D I R T Y I 3 0

front header and y pipe off!

Yeah things are finally going now, and we started at 1

Rods03Max619

iTrader: (5)

If I didnt have a sawzall to cut off this extra piece that was on my rear motor mount would of never got done, not going to tell you how many hours I took...

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

Also the collector going to the Cat and maybe a couple of exhaust insulators.....

You cut the airfoil tab......It directs cool air up too the rack, since it's so close too the exhaust!

D I R T Y I 3 0

Rear heatshield is a pain for us to get out...any suggestions anyone?

Status report 7 hours into the job:
-Front header bolted on
-Old Y-pipe taken off but sawed in half so piece of it is attached to exhaust
-Rear Heatshield unbolted but unsure of how to get it out!

3 guys working at it but could not finish it today, tomorrow it should be done. The rear heat shield is what is troubling us, WE NEED HELP! Have no idea how to maneuver it out. Have to us the sawzal to cut the piece of the ypipe off that is connected to exhaust so we can connect new ypipe to it.

From there it's just putting everything back together. My OEM gaskets are done, so I am going to bite the bullet and go with these new ones, they are in much better shape.

My bolts are the rustiest in the world, I am sure of this. This is slowing us down a lot. My WHOLE EXHAUST is nothing but rust, could use a new one...

Am I supposed to take out EGR? I left it on

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

drill, grind, or chisel the heat shield bolt heads off.....

D I R T Y I 3 0

I got those bolt heads off, it is completely off the header and just dangling around down there I just need help maneuvering it out. It's just a maze

Pics:
The car



Front Header On - with new gasket



Where I will have to cut with the sawzal to remove that y-pipe from the cat. Could not bolt off because they were so rusted they became rounded



OEM Gasket





OEM to new. Im going with the new one



Old Stuff



O2 sensors



Misc.



Intake Mani off



Rear Heatshield unbolted



Need to know how to do this, if I can maneuver it behind that I can get out from up top, no way this shield will fit down below through the opening for the Y



Sawzal


I think that pipe running in between the heat shield has to come off because it is attached to the header.

Alright, well I've taken a break and I think I am to cut this heatshield off with the sawzal with my friend cutting from top and me holding it from underneath the car. I'm tired of toying with it and dont have the patience to take off the rear mount bracket and rear mount. On top of that the EGR bolts from the engine to the header are incredibly rusted. Need the car done today and am stressin like anything

Rods03Max619

iTrader: (5)

Have you tried to tilt the engine to the front with a jack to get a little more play that's what I did, and finally dropped it through the bottom.....

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

Hopefully you took your crossmember off, cause it sounds lke you didn't...It really frees up alot of space!This is a 4 mount system and it's not gonna hurt anything. As for the header nuts setting on the welds you can modify some washers to fit along the welds or you can grind the welds a little! I would grind the weld a little myself but you have too be careful and not get crazy with it!

D I R T Y I 3 0

ugh dont have a jack

I'm sorry where is the crossmember located and what does it look like?

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

It's the large metal brace directly under the engine, holding the front and rear motor mounts....

D I R T Y I 3 0

So if I unbolt it, the rear and front motor mounts will be off too? Wont it make it somewhat unsafe to be under the engine?

Rods03Max619

iTrader: (5)

I don't know what it was just pissed me the **** off trying and trying then really looked at it like Damn I got to cut that off, lucky bro in law had a sawzall or omissions would of been stuck till morning...Nightmare.....

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

unbolt it at the front and rear and pull the engine mount bolts out, there are still 2 more mount holding it at the trans end and the timing cover end.....It's safe or you can place a wood block under it if you feel uncomfortable I've done more than a handful like this...

aackshun

iTrader: (3)

+1 hell I left my motor hanging on one mount during my 6mt swap

D I R T Y I 3 0

Okay tahnks, going to do thisnow

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

Damn, sorry it its taking so long. Curious to see how you like its sound and if your butt dyno feels a difference. I have lots of mechanical knowledge and do most of the work on my car by myself. However, with this job, Im getting my professional mechanic friend to do most of the work and will watch so I can do it next time. This and the rear main seal leak I wont mess with. Way to much knowledge that You need to do it in a timely manner that I dont have quite yet

D I R T Y I 3 0

Wait but there are 4 bolts holding the engine mount to the crossmemeber i take these off too?

