Do you FLPers have this problem with stock wires? I haven't re-installed the passenger side wires yet, but the driver's side wires are very, very close to the header. Actually the 3rd one from the front contacts the header. Will this be a problem later?

Thanks,

 

My stock wires are touching the FLPs. I have a slight rotten egg, burning rubber smell when not moving which may be from them leaking and/or the wires touching. I'm planning on tightening everything up and replacing the wires, plugs, andKoolsox or something similar.

 

One of mine touches slightly where you pointed out (driver's side). It's been fine so far (about 1500 mi on since the install), I look at the wire and connector from time to time, and doesn't seem to be burned or scarred yet.

It's something I always look at whenever I have the hood open, and will replace the wires and add the socks if I see this is burning or deteriorating.

:cheers:

 

I have the MSD wires and they are close but do not come in contact. I did make an effort to try to keep them as far away from the header as possible. If yours are touching maybe you should try some wire ties to keep them off the header. I wish I knew about all these problems with these $1600 headers before i bought them. I put them in back in late June/early July before the fit and finshed problems were addressed on the forum and was going nuts with these damn things. Glad to see it wasnt my own fault now. :cheers:

 

Hey kh24 - I'm in the middle of the install... are you overall...disappointed with your FLP headers? ................. Just curious!? :seeya

 

No overal I am not disappointed. I was upset with the fitting issues because at the time all I had was Blackmagic to ask about how his install went and his was fine. I thought i was doing something wrong but now i see that the kit just didnt fit well. After you get it in, everything is great but its the getting everything in part that was hard. Also the forum deleted this post so i cant show you it, but my headers arrived damaged and FLP blammed me(they said i did it during install while the tracking # showed i called them about 10 minutes after i got the headers) and wouldnt replace them untill i posted my problems on the forum. The forum was very supportive and FLP did come through with getting me a new set out right away and paying for the old set to go back. Overall it was not a great experience for me but now that they are in I can just forget about it and enjoy the power gains.




[Modified by kh24, 8:30 PM 12/7/2002]

 

OK KH24, good to hear. As I said I'm in the middle of installation and ... well..
it is a lot of work but 550 - 600 for a paid install and even then would they pay as much attention to detail ! Hey, the car is up on jackstands and there is 6" of snow here on Cape Cod, MA so what the heck. I'm making steady progress, not hurrying to beat the clock, and this recently ordered and delivered FLP series seems to be going ok! If only I could loosen the steering shat bolt! I'd be on my merry way to worrying about the front hangar allignment!? :flag

 

Well for me the steering shaft bolt was hard to get to but it wasnt to hard to loosen. I guess maybe its cause the car was about 9 months old at the time of install.

Its funny I did my install on jackstands in my driveway in opposite conditions. I did it when we had a heat wave of 4 days with 100+ temperatures. As far as the recent snow went I got 8" by me but lmy little bro(he gets his license this week) bought a wrangler just in time cause my camaro wouldnt have done too well in the snow.

Any questions on the rest of the install dont be afraid to ask. If you were a little closer I would be up there helping you. Also, I too could not justify the $550 that I was quoted for this "bolt on" to be installed.

 

kh24,
Thanks for your input. As you pointed out, there are several fitment, alignment (whatever you wanna call it) problems with this set. We all know about the bracket where the collector tabs bolt to, mine's way off. Dont' know what I can do. I might just tighten all the bolts there and count on the rear hanger to do the job. Also, I'm having a hell of a time with the passenger's side AIR tube tab. It doesn't line up with the corresponding tab on the FLP header. What can I use to bend that metal tubing? What if I not connect it?

Thanks,

 

You have to try and bend the tab so that you can bolt it to the bellhousing. I dont think it is a good idea for the header bolts to support the weight of the system. Dont get me started on the Air tube. I was running a bolt through them as FLP suggests and the bolt snapped off. It took me 6 hours to drill it out and broke several titanium drill bits. Also my kit did not come with gaskets for the air tubes and my old ones were trashed so I had to make my own. I bent my air tube by hand to get it to fit and line up. Just dont be afraid to grab it and make it fit. The way I attatched it was by using 2 smaller bolts(smaller than the hole) and some nuts and lock washers. It was a lot easier to get in place that way and I did not want to chance breaking another bolt. The air tube is for the emissions system and it should be hooked up. When I had the tube off and would start the car to move it, I could see sparks and flames in air tube tab. Hope this helps. :cheers:

 

I used an assortment of tools to try and bend the air tube, very hard metal. What/how the other end of that tube attached and to what? I'm afraid if I just use brute force and bend it, the other end might come off and I have no way of seeing where it ends. :rolleyes:

Another question, really stupid one: For the life of me I can't find where the oil dipstick goes to! :bb Is there a reference point somewhere, everything is so dark and hard to see, I don't know where to stick it (the oil dipstick, that is! :D )

Thanks!

