Just bought my batch 4 megans, gonna be here soon. they say they are not too bad to install, but i am wondering if anyone has a write up, or pix or advice on doing this by myself....thx

 

get a lot of liquid wrench out . . i put alpha werks on my car with like 17,000 miles and it was hard to get a few bolts off !! your hands will be nice and cut just inevitable . . i was useing a lot of extentions as well . . did in my my front yard with just a jack and ramps . . did full intake headers (down pipe of course) and exhuast by my self!! good luck dude !! o0 btw i returned the headers the next day for improper fitment

 

I wana learn how to install them myself too, im tired of paying buttheads that want an arm, leg, thigh, and a biscut just to do work.

 

Here's pretty much what you have to do.

I suggest you jack up the front of the car and put a jackstand on each side. Jack so that the front wheels are about 3-6inches in the air...be sure to loosen the wheel nuts before the tires go airborn. Also, just in case, 'cause from experience i know it helps, remove the engine cover kneel ontop of the engine (intake manifold) and you can reach the back bolts (downpipe AND header)...furthermore, it helps to remove the strut bar A LOT! specially if you have big/fat hands/arms

1) Go under the car, and disconnect CAT from the downpipe...if you accidentally strip something, you should retighten and remove the 3bolts on the back of the cat (CAT-Exhust)...i you strip something, you officially suck, take the car to a pro.

2) Proceed to loosening the bolts holding the downpipe to the header (3front, 3back, will prob need a friend with a wrench from the top)

3)Once all 6 are loose, remove them and bring the downpipe down.

4) Loosen the 10header bolts (5front, 5back). Here you want to loosen each nut a bit at an alternating pattern and once all are loose, you simply slide out the header.

5)Take out old gasket and put in the new metal gasket. Then slide in the headers. BE SURE YOU PUT THE FRONT HEADER AT THE FRONT AND THE BACK HEADER IN THE BACK!!!!

5a) Turn on the engine for a few secs and listen to the beautifull sound! if you rev, keep it under 2.5K or you'll go deaf

6) Get back under the car, and w/ a FRIEND OR TWO...or THREE...align the downpipe and the header, then slide the bolts in...if it doest align then you put the front header in the back and viceversa...If it aligns but not perfectly its fine, use your second or third friend to help you muscle it into alignment. Slide bolts in when the hole is clear...secure them with a nut every now and then

7)^^You'll probably still be working number 6 at this point.
8) TIGHTEN VERY, VERY HARD...be carefull not to strip these, or any other nut. you WILL need to make these VERY TIGHT or resonance will occur later on...resonnance leads to welds braking...

9)figure it out

10) Before you bolt the rest of the exhaust/CAT, run the engine a bit just 'cuase it sounds amazing. Infact, run it late a night and wake up everyone in your neighborhood...i revved my engine at like 6am 'cause i had to get the car out of the garage lol!!!

11) bolt the exhaust and CHECK THAT EVERYTHING BOLTED AND BACK TOGETHER...make sure you used all the nuts you took out and what not.

12) After 1-2weeks of use. RETIGHTEN the 10header bolts and the 6downpipe bolts...again otherwise, resonnance will occur.

13) Watch out for cops.

Peace

 

here is a good one with a few pics

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/184466/19