The header install has begun

[roswald0511]

Have to work at 5, if not finished taking gf's car to work.


So far, midpipes are off. taking break, then tackling the OEM headers.

Oh yea, I am doing this in the street in front of my house and it is about 35-40 degrees outside.

[Super T]

I've heard nothing but bad things... I wish you and your knuckles the best!!! Do you have a few hundred different u-joints, extensions, and pivoting sockets?? Oh, and serious question... you did get locking bolts for the new ones so you don't have to go retighten them in a few hundred miles, right?

[BrilliantBlackHemi]

Yeah it sucks. I took 2 days to do mine. Some of the bolts are hard to get to, others just elusive due to angles and limited space.

[Hemi31]

Good Luck.....not a job I would want to do in the cold.

[bklynmag]

I hope your boss doesn't mind you calling in sick today!

Good luck.

[pigpen]

Man that is flippin ballsey, to do it outside!

Good luck

[Trojan]

well http://www.33smiley.com/smiley2/communicate/k-o/6.gif in hopes you make it thru this install. Thats one heck of a challenge in a shop with a lift, let alone out front of the house in the cold!!http://www.33smiley.com/smiley2/communicate/praises/23.gif

[hemi iam]

wish you all the best and let us know how it sounds ???

[Hemi31]

He may not be able too.....lol....with the cold it will make busted knuckles easier to do.....and he may not be able to type.....lol

[roswald0511]

Off to work in the gf's car(does that tell you anything?). Running late, will give more updated progress when I get home tonight.


My gf is typing this.......lol.

[Super T]

Bloody knuckles!!! Get some mitten heaters or something...

[Ghostface Mag]

I see you tackled those headers before we could at the shop...There is nothing like bloody knuckles in the cold...Good Luck...Keep me posted...

[BrilliantBlackHemi]

I did mine on my back on jackstands, but fortunately we had a couple of warm days and it was in the 60s.

[Flanman]

I did mine with my car on a lift, and it was difficult. I give you a lot of credit for tackling it under the circumstances. Good luck.

[Pigman 440]

Good luck,looks like the cold is moving your way!

[crhemi]

A foolish thing to do in my opinion. At least it's noy raining!

[roswald0511]

Update: Just got home from work.

So far, I have got the drive side OEM manifold off and both mid pipes and cats. I took a few breaks because the wind was whipping under the car and my hands were getting numb even with gloves on. I am going to be back at it tomorrow morning and I have to be at work again tomorrow night at 5, hopefully I will have them on by then. I do have after 3 on sunday to get them done if needed.

Thanks for all the support, some may think it is foolish and some may think it is ballsy. I think it is the only time that I have considering I work monday thru friday 7am-4pm and I also have a part time job that I work 4-5 times a week. Not a lot of free time.

Will update tomorrow.

Thanks again.

[pigpen]

:popcorn:

[elcobra44]

You're installing your headers in the street? Man.. I'll give ya some beans for that. :mrgreen:

[TorRed #1179]

C'mon guys, doing headers on these HEMI's is not that difficult! In fact on a scale of 1-10 compared to a DOHC 4.6 Mustang, its a 3! I did both my JBA shorties and Dynatech longtubes on jack stands in the driveway. In fact, when doing my Dynatech's, I lost the wheel key so I had to do it with the front wheels still on the car. As long as you have the right extensions (both 1/4" and 3/8") along with the correct swivel sockets (not a adapter, but the actual swivel sockets that Sears sells), its really not that bad! Now if you want to talk tuff, I did my Mach 1's headers in the middle of winter outside, where you had to support the engine from above, drop the front brakes, the entire front K member, remove the starter, and steering. Lets see, HEMI header installation - 4-5 hours, DOHC 4.6 installation - 12-14 hours. :modding:

[PaCharger]

Man - I hate these threads. I have the gibson shorties in the garage, gaskets, bolts, washers ready to go....

I'm so freaking torn on doing this myself. I know I have two rooms to paint first...
I do have a garage and portable heater, but it will be on jack stands and a long job if I tackle it.

