H-pipe install tips
03-03-2008, 01:37 PM
#1
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H-pipe install tips
For those intrepid do-it-yourselfers, here's some advice on an O/R H-pipe install, taken directly from a PM to USMCrebel when he was thinking about buying my H for $60 shipped:
listen VEEEEERY carefully, as I am about to make some suggestions that will save you so much time and headache, that you will want to name your next child 'groundpounder' [8D]
On the day that you're planning on strapping this on, or maybe the Friday evening before a Saturday install,get lotsa beer..
err,wait..
1)take your Mach to a muffler shop and have them knock all your bolts and O2 sensors loose. There are4 boltsout back (2 per side) and 4 studs at the manifolds (2 per side). There are 4 O2 sensors, 2 on each bank, and muffler shops have a special wrench that looks like a big brake line wrench that they slide over the sensors and simply pop them loose. They're MUCH easier to put back on - I actually did mine with a crescentwrench and just put some grunt on them.When the muffler shop did the rear bolts, 3 of 4 stripped, so they ended up cutting them off with a torch (and these were bolts that only had 3,000 miles on them). Imagine how much fun THAT would be hacking away with a saw underneath your rig. Not pretty. But these guys threw it up on the rack, backed off what needed backing off, cut what needed to be cut, and the car was in the air for about 10 minutes total.
2) get 4 new bolts for the rear (and if you need them,nuts for the studs up front). I didn't need the nuts for the studs, but the bolts obviously since mine had to be cut. Makes it SO much easier on the install of the H to be using nice and clean, non rusty bolts.
3) take it slow on the stud nuts up front (both taking them off and putting them back on) and use penetrating oil (WD40 or whatever). If you snap one of these like my buddy did on his 96 GT, much unhapiness ensues and the whole shebang goes to hell in a handbasket.
4) if you have an air impact or an air rachet, make use of it.
5) use a jackstand or wooden block to keep your mufflers and cat back aligned properly
6) if you don't have a long 3/8 extension or twoand a u-joint for same, get them before you start. There are some angles on this that you cannot reach in a straight line.
7) for the passenger side, there is a one-use crush gasket that youshould get from your local stealership (PN 2C5Z9448AA ~$20)OR you can get some exhaust sealer pooky in a tube and slack it on where your H where themanifolds bolt up. Just a little insurance.
The H bolts right up in place of the old one, and it's MUCH easier to install because there are no cats in the way. It's still tight, but there's enough room to get it done without too much pain. I did mine by myself and had the old one off and new one on within an hour.
listen VEEEEERY carefully, as I am about to make some suggestions that will save you so much time and headache, that you will want to name your next child 'groundpounder' [8D]
On the day that you're planning on strapping this on, or maybe the Friday evening before a Saturday install,get lotsa beer..
err,wait..
1)take your Mach to a muffler shop and have them knock all your bolts and O2 sensors loose. There are4 boltsout back (2 per side) and 4 studs at the manifolds (2 per side). There are 4 O2 sensors, 2 on each bank, and muffler shops have a special wrench that looks like a big brake line wrench that they slide over the sensors and simply pop them loose. They're MUCH easier to put back on - I actually did mine with a crescentwrench and just put some grunt on them.When the muffler shop did the rear bolts, 3 of 4 stripped, so they ended up cutting them off with a torch (and these were bolts that only had 3,000 miles on them). Imagine how much fun THAT would be hacking away with a saw underneath your rig. Not pretty. But these guys threw it up on the rack, backed off what needed backing off, cut what needed to be cut, and the car was in the air for about 10 minutes total.
2) get 4 new bolts for the rear (and if you need them,nuts for the studs up front). I didn't need the nuts for the studs, but the bolts obviously since mine had to be cut. Makes it SO much easier on the install of the H to be using nice and clean, non rusty bolts.
3) take it slow on the stud nuts up front (both taking them off and putting them back on) and use penetrating oil (WD40 or whatever). If you snap one of these like my buddy did on his 96 GT, much unhapiness ensues and the whole shebang goes to hell in a handbasket.
4) if you have an air impact or an air rachet, make use of it.
5) use a jackstand or wooden block to keep your mufflers and cat back aligned properly
6) if you don't have a long 3/8 extension or twoand a u-joint for same, get them before you start. There are some angles on this that you cannot reach in a straight line.
7) for the passenger side, there is a one-use crush gasket that youshould get from your local stealership (PN 2C5Z9448AA ~$20)OR you can get some exhaust sealer pooky in a tube and slack it on where your H where themanifolds bolt up. Just a little insurance.
The H bolts right up in place of the old one, and it's MUCH easier to install because there are no cats in the way. It's still tight, but there's enough room to get it done without too much pain. I did mine by myself and had the old one off and new one on within an hour.
03-04-2008, 10:48 AM
#5
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RE: H-pipe install tips
ORIGINAL: WIKD
Thanks for the tip on the muffler shop. never thought to just run it over there and have them break everything loose.
Thanks for the tip on the muffler shop. never thought to just run it over there and have them break everything loose.
03-04-2008, 12:17 PM
#7
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RE: H-pipe install tips
yeah - it wasn't too bad. Just sounded like a bunch of exhaust leaks. I let it cool off for about an hour (beers), put it on jackstands, crawled underneath it and had the O/R H in within an hour. 
spooged myself when I cranked it and ran it through the gears for the first time, too!
spooged myself when I cranked it and ran it through the gears for the first time, too!
03-05-2008, 01:45 PM
#8
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Location: Richmond, Virginia
Posts: 4,083
RE: H-pipe install tips
Does this matter if you already swapped out the stock midpipe for an aftermarket one?
Reason I askis because Iwas thinkign about switching over to an o/r x-pipe. Would I have to do all this or are all the nuts and bolts reasonably loose already? However, I shop put them on so I'm sure they used some sort of air tool or something to really keep those fuggers on.
Thoughts?
Reason I askis because Iwas thinkign about switching over to an o/r x-pipe. Would I have to do all this or are all the nuts and bolts reasonably loose already? However, I shop put them on so I'm sure they used some sort of air tool or something to really keep those fuggers on.
Thoughts?
03-05-2008, 01:58 PM
#9
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RE: H-pipe install tips
I would still have a shop loosen them (including the O2 sensors with that handy-dandy tool they have). If they put 'em on with air, you'll need 'em off with air.
Like I said in the OP, 3 of 4 of my rear bolts stripped and they had 3,000 miles on them. And if you snap even one stud off at the manifold, and you go from the peak to the valley QUICK! [:@]
I'd still say let 'em do it. The added bonus is after you drive from the shop with everything loose, you can knock a cold one down while you're waiting for the pipes to cool. Multi-tasking!!
Like I said in the OP, 3 of 4 of my rear bolts stripped and they had 3,000 miles on them. And if you snap even one stud off at the manifold, and you go from the peak to the valley QUICK! [:@]
I'd still say let 'em do it. The added bonus is after you drive from the shop with everything loose, you can knock a cold one down while you're waiting for the pipes to cool. Multi-tasking!!
03-05-2008, 02:39 PM
#10
Mach I Section Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: round abouts these parts
Posts: 7,140
Suspension Basics
I saw this link and read the 1st paragraph and was like ........this is good stuff, and i think everyone should at least look over. Also i didnt want to ***** up the other suspension thread
http://www.miracerros.com/mustang/t_suspension.htm
http://www.miracerros.com/mustang/t_suspension.htm