 

Also, I didn't mean to imply that I would just rely on the header bolts to support the weight of the whole system. I meant to say that I would screw in the collector's bolts and the front hanger bracket bolts (4 total), EVEN THOUGH they have to be a little off-alignment. I would not tighten them too much, since too much stress can cause the tab on the collector to crack off (as some people have had this happen).

:cheers:

 

A set of Koolsox is worth it and costs $39.99 at Mid America Designs.

 

Good investment. One of my MSD wire boots were very close to a header and it evenually cracked causing a misfire. It's always good to have a spare wire in the hatch. :yesnod:

 

I just put my FLPs in a couple of weeks ago.

Wires: use heat sleeves (i.e. Koolsox or some other brand - Moroso makes some really good ones). I remember back when I had a 5.0 and tried to put equal-length shorties on it. You put the headers on thinking you will make power, but don't realize how much power you are losing if one or more of your cylinders is not getting proper spark.

Collector tabs: You have to tighten them down all the way. If you don't they will vibrate loose. You should also use locktight.

Dipstick: It is really hard to see - helps if you are using a rack and a drop-light.

Air tube: I bent the hell out of mine - to get them out of the way - and bent the hell out of them to get them back into place - no problems - used brute force (just don't kink them).

If I had to do it over again, I would have one the rear O2 bungs from the off-road pipes, moved closer to the front of the car - makes it a lot easier to run your O2 wires to it.

When you are doing the install, keep in mind that the exhaust will vibrate/move, the same way your engine does on its rubber motor mounts. try to position the v-clamps and slip-on clamps (and thier bolts) in such a way that they won't rub against the tunnel's heat shield and won't get ripped off when you go over a speed bump.

Hope that helps. :chevy

 

Thanks SilverStateZ06:

Regarding the dipstick location, do you still remember roughly where it is? For example, can you recall a reference point? Say, I'm underneath the car, is that hole a few inches above the starter and so many inches inboard, or outboard? Is it possible to SEE it at all? My car is on ramps at all 4 corners if that matters.

 

RT - Looks like you are making good progress on your install. I had to use a mirror to find the dipstick tube hole in the block. I think it is located about even with the end of the starter.

My stock plug wires were too close to the headers. I replaced them with Taylor Thundervolts and fiberglass thermal sleeves. This is the same setup that Patches used.

The AIR tube on the passenger side is pretty hard steel. I heated the elbow by the flange with a torch to anneal it and it bent fairly easily.

You will really like the performance gain and improved exhaust sound. Enjoy!

Alan :seeya

 

If you are looking up from underneath (on the passenger side), the hold is behind the starter.

 

RT, as alc2001 mentions, I went from Magnecore's (which are shaped just like the stockers) with FLP's, to Taylor Thundervolt 10.4 mm wires with Taylor 1200 deg. F Fire Sleeves. No issues to date. :thumbs:

 

a couple things i can share here:
1. My MSD wires were too close to my FLP's to the point where they were arcing to the headers and causing random misfires. Pull car in garage, turn off all lights, let car idle...sure enough there was slight arcing. So...I pulled headers and did header wrap on all the pipes. I then put Plug wire socks on, too. No more arcing or Misfire codes plus the underhood heat has been reduced.
2. the collector straps for the headers. Mine didnt fit well, either. I did some jockeying around with the bell housing bracket, hogged out the strap holes oblong, etc, in order to relieve the tension. Didnt help. Driver side strap pulled right off the header at the weld and made a nice .5"x1.5" hole in my header. The strap on the other head was cracking badly around its weld, too. Had to take the headers off and get them welded up. This is when i decided to wrap the headers. There is nothing wrong with letting the headers be supported by only the header bolts on the heads. the 11mm x 1.5 pitch bolts are quite robust as are the heads themselves. These headers are a lot lighter than the stock iron skillets that were hanging from the heads (which did need the straps). I do not recommend utilizing the collector straps unless they actually mate up perfectly. Even then, i wouldnt use them.

my .02 worth


[Modified by rwj383, 8:03 AM 12/9/2002]