anyone run into problems with the rear manifold? mine is rubbing a bracket and bolt on the firewall at idle and causing a vibration in the chassis. when i get on the gas it twists the engine enough to separate the two. theres a small heatshield back there too thats very close to rubbing. any input?

my rear motor mount is slightly beat up. im thinking this is more the culprit than anything now because i haven't seen this problem mentioned before.

car pulls like a s.o.b tho. especially after 4K. sounds like a v8 at low rpm too. but this vibration is going to drive me crazy.

edit- i found a post about the bracket on the firewall. so i have either got to take a grinder to my car or call hot shot and get a new rear manifold. interesting. its funny, cuz my xs power ebay joints fit great but didnt give me any gains. and my hot shots give out the power but the fitment is rough. its looking like cattman is the only solution unless hot shot can rectify my situation.

 

what post are you talknig about? i am looking at hs headers, and would like to be armed with all kinds of research b4 making a purchase.

 

the rear mani hits a bracket on the firewall, causing a vibration that passes through the whole car at idle. when the engine twists from throttle, it goes away and also when you're braking. but when at a standstill its just close enough to transfer movement of the engine through the body, and you can feel it in the cabin.

i searched the other hot shot posts and found that some with the same problem talked hot shot into giving them another manifold that would fit. others took a grinder/cut off to the corner of the bracket to trim it back.

other than that the install is straight forward. you do not have to remove the x member and rear motor mount to remove the stock mani or install an ebay/xs power mani. but the hot shot you do need to take everything out of the way due to their design. you can do it without a lift, but if its your first time removing any lower exhaust components from the vehicle- i wouldn't reccomend it.

 

I have heard of fitment issues with the Hotshot headers before. Read around the forums, you will probably find something on it.

I have the new cattman's coming my way shortly... so hopefully there will be no issues.

 

I have not had any fitment issues other than the front O2 sensor bung...

I just plugged the original and had a new one welded on in a different spot.

I am having a leak issue though... and no one can seem to find it!!!!

It is driving me nuts trying to find this leak. I am going back under soon to try and find it.

I also think it should be sent out.... anyone who wants to install these on a 2000 max, you need to come up with something for the EGR. Since the HS headers are made for a 02-03, they have no provision for an EGR system since they stopped on the 2000's.

I was told that a 2000 Cali max had NO EGR.... damn they were wrong.... I now have it plugged off till I can have it re-connected.

 

thanks for all the replies everyone. i am armed with even more info now.

 

i am trying to resolve this problem with hot shot as of right now, as well as the others i ran into. i will let yall know how i make out.

 

to find the leak i would suggest using seafoam. regardless of what some may think of it, it will allow for a large amount of smoke to come out of the muffler. it will find that leak and come out. i have had a leak with my hotshots as well. mine ended up being between the thin hotshots flanges and the main cat. i have tried new gaskets, gasket sealer etc but it still leaks.

 

I am almost possitive that is where my leak is comming from!!!

I tried new gaskets, cleaning up the flanges and more new gaskets, new cat with all new gaskets.... and it is still there.

I called SCO and they said there is little THEY can do because HS would want us to send them back so they can repair it, however, I cannot do that, I would not have a car for weeks....

I am going to have to call HS directly and see what they say.