Headers/X-Pipe/Hi-Flo Cats

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Mar 1, 2006 | 01:39 PM

BickyDhadwal

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Melting Slicks

Joined: Mar 2004

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From: Surrey BC

Headers/X-Pipe/Hi-Flo Cats

hey everyone, my header setup was leaking and wasn't very loud just after putting about 40-50 km on it max it got a lot quieter and sounded as if it were leaking...after storage i had it back on the hoist...replaced the gaskets with the ones they provided and everything sounded awesome again..and now after about another 100 km everythings quite again and sounds as if it were leaking....(last time the gaskets were gone and the bolts underneath the car were pretty loose) could the bolts be the problem again??? how tight are you supposed to tighten them so they don't open up again...is there anything special your supposed to do so they don't open up again...i think the tech that was helping me out did tighten them as much as possible...but he told me if he did it any tighter he mite damage something...

any advice on what could be gone wrong now???

and the last question the GAS EXHAUST RECIRCULATION pipe doesn't bolt onto my headers like they did with the old ones...i was sent race headers or something instead of the ones with the connectors....should i remove those pipes or leave them just hanging out under the hood???

Thanks in advance guys,
Bicky Dhadwal

Mar 2, 2006 | 02:55 PM

BickyDhadwal

Thread Starter

Melting Slicks

Joined: Mar 2004

Posts: 3,002

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From: Surrey BC

anyone

Mar 2, 2006 | 03:00 PM

chaase

Team Owner

Joined: May 2003

Posts: 23,480

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From: East Meadow NY

St. Jude Donor '12

Re-check the header bolts. My old firebird would loosen the header bolts. Tighten them down yourself. If they loosen up again, you can buy locking bolts to help hold them in place.

Chris

Mar 2, 2006 | 03:56 PM

SLWRNU

Safety Car

Joined: Jun 2004

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From: Witness Protection Program Somewhere, USA

2026 Restomod of the Year Finalist

Not sure what the ft lb specs are but make sure your bolts and threads are clean. If they are, you should be able to tighten the bolts pretty tight with no damage. Also best to check them again after a few heat cycles. Just pull them tight. Stripping should not be a problem if your using the appropriate wrench. Really difficult to put enough power to the wrench to cause damage. Also make sure you use anti-seize.
Heat crossover tubes will take a little "persuading" to get them lined up, particularly on the passenger side but they will.
Good Luck, it's worth it.

Mar 2, 2006 | 06:17 PM

hightest

Pro

Joined: Sep 2003

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From: Calgary Alberta

The torque setting for the header bolts is only 10 ft.lbs.

Mar 2, 2006 | 08:27 PM

The Wrench

Burning Brakes

Joined: Oct 2004

Posts: 931

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From: Rowlett, Texas

actually the torque setting is 12 lb/ft, or about 9 NM in merry old England. be sure to get original GM metal gaskets if you can.

Apparantly you don't have the fittings for the AIR pipes on your headers.Yes, they probably shipped you an off-road setup.
Disabling the air pump system should cause no ill effects, unless it happened to set a code on the check-engine light.
You can take the whole system out, the air hose runs along the driver's side on the frame rail. The electric pump is up under the front fender area ahead of the wheel (somewhere in there).
Does anyone know if just unhooking the wires to the pump will set a code?
DG

Mar 3, 2006 | 03:12 AM

BickyDhadwal

Thread Starter

Melting Slicks

Joined: Mar 2004

Posts: 3,002

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From: Surrey BC

a check engine light did appear after driving it for 2-3 days..i had it reset 2 days ago and it has not appeared again

....i have tightened them as much as possible...but they seem to be leaking again (especially the x-pipe and cats) i may be wrong...they are just quiter and have a different noise then before...ill be sure to check over them again this weekend