[O-Town Magnum]

wherever you can, you really don't want to do this twice, trust me. also use anti-sieze at the heads... in case you have to do it twice.

[roswald0511]

About to head outside to get an early start.


C'mon guys, doing headers on these HEMI's is not that difficult! In fact on a scale of 1-10 compared to a DOHC 4.6 Mustang, its a 3! I did both my JBA shorties and Dynatech longtubes on jack stands in the driveway. In fact, when doing my Dynatech's, I lost the wheel key so I had to do it with the front wheels still on the car. As long as you have the right extensions (both 1/4" and 3/8") along with the correct swivel sockets (not a adapter, but the actual swivel sockets that Sears sells), its really not that bad! Now if you want to talk tuff, I did my Mach 1's headers in the middle of winter outside, where you had to support the engine from above, drop the front brakes, the entire front K member, remove the starter, and steering. Lets see, HEMI header installation - 4-5 hours, DOHC 4.6 installation - 12-14 hours. :modding:



Rob, I live in Severn if you want to come over and help...lol.

[Jaak]

Good luck with it!

[BigHemi06]

:popcorn::popcorn:

[MikeEast]

Major nads to go this one alone and in the street in the cold - I feel your pain!

My headers went on in about 6-7 hours total wrenching, but I have to give Lyle most of the credit, with Steve a close second, as most of what I did was finding the right part/tool/wigit and trying to keep things organized. Headers really enable these motors, a very impressive change.

Mike

[daddystoy]

I feel your pain. I changed my cam last weekend in my buddies parking spot in front of his BOQ room on base here in Germany. To make matters worse, it was 30* outside. Got her done though and everything works. Just took a little more time because it was cold. Good luck and beans to you for going at it alone in the cold.

[crhemi]

Are you done yet? At least today wasn't as cold...

[Pigman 440]

Get your extension cord,electric heater and a tarp to keep you a little warm underneath or get real mean and turn a salamander so it is blasting underneath!!

[ujokin2]

Threads like these makes me glad I am TOTALLY mechancially challenged.

[bandaid]

The good news is the cold numbs the knuckles...LOL. I'll wait until spring!! With old age comes patience. OK, not as agile as I was!!!

[roswald0511]

Hey guys, sorry I have not updated. I was running super late to work on saturday night and did not get home until 1am and then had to be at work at 7am on sunday and when I got home sunday I fell asleep.

I am at work right now, but so far I have the headers in place and I am struggling to get to two of the top bolts on the passenger side and one top bolt on the driver side. I am going to see what I can get done when I get home tonight. The only thing that sucks with the long tubes from the stock ones is that the pipes are in the way of the bolts and it is hard to get your hand up in there.

Thanks for all the support, I know it is taking me a long time but I have never done a header install before and I wanted to do it. I know I probably did not pick the greatest time to start either.

[Adanac Charger]

My thoughts...

There's never a bad time to install headers on a V-8.

[jhs914]

Hey guys, sorry I have not updated. I was running super late to work on saturday night and did not get home until 1am and then had to be at work at 7am on sunday and when I got home sunday I fell asleep.

I am at work right now, but so far I have the headers in place and I am struggling to get to two of the top bolts on the passenger side and one top bolt on the driver side. I am going to see what I can get done when I get home tonight. The only thing that sucks with the long tubes from the stock ones is that the pipes are in the way of the bolts and it is hard to get your hand up in there.

Thanks for all the support, I know it is taking me a long time but I have never done a header install before and I wanted to do it. I know I probably did not pick the greatest time to start either.Find a friend with small hands to tighten those top bolts from the top, not under the car. I was about to get my son to tighten them but I finally got my hands between the heads and the fender and tightened them myself. I skinned my hands up pretty bad. The secret was using flex head, ratcheting box end wrenches.

[hondaman9468]

Major nads to go this one alone and in the street in the cold - I feel your pain!

My headers went on in about 6-7 hours total wrenching, but I have to give Lyle most of the credit, with Steve a close second, as most of what I did was finding the right part/tool/wigit and trying to keep things organized. Headers really enable these motors, a very impressive change.

Mike



it really was not to bad, just a lot of time.... if i can help in anyway.... just shoot me a p.m.

