HELP! LT Install!
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 347
Likes: 0
From: Lake Elsinore CA
HELP! LT Install!
OK so the Drivers side is 100% done and I put it in through the top by removing the valve cover and the steering arm. Went in WAY too easy so I'm thinking great. I've heard of people getting the passenger side on without touching the starter. Well not on mine. Does anyone have any tips or pics on this? I've heard that you can just loosen the bolts, but that doesn't look like it would work either. There are several electrical lines running to the starter, do I need to remove these as it looks to be a PITA to get them back on.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 438
Likes: 15
From: satellite beach fl
Just loosened the bolts for Kooks, loosened motor mounts and gingerly jacked motor over and up, carefull when contacting cowl with intake. Be carefull of the O2 sensor wires touching exhaust. http://www.ls1howto.com/index.php?article=29
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 6,276
Likes: 227
From: Farmington CT
Cruise-In VII Veteran
what LT's? unbolt the starter push it next to the block and slide the header in; the KEY IS TO bolt the starter back on before bolting the header in, no access to starter bolts when header is installed
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 347
Likes: 0
From: Lake Elsinore CA
OK NOW I'M Pissed! This has turned into EVERY DIY's WORST Nightmare. I had to take the ENTIRE starter completely out of the car. The headers (Turbo Shop) will NOT even come CLOSE to clearing the engine. For 1.5 hours now I have been trying to twist and turn and pull and push and bend etc.... They are stght where the startercking right where the starter goes. They are hitting in four places, which now have four dents in the header. The engine at the bottom where the oil pan is. Right where the starter attaches to the bellhousing(this is the really bad one. On an A/c line in the bottom of the compartment. and on the main engine block itself. Now I have headers half installed. I've dented the headers and my engine is half disassembled and I can't get them in. After 1.5 hours I've concluded that without some drastic change in clearances these are NOT going in.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 347
Likes: 0
From: Lake Elsinore CA
DO NOT BUY THESE HEADERS!!!!! You must have the heads OFF the car and have the starter all the way out in order to get them in. I had to jack up the engine, then PRY the headers away from the car, then wedge the crow bar at the bottom and then HIT the top with a rubber mallet to get them down. Then the starter is out, so now I'm going to need to spend 8,000 hours trying to wedge that thing back in and then another 8,000 hours trying to reconnect the wires. Total install time 16,000 hours.:cen:
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 976
Likes: 1
From: Lincoln NE
wow.. my TSP.. both went in under 10min each afte the valve covers were off.. I had to install o2 after header was in and bend a bracket... i can't believe each header is so different... Weird..
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 347
Likes: 0
From: Lake Elsinore CA
Apparently these were designed for 97-2000, all I can say is NEVER NEVER buy headers that were not designed and TESTED on your exact year model etc. Apparently a 2003 z06 and a 2000 corvette have more different than we know as the dipstick is also routed differently as I now have a bent air tube and a bent and jammed dipstick. I have done headers before on a prototype firebird v6 set. Had some very serious clearance issues, but i would say that these fit worse than a prototype set.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 347
Likes: 0
From: Lake Elsinore CA
OK so here is what i've found out with a little research. GM did in fact relocate the dipstick on 2001+ corvettes! WHY I don't know. For anyone looking to install headers on a 2001-2004 that has headers made for a 97-00 please think twice as not only did GM slightly change some of the A/C routing lines but also relocated the egr line and dipstick location. I'm done with mine, but I broke the dipstick trying to make it work, so now I'm going to go down and buy a 97-00 dipstick so that it will work. This was not easy.
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