Doing Headers/y/cat install while my B pipe should be arriving sometime in the next couple days to have an additional resonator and muffler welded on. I got the headers off, so I'm past the point of rusted bolts and nuts Time to throw this shiny stainless steel on..

-One of the studs from the rear headers came out with its rusty nut still attached. Will i be fine to just put the rear header on, hand tighten the nut/stud combo in and torque it down with a wrench?


-o2 simulators (car was cali), which do you guys recommend? seems like these are hard to find anymore.. Will completely removing the sensors from the car just throw o2 sensor codes i can ignore?

-Gaskets, I'm going to reuse the headers gaskets, but which way do they face? They are bent in on one side and out on the other. Also, red rtv? It's the ebay manzo setup bc I liked the idea of smaller piping for N/A exhaust velocity and low end daily driving and saving $$ for the rest of the exhaust. Should I apply some red rtv between the engine and headers gasket, headers and y pipe gaskets? How much should i use?

 

-Yes you can reuse the bolt, put it back in, make sure the hole is clean
-Dont remove the o2 sensors. PERIOD. Have an exhaust shop weld in some bungs for them and keep it moving.
- I would always recommend new gaskets. But if reusing. I actually use ultra grey. A light light coat. Start all bolts and tighten evenly. Wipe off the excess ..Clean the surfaces, block and pipe surfaces with red scotch bright also. Wouldn't be a bad idea . Good luck

Besides that, you should be set...Cudos.

 

You can take all the studs out! That's not an issue you may need an E8 socket to torque the thing back in. On the VQ30DE-K it's an E8 socket. You want to get that nice and tight like an oil drain plug bolt!
If not your manifold will leak

 

taking car to the exhaust shop a day or two after i get it all put back together to adjust/modify the egr pipe from the rear header, it's connected to the header but it doesn't line up to the port on the car it's right beneath it and after all this work I just want the car back together i didnt wanna mess with it i need to go to the shop anyways to have the muffler and another resonator added in and I'll have them take car of it

as far as fitment issues with the $200 manzo set, the egr bung/pipe is slightly off on the rear header and the middle top nut on the front header only has enough clearance for threading it about halfway on and then the nut gets stuck between the header, but in my case i also wrapped the headers since there's no longer heat shields and it's stainless steel.

Other than that, we will see tomorrow when I put the y pipe and cat on. i did notice off the car the headers hardly fit onto the y pipe, the holes may need enlarged if I can't get the cat to line up

 

I can put the front of the y pipe on but the rear studs are off by a quarter inch maybe a little more and after playing with it for awhile I'm handing it off to an exhaust shop. The B pipe will be here probably by tonight or monday and I just wanna get my car back together at this point and have a place i'm already taking it to with more experience than me get it done and be leak free.

Add my other resonator and my muffler to my b pipe, adjust the y pipe so it fits on all the way, and somehow adjust the EGR tube from the rear header to meet the port on the car because it's about a half inch too low where it connects to the car. Hoping this wouldn't run me any more than $500 tops and i hope that is a high guess I started this thinking I'd be able to get everything from the headers until the b pipe myself.

 

Denso and NTK oxygen sensors are both very good. The rear O2 sensor is only about $40.

Gaskets are cheap, and considering the amount of work involved, why not just get a new one?

 

The nuts may have locking tabs. I noticed if I thread the nuts back on to the stud it just stops.

 

Most exhaust shops, if they have a Good exhaust guy. Have extensions,3/8-7/8 of various sizes and bends that can be added to egr tubes and welded into place. However there is a labor charge/Fab charge for that generally. Speaking from years of under car care. I can say that, I can usually custom make and entire exhaust system pipe included for less than you can buy all bolt on pieces. Pipe included..

TruBendz.com , check them out , they make awesome inexpensive systems. 2.5-3.0


How did you make out?