[ICEChargerRT]

This thread is not helping my confidence... Sounds like the install is an marathon ordeal. I have a set of brand new ceramic coated shorty headers still boxed just waiting in my cars trunk ready to be installed. I had reservations about doing the install before now I have even more.. I'm really hoping after reading this thread that the big issue was because your installing longtubes? Well, either way I'll get em on there somehow!

Is it worth it to buy special locking nuts or just use what comes with them? What brand of locking hardware is the best?

[WIMP]

The center 2 top passenger side bolts they are easier to get at by reaching up in back, by the firewall and over the top of the back pipe while laying directly underneath (so you can see) Ratchet end wrenches work good for these 2 bolts. (Only works with the mid-pipes/cats off)

[jhs914]

This thread is not helping my confidence... Sounds like the install is an marathon ordeal. I have a set of brand new ceramic coated shorty headers still boxed just waiting in my cars trunk ready to be installed. I had reservations about doing the install before now I have even more.. I'm really hoping after reading this thread that the big issue was because your installing longtubes? Well, either way I'll get em on there somehow!

Is it worth it to buy special locking nuts or just use what comes with them? What brand of locking hardware is the best?Long tubes make no difference. The difficulty is in accessing the header bolts. This will be the same with shorty headers. It is just a tedious, time consuming job. It does not require a lot of skill, just problem solving ability and dexterity. Proper tools make big difference (flex head ratcheting wrenches, "C" handled ratcheting wrenches, and flex head sockets).

If you don't want to have to periodically re-tighten the header bolts, then get locking bolts. I used Breslins, but they are now out of production. Others can chime in on what works best.

I did mine by myself in my garage, car on jackstands. I am 50 something with a bad back and managed it in a couple of days. If you have a helper it will go quicker. Proper tools are the secret. Small hands help also. You will be working in very tight confined spaces. Tools should be flexible and small with a fine tooth ratchet.

Also, remember the heads are aluminum, DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN THE HEADER BOLTS OR YOU WILL STRIP THE THREADS IN THE HEADS! Another reason to use locking bolts.

[O-Town Magnum]

This thread is not helping my confidence... Sounds like the install is an marathon ordeal. I have a set of brand new ceramic coated shorty headers still boxed just waiting in my cars trunk ready to be installed. I had reservations about doing the install before now I have even more.. I'm really hoping after reading this thread that the big issue was because your installing longtubes? Well, either way I'll get em on there somehow!

but not impossible, part of the problem is that the supplied bolts are a really tight fit with the tubes in an already tight work space, totally stainless(totallystainless.com) makes some small headed, 6-point , 8x25mm header bolts that you can actually grab hold of & finger tighten.

Is it worth it to buy special locking nuts or just use what comes with them? What brand of locking hardware is the best?

yes it is, after you finally get them on, you don't want to go back again. totally stainless has serrated locking double washers that you can get in addition to their header bolts. cost + shipping for me was about $70 for bolts and washers.

[Big D]

I have installed two JBA headers and a set of Mopar longtubes. Did them all on my back with car on stands. Best of luck to you in getting the job done. Headers on this car are not that bad to install. Just take your time and have patience.

[BrilliantBlackHemi]

Well? Is it done yet? :)

[HoonLo]

LOL i DID Them in the pooring rain outside with a garbage bag over my head and a "river" under my back........Been there done that. And would never do it that way again!! Just pull the heads.

[roswald0511]

Yes the install is done. I thought I mentioned that, I guess I didnt. It deffinately was a PITA.

I think I am going to hit up some junk yards to get comfortable taking apart an engine so next time I can just pull the heads.

Thanks for all the support.


Oh yea, It is super loud with my straight pipes.

[Ghostface Mag]

Yes the install is done. I thought I mentioned that, I guess I didnt. It deffinately was a PITA.

I think I am going to hit up some junk yards to get comfortable taking apart an engine so next time I can just pull the heads.

Thanks for all the support.


Oh yea, It is super loud with my straight pipes.

:doh:I heard you from a half a block away before you put those headers on....LOL

[bigkevin20]

You gotta post pics