JaDia4

Today I finally decided to put on my headers. I went and bought some antiseize, liquid wrench and ramps because my lift points are bent. So I get started around 1pm figuring a 3 hour job. Well its a little after 9pm and I still haven't removed even 1 piece of the exhaust system. I'm so frustrated because so many people have done this themselves. Besides having to stop for a couple hours for a thunderstorm. The main problem is I just can't reach anything involving the rear header and the O2 sensor harness. Even the bolts I could reach were torqued tight as sh!t. I literally pulled myself across the ground trying to loosen the A pipe from the front header. How is it you DIY'ers reach the rear headers? Right now I'm so pissed I just want to take it to a shop to finish. But my pride says to keep doing this. But the frustration is becoming unbearable. I guess I'll have to spend $150 and have someone do it with air tools.

sxsublime

well when i was putting in my front strut i had the same problem with torqued bolts that i couldn't budge with all my body weight. The i had the simple thought a putting a bar on the end of the wrench. The increased torque you generate from this is rediclous, i removed the blots like they were barely in. As far as reaching all that sh!t i dont know, but i want to, considering my next purchase will be headers. Hope it all works out for u.

Brady6226

get a 3/8 rachet with the 12mm long socket. neel up on the intake manifold. find bolts with left hand, place rachet on bolts with right hand. find a cheater bar, long hollow pipe and give them hell, make sure you use a 6-point socket and not a 12 though. i got mine done in about 2 hours. wish i had an impact, it would have only taken me a hour then.

Brady6226

oh yeah unbolt the stock strut bar. that helps so much

allmotor_2000

You don't have to unbolt the strut bar... that does not help. You have to soak some liquid-wrench onto the A-pipe bolts and just use a BIG wrench! The rear manifold is a pain... you have to remove the nuts from both above the car and below the car. The A-pipe to cat can be tough if the car has many miles - once again liquid-wrench!!

JaDia4

thanks, I'll try different tools tomorrow, and even more liquid wrench. Oh BTW, I weigh +260 lbs! In other words they're tight as shyte.

allmotor_2000

Leverage & Torque outweigh the heaviest person!!

Jonesi

I had 70k miles on my car when Smitty helped me install my headers and B-Pipe and we had to torch the freakin shit out of almost ever bolt.. Suggestion get some serious heat..

TypeS_boi

I used a fairly large socket wrench w/ like a 5 in. extension. Before I bought them I was under the car for like 3 hrs. Got out, went to the store came back and took me 30 mins to remove. It helps if you have the right tools. Yea, no need to remove strut bar. If anything it helps if you need something to hold onto.

allmotor_2000

Go to the gym for 1-week and work on triceps and shoulders prior to a header install

JaDia4

I knew it! I knew someone was gonna say something like that. Lowes or Eagle hardware is across the street, so I'll pick a much longer wrench and a spray bottle of testosterone!

Allout

The cheater bar or use 1/2" drive breaker bar. Leverage is your friend. Also, if you can, use 6 point sockets. 3/8" drive stuff is good for most work but it's really nice to have 1/2" tools around so you don't beat the sh1t out of yourself working on the car. Consider getting at least the 1/2" breaker bar and use a 1/2" to 3/8" adapter so you can use your existing sockets.

Nashua_Night_Hawk

with pressured air tools the job will take like 30 mins!

DPOLICH

I had the same problem when I installed my headers. I stopped by a Midas shop and asked them to loosen the bolts slightly for me so that I could remove them. I believe I paid them $25 for their work.

JaDia4

okay I just got back from home depot and got my breaker bar w/various attachments, gloves and a flashlight in case I have to work past sunset. I'm taking a break for the daily thunderstorm. So far this project has cost me $75 in tools etc., 6 hours of work and 6 hours of frustration. I'm waitin' on the endorphins now.

JaDia4

That will be 2nd to last shot.

PDX3.2TL

hmmmmm... maybe i should wait to get my headers.... hercules hercules!

Brady6226

for everyone thinking so, headers are not hard to do. they just take time and use a spray IE: liquid wrench. i did my header bolts from the top and then did the downpipe bolts form the bottom. then i pulled the headers out from the top and the down pipes from the bottom. then dropped the new headers in from the top. put bolts on loose, attached down pipe from bottom then tightened from header down. my car had 50,000 miles and no problems. except for the rear heat sheild, which i had to grind off.

