i'll do a step by step ghetto write up, as in pics and ooohhh, don't do this, damn, that had to come off also and aw man, you have to have this/that/these before you can finish. Mine ship to me and i should have them by this weekend and attempt it on Sun.
Famous last words, I ain't skeered, hey ya'll , watch this!!!!

 

I used that site along with the factory service manual and another site (can't remember where, maybe here) to do the install.

MAKE SURE you have a 3/8" drive breaker bar. Trust me on that one. It's the only tool I lacked and I didn't feel like stopping to go to the store to get one. I wish I did, as it probably would have save me 2 hours on the two front-most header studs during removal.

 

I checked out the zchickz install. It's not bad. But I printed this step by step writeup and it was exteamly helpful.

http://www.350zforum.com/tech/NISMOR...neheaders.aspx

Every single aspect of the install was covered, all the way down to what combination of extensions, universal joints, and socket depths were needed to get to those hard to reach bolts.

I was able to do the install in two days under my carport BY MYSELF with the car on jackstands. And that's with taking a lot of breaks and going to sears a few times.

Looking back it really wasn't too bad. Just very time consuming and patience is the key. This was the first time I've ever taken on such a project on any car I've owned. It feels great and gives me great satisfaction that I accomplished it on my own . I think if I were to do it again I could easily cut the time in half.

 

subsrcibing for the great info...good write up...looks like i might undertake this task myself afterall...

 

Congrats on the install. I'm still kicking around the idea of headers for my car. I'm so schizophrenic when it comes to mods though: one day, I'll tell myself that a turbo sounds like a good idea, then the next I'll actually talk some sense into myself since the Z is my DD, and I'll be thinking full N/A again lol.

Good info on the write-ups!

 

 

Full Instructions Here:

http://www.crawfordz.com/support/HeaderInstallation.pdf

Lou

 

That's what I'm talking about, excellent

 

That header install seems to have a lot of unneeded stuff in it. I guess you have to take off more stuff to get the Crawford headers on than you do with the Strup headers.

 

These are the instructions I followed...
http://www.350zforum.com/tech/Nismor...neheaders.aspx

Zquicksilver

 

I'm using this as a rough guide. So, i'm not going to write up an essay on this. I'm 5 hours into it now and taking my first break. Doing it all by myself. I have the passenger side done, the driver side broke down to the header. Im about to take the header off when i get back to it.

 

After reading the instructions and all the heat shielding issues and PITA factors, I'm not interested. What will things be like under the hood in say 5 years? How much stuff will be melted/damaged/negatively impacted by all the heat?

There's a lot of interest in headers but I wonder about the ramifications down the road. Anybody have a Z with a few years on headers in a warm climate that can comment?

 

Alright, after a 2 hour break and dinner, 7 1/2 hours to complete. Minus putting on the hood and plastic cover underneath i took it for a ride around the block. Got a damn SES light. Is that common with 04.5's? I have the non foulers on my test pipes. Do i need to put some on the headers? I'll be getting HKS Ti Hi-power mufflers tomorrow and going with a custom true dual exhaust in the next couple of days. Right now, i can tell a small difference in the mid range, not much in tone.

 

I have the same concern with headers and heat here in FL. I have a pair of DC SS headers in my closet from the Summit deal. Has anyone had problems with headers and heat?

 

That's a big concern for me too and I live in a climate that experiences both extreme hot and cold. With the tight tolerances of the engine bay, fuel lines within close proximity of the headers/manifolds, and other components, I too would be very worried about the long term effects of headers. Headers will run much hotter than the thick and shielded OEM manifolds. Headers also tend to bow out a little more therefore putting them and their heat closer to items of concern.

It's too bad headers don't do more for these cars though. For the 5-7whp gain, it just doesn't seem worth it. I guess it proves that the OEM peice is pretty decent, though it is rather ugly. A future OEM option could be the true headers off of the upcoming VQ35HR. I'd imagine those OEM headers will have the necessary gauge and heat shielding to keep radient heat to within an acceptable level.

 

I had my headers coated before installing them to solve these issues. I can tell you that the floorboard is already staying cooler than it was before and I have done a track event in the heat and had no problems.

 

Can someone confirm that VQ35HR will have equal lenght headers? Then it is definitely worth waiting.
Although I have access to a lift, I gave up on header install just after going through the install instructions. It seems that you have to disassemble half of your engine bay and you still need a very small hands and a ton of tools to do the job

 

OP, did you ever take care of that last stud? And for heat issues, there is an insulation you can wrap around headers to reduce heat, it comes in many colors and will help protect from rock chips.

 

No, since it's not leaking at all.

Yeah I'm aware of header wraps but, since mine have been coated that takes care of heat issues.

 

there is a chance that the header will warp over time with a missing fastener, if that happens you will blow gaskets constantly.