About to do header install
Thread Starter
5th Gear Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,015
From: GA
About to do header install
iIn a few months. About to start buying parts. I decided to go with Kooks, still having a debate H or X catted pipe.
Question:
I will be doing this at my job, so a one day install is expected from my employer.
Is there anything I should be prepared for that may break? Should I buy something just in case?
Recently swapped out X pipe for factory to pass emissions and a stud broke on manifold lol 8 hour event. I want to be prepared this time!
Are the non foulers necessary, should I install while i'm at it?
Question:
I will be doing this at my job, so a one day install is expected from my employer.
Is there anything I should be prepared for that may break? Should I buy something just in case?
Recently swapped out X pipe for factory to pass emissions and a stud broke on manifold lol 8 hour event. I want to be prepared this time!
Are the non foulers necessary, should I install while i'm at it?
Last edited by 99gtstang; Sep 19, 2011 at 08:31 PM.
5th Gear Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 4,752
From: Maui
One must have tool is a 13mm flex head racheting wrench. Sure you can get by without it but life will go so much smoother with one and only $15. Get the percy gaskets. Are you using a lift? One day install is tough on jackstands IMO. Kooks cats have been known to clog and fail...............use with caution IMO. Finally use gloves........your hands will thank me.
Thread Starter
5th Gear Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,015
From: GA
One must have tool is a 13mm flex head racheting wrench. Sure you can get by without it but life will go so much smoother with one and only $15. Get the percy gaskets. Are you using a lift? One day install is tough on jackstands IMO. Kooks cats have been known to clog and fail...............use with caution IMO. Finally use gloves........your hands will thank me.
I called American Muscle today... SHOCKED they could not tell me what brand gaskets or whether or not the cats were metallic. First for them, they're usually tip top on answer/customer service. I was told to "call kooks."
5th Gear Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 4,752
From: Maui
If you have a blower you must have metallic cats. I cut my cermamic cats out after installing the m90. Call brenspeed about the gaskets. They sell kooks and the gaskets, they will have the answer.
You have a lift......wtf man, do it old school style on your back sweating your *** off in the driveway! LOL................NOT. Have fun, its the single biggest job we have done on my car. Cams and blower were all so much easier, but with a lift, your good to go.
You have a lift......wtf man, do it old school style on your back sweating your *** off in the driveway! LOL................NOT. Have fun, its the single biggest job we have done on my car. Cams and blower were all so much easier, but with a lift, your good to go.
Thread Starter
5th Gear Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,015
From: GA
If you have a blower you must have metallic cats. I cut my cermamic cats out after installing the m90. Call brenspeed about the gaskets. They sell kooks and the gaskets, they will have the answer.
You have a lift......wtf man, do it old school style on your back sweating your *** off in the driveway! LOL................NOT. Have fun, its the single biggest job we have done on my car. Cams and blower were all so much easier, but with a lift, your good to go.
You have a lift......wtf man, do it old school style on your back sweating your *** off in the driveway! LOL................NOT. Have fun, its the single biggest job we have done on my car. Cams and blower were all so much easier, but with a lift, your good to go.
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 181
From: TX
I just installed LT's & O/R X myself a month ago. No lift, on the garage floor with a creeper & 4 jack stands as high as they'd go, and a fellow MF'r for assistance. Its a day long PITA but well worth it. The 13mm flex wrench was a great purchase. I didn't have a trans cradle so I used floor jack with a bunch of folded up cardboard and raised the engine about an inch. No issues. I removed the battery, both engine mounts, starter, oil dipstick & disconnected the steering shaft. Some say to move the AC compressor but I didnt. Soak the manifold bolts with PB blaster & remove the factory midpipe the night before you start. One less thing to do the day of & saves some aggravation. Make sure you can reinstall the dipstick with the header on or do them at the same time.
After the install I ended up putting the Pypes cat kit in due to horrible trumpeting. I reused the stock manifold gaskets/fasteners and I cant get the leaks to stop. Percy gasket, copper sealant, and Split Lock bolts should be here tomorrow and are going on this weekend. I also ordered some heat shielding because the cats are cooking my feet when I drive for more than 15-20 min. Maybe they run hotter due to cams or its just their nature. I dont know. But they heat the floorboard up quite a bit.
And heres a couple of threads I reviewed.
Installed my Kooks LTs and catted X pipe
Headers and studs?
Long tubes install tools needed?
I was surprised the cams were so easy. But I was way more stressed out installing them than any other mod I've done.
After the install I ended up putting the Pypes cat kit in due to horrible trumpeting. I reused the stock manifold gaskets/fasteners and I cant get the leaks to stop. Percy gasket, copper sealant, and Split Lock bolts should be here tomorrow and are going on this weekend. I also ordered some heat shielding because the cats are cooking my feet when I drive for more than 15-20 min. Maybe they run hotter due to cams or its just their nature. I dont know. But they heat the floorboard up quite a bit.
And heres a couple of threads I reviewed.
Installed my Kooks LTs and catted X pipe
Headers and studs?
Long tubes install tools needed?
I was surprised the cams were so easy. But I was way more stressed out installing them than any other mod I've done.