Allout

Good going. You're investment in tools will pay off several times over. I'm a big fan of perserverance to get things done.

PimpinCLS03

I could understand your frustration!!!
It really help if you take the down pipe aka A-pipe off first then work on the front header then the rear. If you have an impact gun and compressor, it only takes about 1 hour to 2 max. But if you get it done. its worth all the hard work. Good luck bro.

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

Removing the STB will only take a few minutes, and it will give you a lot more room to maneuver in. In my case, I wasn't getting cut up by the wires and harnesses attached to the STB any more, at least.

I put a 2-foot pipe over the wrench and simply pulled it to loosen the nuts. It's all about leverage and torque, not how much you weigh or bench.

And forget that Liquid Wrench stuff -- get some PB Blaster. I found that it works much better than the Liquid Wrench.

Good luck.

scalbert

Always have a can of this:



Spray it on the bolts/nuts and let it sit for about fifteen minutes. Then come back to it.

allmotor_2000

I can guarantee you cannot (single-handedly) replace stock headers with OBX/Comptech (especially OBX) in 30mins with air-tools! It will be close if you had a engine lift as well, but 30mins is very quick! I would figure 40-50mins with air-tools and a lift. You always have to use a manual wrench on the rear manifold!

sonor kid

My personal time is too valuable to waste hours doing a self installation, especially if you don't have the proper tools.
That is why you have them installed by a pro and save yourself alot of aggravation.
Just my humble opinion.

fender4

some have more $$ and some have a lot of time and not much $$$ self installs can feel pretty good and some are pain in the

scalbert

Actually, I don't do my own work to save $$. I do it mainly to be sure it is done correctly. Those "pro's" aren't always the best.

PavDog

Yeah my ride was only a few months old when I did the headers.. but the bolts were locked tighter than sh*t. The A-pipe and cat flange were the worst. I wouldn't even attempt it without an air impact wrench.

allmotor_2000

I second that!

allmotor_2000

BTW, Happy Birthday Jadia4!

JaDia4

Thanks Allmotor, good lookin' out! Even some of my personal friends didn't say that.

JaDia4

I may just have to "upgrade" from liquid wrench.

Well I have considered getting into to the Automobile business in a few years. So to me, being able to do this was not just an economical move, but also a test of ability, patience and interest. If I couldn't do this or felt the reward wasn't worth the effort then I'd have a good gauge as to whether I'd want to do this type of thing in the future. Yeah, I'm frustrated but that just made want to try harder. Besides why not get to know my car better, other than just how it drives?

ModAddict

DO IT NOW!

Smitty

and get a TORCH man... heat is your friend.. get that shit glowing RED..

PM Jonesi, he bought new bolts, header gaskets, hangers for the mufflers, anti seize compound... he was prepared for the party.. and ended up spending some extra loot for tools he did not have.... like Modaddict would say: "Get'er Done"

JaDia4

Well I took it to a DIY shop with a lift today at about 3pm. Things were going okay until I tried unbolting the A pipe from the rear header. 2 of those bolts only came out with an impact gun. So I asked the "duty mechanic" for a little help and he couldn't even get it off. So for about 30 minutes he kept coming back with higher and higher torque impact guns. But none could get the last bolt off. The other bolts were severly stripped while coming off. So I'll be going back on thursday to have that last bolt removed. So I can add another 3 hours to this project. But hey I got the heat shields removed.

scalbert

Must be that ocean air getting to them bolts.

Hey, I'll be in Miami next week so if you are still having problem, I don't see how I could help out.

JaDia4

Are You driving? I'd love to see the CL....

JaDia4

All of the local dealerships are out of header (exhaust manifold) studs that connect to the downpipe. They cost $6 each.
Is there any reason I can't use other than stock or Comptech studs?
BTW the original stud that wouldn't unbolt, the mechanic that helped me said the last impact gun he used (unsuccessfully) was rated at 800psi! WTF is up with those studs?

scalbert

Naw, flying in on Wed. afternoon and back home Friday afternoon.

JaDia4

I can't do to much until I get new studs, so my "project" is in hiatus until then, thanks though.