Header help!!!
That ad is comical.
I also like how the OP asks for suggestions, then just tells everyone he doesn't care what they say and he is going to do it his way anyways.
What a maroon.
I also like how the OP asks for suggestions, then just tells everyone he doesn't care what they say and he is going to do it his way anyways.
What a maroon.
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 288
Likes: 4
From: central texas
Got these on yesterday. Had to clearance the driver side right where the pipe went in the collector to clear the steering shaft. Ended up nearly collapsing that pipe in half trying to beat it enough to clear.
So to simplify, problems so far have been bolt holes not lining up quite right and clearancing the pipe to fit around the steering shaft.
So to simplify, problems so far have been bolt holes not lining up quite right and clearancing the pipe to fit around the steering shaft.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Austin
Currently installing those exact ones along with Megan resonated test pipes. The holes where the headers bolt to the heads were about 1/16" off and I sent them pictures and instead of sending me new ones they wanted me to ship mine back to them (at their expense) and they would order a new set and compare to see if there were any differences before deciding to send me a new set. I paid a machine shop $80 to bore the holes out to 9/16" (~1/8" larger) which should give me plenty of wiggle room to get them on. I'll find out tomorrow.
The install isn't the hardest I've done but is one of the biggest pains in the ***. No room and more frapping coolant lines and random bolts to undo and move out of the way. Hell that's harder than actually breaking the manifolds loose and getting them out of the car. I spoke to 3 shops and had two quote me $800 and one a $1000 to do the install. Basically 8-10hrs of labor which I'll believe. I'm ~5-6hrs into it and I'm just now ready to put them back in and start reassembly.
The install isn't the hardest I've done but is one of the biggest pains in the ***. No room and more frapping coolant lines and random bolts to undo and move out of the way. Hell that's harder than actually breaking the manifolds loose and getting them out of the car. I spoke to 3 shops and had two quote me $800 and one a $1000 to do the install. Basically 8-10hrs of labor which I'll believe. I'm ~5-6hrs into it and I'm just now ready to put them back in and start reassembly.
Thread Starter
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 13
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From: Austin
you wont notice much without a tune, may actually hurt you until then. my buddy with a de with headers, spacer, intake, exhaust only hit 255 whp (on mustang dyno, i hit 286 on some dyno with an hr, full bolt ons)
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 288
Likes: 4
From: central texas
Wish I could tell you. Fired it up tonight and when the motor winds down the pipes vibrate and hit the steering shaft. So back out that side comes for some more massaging. Oh well. Drivers side isn't that bad to pull. Drain the coolant, pop the intake off, pop the upper intake manifold off, remove the coolant tubes (hardest part), pop the steering knuckle loose, and then take the header and test pipes out. Probably another 3hrs of work. What really sucks is I've got a certification test for work on Friday that I need to study for so I won't get to play with it until this weekend.
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 288
Likes: 4
From: central texas
Meh. Car isn't a daily driver so no worry there and it gives me something to do at night before the wife gets home. Besides, I've read so many stories on multiple websites of people having these kinds of issues on other cars with other brands of headers I don't worry to much. Just part of the game.
Registered User
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 363
Likes: 3
From: FLA
This. Shorty headers don't make power (especially on a DE with it's tiny cams) Do long tubes or don't bother.
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 288
Likes: 4
From: central texas
Well ****. Pulled the header off and clearances it some more and reinstalled it. Fired the car up and no more rattling! Spun the steering wheel all the way left and right. All clear. Dropped it off the jack stands and backed it out and bam. I can feel the steering knuckle catching on the pipes. There must be just enough slop in the k-member and chassis that once you get weight on it it closes the gap. Good news is that it no longer vibrates against anything even when on the ground so that's done. I'm gonna get creative with jack stands and see if i can't simulate the weight and see where it's catching. Probably going to just take the steering joint out and do some quick touch up with a grinder to get the last bit of clearance I need. But first, honey do's.
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 288
Likes: 4
From: central texas
Now I'm starting to get mad. Ground a solid 1/8" off the steering knuckle this morning to get it cleared. Dropped the car off the jack stands and all is good. Did a full throttle run through two gears and it was awesome.....until I turned. ****ing steering knuckle is hitting it again!!! Drove the last mile to my house snaking through the neighborhood and by the time I got back to my house it was no longer touching. Something must be loose somewhere and causing the entire exhaust to shift. I'm just about ready to say **** it and reinstall the stock manifolds and be done with it or sell the thing and pick up a 392 srt.
Sounds like a crap time, shouldn't be moving on you... Now that you have mastered the installation process I would just put the oem manifolds back on with heat wrap and call it a day.
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 288
Likes: 4
From: central texas
If the passenger side wasn't such a bastard I would. I'm going to get under it next weekend and pry on the steering rack and see if that's moving or if the exhaust is shifting. If I can't figure it out by then I've already gotten approval from the wife to pick up a new srt challenger so either way I'm done with it next weekend.
I wish people on the forum would have chimed in and told you the headers were **** and to get something else so it would fit correctly and you wouldn't have wasted all this time and money putting the headers on 5 times trying to make it clear.
Do it right the first time.
Do it right the first time.