Last edited by Hack Job; Sep 22, 2011 at 01:05 AM.
Thread Starter
5th Gear Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,015
From: GA
I just installed LT's & O/R X myself a month ago. No lift, on the garage floor with a creeper & 4 jack stands as high as they'd go, and a fellow MF'r for assistance. Its a day long PITA but well worth it. The 13mm flex wrench was a great purchase. I didn't have a trans cradle so I used floor jack with a bunch of folded up cardboard and raised the engine about an inch. No issues. I removed the battery, both engine mounts, starter, oil dipstick & disconnected the steering shaft. Some say to move the AC compressor but I didnt. Soak the manifold bolts with PB blaster & remove the factory midpipe the night before you start. One less thing to do the day of & saves some aggravation. Make sure you can reinstall the dipstick with the header on or do them at the same time.
After the install I ended up putting the Pypes cat kit in due to horrible trumpeting. I reused the stock manifold gaskets/fasteners and I cant get the leaks to stop. Percy gasket, copper sealant, and Split Lock bolts should be here tomorrow and are going on this weekend. I also ordered some heat shielding because the cats are cooking my feet when I drive for more than 15-20 min. Maybe they run hotter due to cams or its just their nature. I dont know. But they heat the floorboard up quite a bit.
And heres a couple of threads I reviewed.
Installed my Kooks LTs and catted X pipe
Headers and studs?
Long tubes install tools needed?
I was surprised the cams were so easy. But I was way more stressed out installing them than any other mod I've done.
After the install I ended up putting the Pypes cat kit in due to horrible trumpeting. I reused the stock manifold gaskets/fasteners and I cant get the leaks to stop. Percy gasket, copper sealant, and Split Lock bolts should be here tomorrow and are going on this weekend. I also ordered some heat shielding because the cats are cooking my feet when I drive for more than 15-20 min. Maybe they run hotter due to cams or its just their nature. I dont know. But they heat the floorboard up quite a bit.
And heres a couple of threads I reviewed.
Installed my Kooks LTs and catted X pipe
Headers and studs?
Long tubes install tools needed?
I was surprised the cams were so easy. But I was way more stressed out installing them than any other mod I've done.
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 243
From: Oklahoma
Everyone else has basically said it. BBK longtubes and O/R X here. A week or so out and they are still tight, flow great, look sharp, have no trouble with them at all. Noticeable gains with my other mods and tune as well. It's perfectly doable in one day, especially with a lift and an extra set of hands. The install isn't hard per say, it is just very tedious and slow. Extra hands and a lift will take a lot off of your shoulders as far as time and trouble. But like 808Muscle said, get gloves, for you, and your buddy if you get help on it. Even if the engine is ice cold there are a lot of sharp, tight places.
Just don't get in a rush, do everything right.
Edit: Also, be prepared for hearing a few more noises under the hood. The exhaust sound kinda... bounces off of the insides of 8 individual tubes with headers, the longer they are the more you hear it... and it has kind of a "rough" sound to it, at least with my setup. It's not bad at all, just noticeable, and took about 4 days to convince my wife it is supposed to be like that, haha.
Just don't get in a rush, do everything right.
Edit: Also, be prepared for hearing a few more noises under the hood. The exhaust sound kinda... bounces off of the insides of 8 individual tubes with headers, the longer they are the more you hear it... and it has kind of a "rough" sound to it, at least with my setup. It's not bad at all, just noticeable, and took about 4 days to convince my wife it is supposed to be like that, haha.
Last edited by OhEightGT; Sep 22, 2011 at 07:47 AM.
Thread Starter
5th Gear Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,015
From: GA
Everyone else has basically said it. BBK longtubes and O/R X here. A week or so out and they are still tight, flow great, look sharp, have no trouble with them at all. Noticeable gains with my other mods and tune as well. It's perfectly doable in one day, especially with a lift and an extra set of hands. The install isn't hard per say, it is just very tedious and slow. Extra hands and a lift will take a lot off of your shoulders as far as time and trouble. But like 808Muscle said, get gloves, for you, and your buddy if you get help on it. Even if the engine is ice cold there are a lot of sharp, tight places.
Just don't get in a rush, do everything right.
Edit: Also, be prepared for hearing a few more noises under the hood. The exhaust sound kinda... bounces off of the insides of 8 individual tubes with headers, the longer they are the more you hear it... and it has kind of a "rough" sound to it, at least with my setup. It's not bad at all, just noticeable, and took about 4 days to convince my wife it is supposed to be like that, haha.
Just don't get in a rush, do everything right.
Edit: Also, be prepared for hearing a few more noises under the hood. The exhaust sound kinda... bounces off of the insides of 8 individual tubes with headers, the longer they are the more you hear it... and it has kind of a "rough" sound to it, at least with my setup. It's not bad at all, just noticeable, and took about 4 days to convince my wife it is supposed to be like that, haha.
I am going to do my research on BBK. They have moved towards mustang and know what they're doing. Gloves, Chekc.. sharpe pieces... shifter install, I got all cut up! Good looking out on the noise... my wife would just turn up the radio lol.
Are the stainless worth the extra $130?
http://www.summitracing.com/search/D...T/?keyword=bbk