 30" up on blockw ithe 3 kids running around the yard throwing a ball and my *** sitting under a 3200 lb gravity defying piece of metal and fiber glass.. mmm