I just picked up a set of Borla headers and I am planning on installing them tomorrow. I have a complete set of air tools so I think it should go fine. I don't think anything can ever possibly be more difficult then working on my old e30 BMW 3-series was. Any gotchas I should be aware of?

I read a couple install write ups I found on the 'net and it seems like the only preparation I really need to do is to obtain some new coolant.

A couple other things I'm wondering:

1. Should I wrap the Borla headers with thermotape?
2. Will I need to heat shield anything under the hood w/ the Borla headers? Will they cause an extreme increase in underhood temps or affect any nearby components? I had read that with some headers you need to heat shield the fuel line.
3. Can I just run out and pick up generic heat shielding and thermotape at Pep Boys or Autozone or similar type of store?

 

4. Sell the Borlas and get something else like Nismo or Crawford.

Sorry, I do not think that the Borla headers are worth the effort to install. Some that is this much of a PITA needs to be done right the first time....

IMHO

 

+2 Borla Headers are known to get little to no gains on the Z. When you get a better set of headers I would suggest you have them professionally heat treated (JetHot does this) as well as make a custom heat shield, the headers get REALLY hot.

Best Regards,

Reav

 

+4 - I agree with what everyone is saying, but My Gawd, you guys are awfully blunt about it.

But, Yep, I love my Crawfords.

Lou

 

Get rid of the Borlas and get some Nismo, Crawford, DC Sports, Topspeed, Stillen, etc...Anything but the Borlas.

 

Well, I already paid for and picked up the Borla headers, so I think I am going to install them.

The Borla instructions do not talk about draining the coolant and taking off the water pipe, etc. Is it really possible to take off the exhaust manifolds without doing this?

 

Here: Let me do the search for you.

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....eaders+install

 

I don't know, I guess I'm kind of bummed now as I thought that Borla was a good brand and didn't expect to get jumped on Plus this weekend is the first in a long time that I actually have the time to install something. I guess I could throw them up on ebay. The sponsor's ad said they have a proven 10hp gain...

 

They are not a negative, IMO, they just offer no improvement. From all I've read, they offer nothing in the low and mid range and maybe a little up top. David Borla once got into an online argument with me about these, but in the end he conceded that they did not, in fact, offer any improvements over the stock manifold.

Lou

 

why spend your money and time on something that will make no difference in performance, which is what headers are supposed to do? lesson: research your a/m parts here before buying something, noob.

 

They claim if installed with there exhaust it will have a 10hp gain (Which I think is BS). What are you running for exhaust?

 

I am planning to buy the Stillen true dual exhaust and a pair of Random Technology hi flow cats.

 

better research those cats, too.

 

R/Ts break up and clog inside. You really don't want these. Check out Crawford Hi-Flows.

Lou

 

Yeah, I've been searching for the past few hours and read about that Looks like Crawfords are the ones to get.

 

atta boy! you can also gut your pre-cats as a cheaper alternative.

 

My old MR-2 Spyder taught me that "pre-cats" are evil