Headers and h-pipe installed - pics and lessons learned
02-20-2011, 07:30 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: NC
Posts: 29
Headers and h-pipe installed - pics and lessons learned
A few pictures followed by a few things I learned along the way. 
Difference in stock vs BBK equal length shorty header:
Difference in stock vs BBK offroad h-pipe:
Passenger side header installed: (had to loosen motor mount and jack up motor a couple of inches to install this one)
Driver's side header installed:
H-pipe installed: (this picture makes it look like the h-pipe hangs low but it's actually tucked up under there nicely)
Lessons learned:
- First, thanks to everyone who has replied to my questions I've asked up until this point. I really appreciate the feedback even though you may notice I didn't follow ALL of the advice I got. (example: chrome vs ceramic-coated).
- BBK makes some nice stuff. Everything fit together without having to cuss for more than a minute or two at a time.
- I should have connected the crossover pipe connection on the h-pipes before bolting them to the header collector flanges because it was (for me) impossible to make the crossover connection line up AND get the hangar to go into the hangar mount AND bolt the passenger side h-pipe to the header collector flange once I'd already bolted the driver's side h-pipe to the header flange. I had to remove the driver's side h-pipe and then connect the two sides together at the crossover point and then reinstall them as a joined pair.
- The O2 sensors... Jeez... Spray them both with PB Blaster 7 days before trying to remove them, then 6 days before, then 5 days before... etc... I couldn't FIND my PB Blaster and I live out in the middle of nowhere. It burns an hour for me to drive into town so I used a combination of brute force, cheater bars, hammer, and blue-wrench to remove both of mine from the old h-pipes. The first one came out after an epic battle. The second one did, too, but in the process it completely stripped the threads off of it so I had to go into town to buy another one ($43 and an hour wasted). So either soak them both for DAYS before attempting to remove them or just buy 2 new ones before you even get started and trash the old ones along with the stock h-pipes.
- If you're over 40 years old and have a desk job like me and are not used to this kind of work then take a few Ibuprofen a half hour before getting started on this and take some more before going to bed that night. Drink plenty of cold beer in the afternoon AFTER you're done working on the car and before going to bed.
- By the way, this car already had a set of Flowmasters (or so I was told... I can't see the markings on the mufflers to tell so they may be knock-offs...) on it. I was able to remove and reinstall the headers and h-pipe without making a single cut anywhere in the system. No saws-all was needed. The car sounds pretty badass with the new stuff in place BUT one of the previous owners had some granny-style tailpipes put in place when they had the mufflers replaced... so it's running (I think... need to break out the caliper) 2.25" exhaust from the rear end of the h-pipe back to the tips at the rear. I plan to save a little $ up and then rip off the exhaust from the back of the h-pipes back and replace it with 2.5" stuff and will get a closer look at the mufflers at the time to decide if I will continue to use them or not. For now there is a pretty solid connection at the rear end of the h-pipe so I should be able to run safely like it is, but I think I can un-cork this exhaust just a little more. Stay tuned.
Difference in stock vs BBK equal length shorty header:
Difference in stock vs BBK offroad h-pipe:
Passenger side header installed: (had to loosen motor mount and jack up motor a couple of inches to install this one)
Driver's side header installed:
H-pipe installed: (this picture makes it look like the h-pipe hangs low but it's actually tucked up under there nicely)
Lessons learned:
- First, thanks to everyone who has replied to my questions I've asked up until this point. I really appreciate the feedback even though you may notice I didn't follow ALL of the advice I got. (example: chrome vs ceramic-coated).
- BBK makes some nice stuff. Everything fit together without having to cuss for more than a minute or two at a time.
- I should have connected the crossover pipe connection on the h-pipes before bolting them to the header collector flanges because it was (for me) impossible to make the crossover connection line up AND get the hangar to go into the hangar mount AND bolt the passenger side h-pipe to the header collector flange once I'd already bolted the driver's side h-pipe to the header flange. I had to remove the driver's side h-pipe and then connect the two sides together at the crossover point and then reinstall them as a joined pair.
- The O2 sensors... Jeez... Spray them both with PB Blaster 7 days before trying to remove them, then 6 days before, then 5 days before... etc... I couldn't FIND my PB Blaster and I live out in the middle of nowhere. It burns an hour for me to drive into town so I used a combination of brute force, cheater bars, hammer, and blue-wrench to remove both of mine from the old h-pipes. The first one came out after an epic battle. The second one did, too, but in the process it completely stripped the threads off of it so I had to go into town to buy another one ($43 and an hour wasted). So either soak them both for DAYS before attempting to remove them or just buy 2 new ones before you even get started and trash the old ones along with the stock h-pipes.
- If you're over 40 years old and have a desk job like me and are not used to this kind of work then take a few Ibuprofen a half hour before getting started on this and take some more before going to bed that night. Drink plenty of cold beer in the afternoon AFTER you're done working on the car and before going to bed.
- By the way, this car already had a set of Flowmasters (or so I was told... I can't see the markings on the mufflers to tell so they may be knock-offs...) on it. I was able to remove and reinstall the headers and h-pipe without making a single cut anywhere in the system. No saws-all was needed. The car sounds pretty badass with the new stuff in place BUT one of the previous owners had some granny-style tailpipes put in place when they had the mufflers replaced... so it's running (I think... need to break out the caliper) 2.25" exhaust from the rear end of the h-pipe back to the tips at the rear. I plan to save a little $ up and then rip off the exhaust from the back of the h-pipes back and replace it with 2.5" stuff and will get a closer look at the mufflers at the time to decide if I will continue to use them or not. For now there is a pretty solid connection at the rear end of the h-pipe so I should be able to run safely like it is, but I think I can un-cork this exhaust just a little more. Stay tuned.
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