So finally, I decided after like a month of these stupid headers sitting on the garage floor and reading these diy jobs for the install. I thought hey how hard could it be, i'm pretty smart. I started Monday got most of the nuts and bolts off in the freakin hot sun and crawling on the gravel driveway....manifolds done but i couldn't get the nuts underneath with my simple rachet set. So i fork out about $200 for an air compressor, air rachet and impact wrench, couldn't get the darn nuts off. Probably because the rust. Anywho, my buddies come over with a BIG ASS WRENCH and finally those come off, but i still can't remove the bolts where the pipes connect to the freakin CAT. Next day - Tuesday, I get a dremel, crawl underneath start cutting but still can't get the damn bolts off.

Finally i broke down realizing my own limitations, got the sucker towed, paid 60 for towing and another $165 for an additional 3 hours of labor and its done. I got my new XS headers installed and only costed me. $150 for parts, $200 for the air compressor, impact wrench and rachet that didnt help, $60 for towing, and another $165 to have someone else remove the final three bolts i couldn't get.

Damn that $150 + $200 + $60 + $165 = $575 for new headers.


Thanks Philly Dyno

I wouldn't try the DIY for headers that is a biotch job and i knew what i was doing


Anyone hearing a funny noise with these xs headers...sounds like i have a blow off valve when i'm in 2nd gear around 2000 to 3000rpms???

 

the stttt sound is the leak in the flex pipe, the wonk sounds are resonance. i got a 6 speed and i hear it at 1900 and 2900 rpm.

and u didn't need air tools... for my install we used liquid wrench and a long wrench

 

yea air tools = easier to strip.

u just need a nice set of wrenches, and a long metal pipe.

 

just curious, what are the dimensions of the flexpipe on the xs headers.

length (weld-weld)
diameter (flexpipe)
diameter (pipe before or after flexpipe)

i have been researching the weakness of these headers. thinking of buying a set, if i can find a good quality flexpipe replacement (dynomax/magnaflow) and having a buddy cut and weld a better one on before installing.....

thanks,
the newbie

 

so are these "tsssss" sounds annoying? i like the sound of a blow off valve but how much can it really sound like one..

 

constant blow off, its not annoying.. the resonance or "wonks" are very annoying at times...

but the flex pipe should be fixable, get a different one. i'm going to bring my car to an exhaust place soon.

 

Air tool used correctly do not strip. Hand tools used incorrectly do strip. In any case for anyone doing this use some PB blaster on all bolts. Soak every day for 1 week before install.

 

you can always return the compressor -$200 off your total bill

 

Hey guys... just a little interesting thing I noticed lately. Ever since putting hose clamps around my exhaust rubber hangers to pull the rear muffs up from sagging and moving around so much the clanking and shhhhhhhhhhhh noise from my headers has been greatly reduced. Just a thought instead of investing money into getting the flex pipe cut out and solid pipe welded in. Plus that could case cracking in the headers if the exhaust continued to move around like it does with just the rubber hangers, especially if they're old and stretched out.

 

skoalpb

I just got a set of XS headers, they are in my room waiting to get put in. Replacing the flex pipe isnt a bad idea. I ll get you the measurements over the weekend, I somehow dont have a tape measure in my entire apt. Where in Philly are you? Email me Jake.Bielecki@gmail.com and get your posting game up so they ll let you receive PMs

 

i recently installed xs power headers on my car and the install was a breeze. we used an impact wrench and long extentions. i wrapped the flexpipe with heatwrap before i installed it. i dont think i hear any leaking. i just put on a apexi world sport 2 exhaust also. install for that was quite simple as well except for the fact that i had to get the axle backs cut and re-welded to fit my car

 

BS, air tools used correctly can strip a bolt easily. The only way to get exhausts apart is to use heat, then take a ratchet to them.

The only way to get the cat bolts off is heat. Since you probably don't have access to oxyacetelene, the next best thing is MAPP gas. You can find it at Home Depot or Lowes.

 

SkillOBskilled, i live in the northeast near the airport.

it seems that the largest diameter flexpipe that dynomax has is 2" diameter according to their catalog:
http://www.dynomax.com/ecat/ecat.asp?page=1

magnaflow is about the same:
http://www.car-sound.com/02product/accessories.asp

i hope the xs header pipe measurements are not larger...........

 

As stated here and previously, heat, liquid wrench type stuff is great at loosening those bolts up. That was the hardest part of everything for me is getting the bolts off without stripping.

 

another cool trick taht works is, Take some old sop rags, shred them up into strips, SOAK them with Liquid Wrench... then tie them around every nut and bolt. then take sme more Liquid wrench and soak them some more while tied around... keep them on there for 2 weeks prior. keep soaking them eevery 12hours.

(this is mostly for us East Coasters and Nor east coasters.... )