That's what I thought but I couldn't remember! Jack the Passenger side of the engine and you won't have to mess with the starter wiring... You may need to loosen the starter but that's about it!

I'll tell ya what my friend... You are doing it RIGHT! All the extra "Fail Safe" parts you're installing in conjunction with the Headers is sooooo smart! Plus the DIY plate! PM me or Jon about that if you can make more of them!!

Good job! AND you got em at a steal too!!!!!!!

Tim

 

Holy bejesus! I guess there is a size difference! Thanks for posting the pics Jhonathan. Now I can go in the corner and cry with my inferior OBX's. I can see there being a slight difference in high end power with these since the pipes are bigger.

 

Thanks for the post and comparison JW! I hope you enjoy them!

 

I loosed both the motor mounts from the bottom, I took the nuts all the way off and jacked the whole thing up. I did not even loosen the starter.





The DIY tunnel plate was a fun project. I looked at the ones on the internet that were in the $300+ range and started looking for materials. At first, I thought they were way over priced..then I started shopping for a piece of 1/4 or 3/8 T6 sheet/plate aluminum. The widest part of the tunnel plate is just under 13" and length ~44". I shopped around for the aluminum..well it's about a $200 piece in 3/8. I have a few friends that work in the collision repair trade and was referred to a metal distributor. The manager there sold me a piece from their "cut off" bin...basically odd pieces left over from other peoples purchases, just so happened they had a piece of 3/8 that was just the right size..I got it for $50 cash. I have another $50 in fasteners ( bolts, fender washers and lock washers). I'm in it for about $120 if you include the band saw blade I broke. Hint: when cutting aluminum with a band saw, some wd40 makes all the difference keeping it cool and lubricated. It's a trick I learned and forgot from a metal fabricator until I broke the first blade. The stock tunnel plate is not a real precise fit. The bolts that hold it up are 6mm the holes in the stock plate are like 12mm. There's a lot of room for error. I made mine a tighter fit than factory. Using the factory one as a template, I only had issue with 1 of the 36 holes/ bolts. I opened it up a tad while under the car and it's in now. It was off just enough to keep the bolt from starting. I cut it out on the band saw and cleaned it up on the belt sander with an 80 grit belt. It's not as perfect as a CNC machined one, but it's damn close and it didn't cost me $300. It's not something I would mass produce this way but I'm glad I made myself one.

 

I have mine in! I have not started it up yet...working on getting a LS6 intake ( I think I have that covered now) but leave Sunday to go out of town for 7 days..so it goes on hold for a week.

I tighten the headers down first...then loosely bolted the rest of the exhaust together starting from the header collectors and working my way to the rear. I went back to the collectors then tightened everything down starting from the headers and working to the rear. Exhaust tips are better aligned now than they were before.

 

awesome glad everything went well for you!

 

TTT ttt TTT ttt TTT

 

Installing headers for me was choosing my battles. Instead of removing the starter, I opted to do the following:

- Followed exhaust removal directions as seen earlier in this thread
- Removed motor mount bolts (from the top i used a long extension and swivel, was cake)
- Lifted motor a bit
- Installed drivers side from bottom, slid in without trouble (have to remove ground strap)
- Removed passenger valve cover (everything was already taken off so what's 4 more bolts?)
- Slid passenger side header in from top (was cake without valve cover)

No need to remove starter or anything else on the passenger side. This made it very easy!

 

^^^ Sounds like the best approach to me! Thanx for writting this up for everyone!

Tim

 

I finally finished wrapping this up. I've been out of town for work the last week and a half, which actually worked out well as it took me some time to find an LS6 intake manifold.

I drove it for the first time tonight...runs and sounds great! No CEL or any codes, all seems perfect. I have the high flow cat system with Borla Stingers.

It made 319 with just the Stingers and Halltech intake. It will be on the dyno again here shortly in the next few weeks for a tune. I'll update with those results.




TIP: When installing the intake manifold..I found that the little vacuum hose to be easy to hook up if you take the rubber 90 degree elbow off the manifold and hook it up to the little black hose first, then manipulate the 90 degree boot onto the intake manifold.

 

Question to the guys who have got these and have em on already, are they loud? Im wanting something decently loud, on my 02 z06 i had a custom set of long tubes with an x pipe and the B&B exhaust and i loved the way it sounded so much. I found a vid of this setup from front to back and it put me in mind of the B&B. Anybody else think the same? Thanks to anyone who can help me out, its hard to tell how something sounds online haha

 

Although I sell them, I also run them on my car and have heard multiple other sets in person and I will tell you that they will fit your bill and you will not be disappointed Here's my latest in car video from the track last weekend!

 

ready to get started. What gaskets and header bolts are you guys using for best results. Any info would be helpful.

 

You can use the stock header bolts. Get some "Fbody" gaskets from GM. I can't remember the part number, but a search should pull it up.

 

as for sound, i have strait catless resonators then strait pipes after the exhaust. and it sounds wicked. they've calmed down after a little break in on those muffler/resonators and while not super throaty, it's got a great rumble, and opens up to sound like an F1 car after 4500 rpm.


you can re use the multi layered steel gaset sthey are the best. i've used them on numerous F-Body header swaps and vette swap. they are awesome. same for stock bolts. they work just fine. that or you can go locking header bolts if you don't want to check your bolts after a couple of heat cycles.

 

Thanks for the posts JW and Steven!

I reuse stock header bolts on all the ones I have done and also use the included header gaskets without a single issue yet! I make my own "hooks" on the first and last bolts so I can hang them in after I get the bolts started

 

no probem, Thanks for helping us beat the Vette Tax!

 

FYI... I would get a set of OEM gaskets in case. Mine fell apart when I did my install and I was glad I bought the gaskets as a backup, I HATE having to run and get parts during an install!

If you end up not needing it you can always return em...

Tim

 

Nice run, you must have a coupe as you were only in third gear at the finish. That is what I hate most about the Z at the track is the need to shift into 4th RIGHT before the 1/4 point. There is just too big of a change in the 3/4 shift on the Zs which I will be fixing with some custom gearing on the Vert when the Tranny goes and requires "upgrade". Judging by the shape and size of these headers they should be more top end oriented. I had a similar set on my Z before the LGs and it was a little better and louder at the 6k+ point. I have been debating a set of these for the Vert since it is a DD and the sound is nice. Best of all no cutting required. I just don't know if I will be able to handle a year where the DMV "Randomly" selects both of my LT cars to go to a "Test Only" Center

 

with this setup you could easily have a different X pipe with cats in it and would be just fine then. swap it in and out with 8 bolts.