| Installation
Instructions |
| First and foremost if your planning
a Plug wire change go ahead and prepare to do that at
the same time. I used Taylor wires, which seem to be
of very good quality, except for I was missing one plug
wire.
Preparation:
The hardest side is the passenger side so pick which
side you want to tackle first. I'll describe the passenger
side first as I wanted to get the hard part out of the
way. Soak down all your manifold bolts that you can
possibly get too the night before. An entire night before
is not required but it helps. Don't forget to soak the
stock Y-pipe to Manifold flange there are 3 on each
side. If you still have your cat bolted soak them down
too. On the top of the manifold there are compression
fittings that are part of the emissions Air inlet tubes.
Soak em down.
Installation:
Step 1:
Remove the serpentine belt.
Jack the car up and get it as high and secure as possible.
Remove the Altenator and the black support brackets.You'll
notice the back bracket is secured to the 1st Manifold
bolt. It's piggy backed on that stud. It has to be removed
to get a wrench on that 1st Manifold bolt.
|
| |
|
|
| Step 2:
Climb under the car and remove the Y-pipe and cat as
one piece. Start with the Cat bolts and then get the
y-pipe to manifold bolts off and drop this restrictive
bitch down and out of the way. Don't forget to disconnect
the O2 sensor on the drivers side. It has quick disconnect
harness connector.
Remove the starter. Disconnect the wires to the starter.
Should only need to pull 2 wires and it should come
down and out. 2 bolts. You will notice from the oil,
that I have the famous LT1 intake oil leak. |
|
|
Step 3:
Remove the Oil Dip stick. With the starter out of the
way you should see one bolt holding it on the block.
This is a bitch! Be careful with it that you don't bend
it up and break it. Try to wiggle it straight up. I
used a pair of vice grips that I clamped on there just
enough to get a hold of it but not too tight to collapse
it. It takes some elbow grease but you can get it out.
You should have some room now to get at a few of the
manifold bolts while your down there. Get all that you
can get too. Your also going to have to remove your
spark plugs so might as well replace them with some
good NGK's but that comes last. Go ahead and pull some
plugs too.
Back on top remove any remaining manifold bolts. The
1st bolt is a pain in the ass. I had to pull that Power
steering fluid pump hose off and out of the way to get
a wrench down there.
Now loosen the AIR fittings in the top of the manifolds.
I had trouble getting to the passenger side one, so
I removed the AIR valve from the rubber side, then unbolted
the AIR fitting once I had the manifold loosened, and
could move it so that I could get to the fitting. If
needed, because of lack of space, you can use a mallet
to smack the wrench to break these loose. |
|
|
Step 4:
The Manifold should be quite loose and ready to drop
out of there but there's a little EGR flange on that
back that's still attached. I found it much easier to
remove this one bolt under the car. With the manifold
loose I could pull it back at an angle so that I could
get a wrench on that EGR Flange. Spray some WD40 on
it and it will eventually come lose. It took me a while
to get it to break lose. Don't bother trying to remove
the EGR tube from the back of the intake, it's much
easier getting it off the manifold itself. Disconnect
the O2 sensor. |
|
|
Step 5:
With the manifold completely free pull it out from
under the car. Pat yourself on the back you’ve
gotten the hardest part out of the way.
Use the same method on the drivers side. You'll notice
that your access to the manifold bolts are going to
be much easier. I think I was able to get most of them
from the top and maybe the last 2 from under the car.
The manifold will drop down and come out from under
the car too.
With both manifolds out you can now clean the exhaust
ports up real good. I used a fine piece of sand paper
and some WD40 to clean it up.
At this point you will want to start running your new
spark plug wires. I used the stock wiring locations,
but I used tie wraps instead of the factory looms in
most locations. I did however use the first few looms
on the passenger side, because the wires must be run
so close to the altenator and belt. |
|
|
Step 6:
Install the passenger side header from under the car
and let it rest up in there. Install your spark plugs
while your down there and don't forget to use some antiseize
on them too. You can wait to get the header bolted up
some before doing the plugs. Your option.
With your header on the passenger side resting up in
there reattach the EGR Flange to the Mac header. You'll
see the little recieving flange on the Mac header. I
felt it was easier to reattach this while the header
was sorta floating up there. That way I could move it
around a bit to get the best angle on reattaching the
EGR flange.
Back up top and using the new bolts supplied get the
headers bolted to the heads but don't forget your gasket
has to go in too. I was able to slide the gasket in
and lined up a bolt and got a couple started. Make sure
you apply some Antiseize compound on all header.
Before you install the drivers side header, feel free
to yank off that plastic crap around the steering column.
You don't need it and all it does is gets in the way.
Install the drivers side header but leave off the primary
slip tube. Get all the bolts on there finger tight but
don't tighten them down yet. Apply some of that High
Temp silicone gasket stuff all over the portion of the
slip tube that goes into the header so that when you
tighten it the sealer will aid in making sure there
are no leaks. Once it's in bolt the tube to the head
and tighten everything down good as you can.
Back under the car tighten the primary slip tube. Looks
like a little band clamp down there near the steering
column. Get it as tight as you can but don't break anything.
Install your plugs on your drivers side now.
I know your ready for the y-pipe but you have to put
the Dipstick tube back in first and the starter. It
would be a bitch to try this with a Y-pipe in the way.
Trust me I know. I forgot and had to take the Y-pipe
back off. Major PITA. Proceed with the pleasure of getting
the dipstick back in. You'll be inventing new 4 letter
words but it will go back in. If all else fails, I used
a little bit of 600grit sand paper to make the OD of
the dip stick tube slightly smaller.. made putting it
in much easier. After that reinstall the starter and
wire it back up.
Y-pipe and cat is pretty simple. Start with putting
the new or old O2's back in before you drag everything
back under the car. Use some antiseize compund. Take
the screw in studs and make sure their screwed all the
way into the flanges on the headers. I used a pair of
vice grips to screw them up tight. Now hold the Y-pipe
up there and bolt it in good and tight. If you want
to use some of the high temp Silicone gasket stuff on
the lips of the Y-pipe to Header feel free to use a
little. Plug your O2's back into the harness. Make sure
when you attach them you hear the connector click. I
had one on the passenger side that didn't close all
the way and kicked and SES up. You may need to tie-wrap
the O2 wires away from the header on the passenger side.
Bolt your Cat on, Reinstall your altenator. You should
have some beveled washers/spacers in your kit. They
drop into the air inlet tubes sticking up on the header.
One on each side. I droped the bullet shaped side in
first (flat side pointing up) then screwed the bullet
side of the compression fitting into the inlet tube
and then reattached those hoses. Remember the one I
described removing with the help of a mallet? Yeah that
one. Reattach the plug wires. Make sure NO wires touch
the headers, use tie-wraps to keep the wires in place.
Get your serpentine belt back on and that should be
it. Hope I haven't forgotten anything. Check over all
your header bolts and make sure they're as tight as
you can get them. Start the car and let it idle. As
the headers get hot they'll burn off all the grease
and gunk from your hands. Expect them to smoke for a
few mins. Get the car off the jack stands and take it
for a spin. After a couple days retighten your header
bolts. Maybe one or two that will tighten a bit more
now that they've gone thru a few heat cycles. Also you'll
notice a burnt smell for a couple days. That's the coating
on the headers setting in. It will go away but make
sure you don't have any plug wires touching. Use plastic
tie wraps where neccesary.
|
|