Ok, so here's one of the obligatory weekly header threads ... I just wanted to share my experience thus far with stock removal/header install.

-So I can't pick up my headers till Monday.. but I've been removing the stock stuff for the last 2 days off and on. Let me just say, it has be THE biggest pain ever! Winters here are quite bad, so all the bolts are pretty rusted up. I've had to cut off the front heat shield bolts... my stock cat is completely rusted to the stock collector pipe and b-pipe. (I just cut the whole thing apart, and am removing it and the catback, cuz I have a Cattman catback shipping in a week or so. Anyway, I managed to get the y-pipe off (that was a rusted nightmare, and took forever), and just took off the motor mounts/crossmember. Now I have to tackle the rear stock manifold... I'm not looking forward to getting that stupid heat shield off... I think I'm gonna have to take the upper IM off, cuz I don't see any way in my rusted predicament that I'm gonna get everything off without taking off the IM. I just installed spacers, so I don't really want to pull the upper IM off, but I can just re-apply some RTV and put the spacer back in when I reinstall right???
-So that's where I'm at now.. Hopefully by Monday I'll have everything ready to be bolted on. Does anyone know whether it's going to be ok to use the stock studs to bolt the new headers on?? I don't know what hardware Brian provides, and I don't think they're gonna come off.
I've read pretty much every header thread, but nothing really prepared me for the difficulty of this due to rust/corrosion. I know it'll be worth it when I get it done though But then I'm going to be forced to drive the car with an open Y-pipe because I had to cut my cat-back off. GAH! I know how that sounds and I'm not excited. Oh well.
-So if anyone has any tips, I'd greatly appreciate it But I think I'll be fine once I get the upper IM off and have more room to work on those rear manifolds...
-I'll update this thread early next week with pictures, my impressions of the headers (even though I won't have a cat-back...), and I'll have to get video clips when I get my 3" cat-back.

 

to get off the rear heat shield, you have to work from the top, and the upper IM has to come off and while youre at it, take off that plate that supports the upper IM (its useless after putting spacers anyway).. you'll be much happier working on the shield that way.. just have patience and be ready to bust up your knuckles!
anyway i'm positive you'll have a better experience with fitment with cattman headers!

 

Good luck putting them on. You're gonna need long extensions or remove the center support for the Y. They are the biggest pain in the *** ever. Why the rear bank flange to the Y is positioned to where it's nearly impossible to get to is beyond me. It's ******* horrible. Do not use the gaskets that come with it. You'll just have fun replacing them later. And by fun, I mean wasting all your time getting new bolts (b/c you snap them) and copper gaskets in there only to find out that it still leaks.

/rant

I'd rather have some chinese crap on there if it means I don't have to deal with that ****.

 

Yeah, luckily I took that IM plate off when I did the spacers install. I think I'm gonna have to end up cutting off the heat shield bolts to get that off... but that's fine... it was actually a relief to just cut them, after spending time with PB blaster trying to actually take them off. Yeah, well the end is in sight now... and I know the Cattman stuff is going to be a breeze to bolt up, assuming the rear header studs don't break. That's my worst nightmare haha. Can I use the stock studs to bolt my cattmans on? What hardware comes with the cattman headers? are they nuts like on the stock headers?

 

I had Brian ship me some new OEM header gaskets, so I'm good there. Is there anything holding the rear header/precat on other than the 6 bolts to the block?

 

i don't know if you have done this yet but being here in wisconsin the winters suck too, use a jack to tip the engine it will buy you like 2 inches of play, there is a product that i used on the back header studs it is made by loctite and i believe its called freeze off i wish i would have used it on the front it made removal 10 time easier.

p.s. where safety glasses while spraying from underneath the car.

 

Idk about the stock stuff, but the header to the block gaskets are fine. It's the Ypipe gaskets that burned out on me and I still can't get a seal. I got a few miles down the road with a few redlines, then the coppers started leaking. I'm going to put some RTV **** on each side of them and see what happens. If they **** me off bad enough, you can bet that they're getting welded on and another flange will be installed downstream.

 

hardest part about installing headers is gettn the stock manifold off.. anyways theres plenty thread here so search

 

I wish people would stop with the search comments. I understand how it can be annoying coming from a newb who hasn't searched, but I'm definitely not a newb and made a point to specifically mention the fact that I'd read almost every header thread. I started this thread mainly just to share my experience and create a discussion. What's the big deal? I just don't get why almost everyone, newb or not, gets flamed about search! I'm not referring specifically to you grand hustle, so don't be offended. It just seems like someone has to be nasty about "search" on almost EVERY thread. People can start new threads even if they don't have something completely new to talk about. As long as a good discussion ensues, I don't understand why people care so much. You don't have to participate in the thread if you don't want to!

 

Search if everybody was to share an experience of a mod this forum would be :007 and dumb, oh look I just changed my oil here is my experience..... not to give u a hard time and I know ur excited but if I gave everybody else a hard time what makes u so special?? Have fun, still search........

 

the block?

 

what's the point in using that little "leaving and closing the door smiley" if you're not actually gonna do it??

 

Noticed the smiley COMES IN the room then leave... stop posting so ur thread gets bump to the top and I won't have to come and leave

 

Installing the headers was really straight forward....with the rear engine mt/bracket and x-member removed the rear header manifold is cake compared to the OBX....Install everthing loosely and then gradually tighten and it's a wrap.....

 

Congrats and good luck on the install

 

I'm glad you posted the thread because I myself have been searching and could use all the info I can get on the topic!

I'm curious about your install with everything so rusted, how did the install ever end up going? How about the studs, did you use the stock ones or not?

 

Does anyone know if a cattman header would be compatible with a Greddy spectrum elite se catback system?

 

Yeah, install went great. It just took a lot of liquid wrench and patience together the rusted parts off. And yes, I used the stock studs AND nuts. Worked like a charm