Can headers be installed with the engine sitting in the car? I have heard you have to jack the engine up. Can anyone help with this??

 

depends on the car, and also if its long tubes or shorties

 

I'm assuming you mean long-tubes, because shorties can be swapped in in no time at all, without having to jack the engine up. I think it's easier to install headers with the engine jacked up because it gives you more room to maneuver since you'll need to go in from underneath the car. You may have to remove the starter and whatever else gets in the way...

 

No I auctually meant short tubes. Also what is a good brand of headers to buy? Equal or unequal lenght?

 

I would recommend equal length headers although they are a bit more difficult to install. I have a set of MAC equal length shorties that I installed in 94 and they are still working fine and in good shape too. I had a little trouble on the passenger side getting the one bolt in at the #3 cylinder due to the sharp bend in the header tube but you can cut a few threads off the bolt and it will go on in. On the drivers side, I had to make a small dent in one tube on the bottom side because it was touching the steering shaft just a little bit when the engine was idling but it moved off the shaft when you drive as the motor torque pulls the engine up off the shaft just enough to clear it under normal driving conditions.

 

Cmon Go Long Tubes! theyre more fun to put in.
You gotta try it WITH the engine in the bay tho

 

don't listen to OB, he put in long tubes and they kicked his butt for three days before he got them installed! go with the shorties!

 

Get long tubes. Leave you alot of room for power gains in the future also.

Shorties are better then nothing but not that great.

 

Three days??? Wow thats dedication. I woulda given up, sold em and bought shorties. See the thing is I have a o/r x pipe and if im correct longtubes wont work with it. So I just want something that will bolt right on. Hey roundman, you have a homeade ram air setup dont you? How did you do it and what did you use? Thanks again guys.

 

I put on BBK equal lenghts on my 5.0 wasn't too bad at all took about 3 hours.... I was able to put the headerin place through the top on passenger side then in place through the bottom of the car for drivers side.....
Have never worked with long tubes, so wouldnt know about those....