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

Yea there are bolts on the front and the rear. its still plenty sturdy as long as you not driving it down the road lol

D I R T Y I 3 0

so this and the two in the back? then i remove the engine mounts?

really need help on this, what does the engine mount bracket look like?

Alright I think I am just going to leave the rear header alone because it is too much work and just attach the ypipe and the front header.

The y pipe does sit flush on both header I think for the rear there is a small gap on one of the bolts but that will be tidied up by screwing in the bolts and the gasket

IN addition We can't saw the y pipe off the cat. so freaking rusted

nogoodmaxima

bro the rear header wasnt born there , if it takes more time so be it .

for all this work dam you should of put some better headers on there but *** it it is wat it is.

is there no other org member around his area that can help him out.

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

Each engine mount has 1 bolt thru the center!!!! Remove the 2 bolts under the radiator, the the 2 bolts under the steering rack, then remove the 1 bolt thru both the front and the rear mounts!!!!!!!! WTF is your maintenance book (Haynes or Chilton), your mechanical friends should be able to figure this out......I would think!

D I R T Y I 3 0

We saw this and knew what to do, the thing is all the bolts are rusted to kingdom come, so when I was trying to take out those center through bolts I was doing nothing but rounding them with the breaker bar and the ratchet. So we just stopped on the rear

Well we are done. Only added the front header and y-pipe all in all, back header was way too much work considering all the rusty bolts we would spend hours on end trying to pry off

The thing is I could have gotten the rear headers on but I picked a bad day to start working on them and bad time. Started on a Sunday and needed the car by like Tuesday and didn't anticipate all these obstacles because I was too optimistic. I'm keeping the rear header for the future though when better conditions are present

Anyways It's not completely done because the new y-pipe is not attached to the exhaust because a piece of the old y-pipe is attached to the exhaust so I am going to go to an exhaust shop tomorrow and ask them to cut off the old y and attach the new one to the exhaust

From this job, this is what I've learned:
-Pick a proper time and setting to work on your car
-Do it if you have a backup car and live on your own
-Have friends that know their stuff if you are a noob like me
-Working on cars is VERY stressful and I don't like it TOO much, just a little bit
-I am claustrophobic
-For Headers, pay someone to do it.
-For Y-pipe, do it on your own its easy
-Open Y-pipe sounds amazing, my friend will send me the video

Flex pipe has it that way since old piece is still connected as mentioned before. It looks like its dragging but its actually barely above


We finished and don't know where this goes lol


What's left, you can see the bit of y-pipe we cut off


TIME TO CHANGE MY SIG!

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

Next time you work on something like this get some sort of lubricating agent to help with the rust and loosen up the bolts. The rear is a bia, I will be doing this in a week or so, but it is possible I assure you. It might be easier with a engine jack to bring it out a lil. Sorry so late to response but I was busy. An exhaust job, especially in an area where rust will be a problem, shouldn't be attempted as an intro course to mechanical work lol. Hey, at least you did half of it right?

D I R T Y I 3 0

Word I got you. That rear header is truly a PITA. Me and my friend were just like "not today..."

In addition, I would likely to sincerely thank everyone who contributed in assisting me while I was working. Thank you!

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

usually you can get quality help but certain times of the day its a toss up. Next time post ahead of time lol. So how do you like the sound with the stock cat back? A lot of .org members are name brand ****** and wouldn't even consider something like this and would flame you for mentioning it lol but props to you for attempting it and finishing it

D I R T Y I 3 0

Ha well my idea of "quality help" would be giving it to my mechanic lol, but Im sure an org member would be just as good.

Well as I mentioned its not connected to the exhaust so its open Y and stupid loud but will hopefully hear how + stock cat back sounds soon.

Ha thanks, I'm thankful for my friends who helped me out a lot but I also learned a lot myself with this. My thought was that it'll be rough but an experience regardless

By the way this is quality stuff, anyone wanting to go the cheap route this is a good deal

Videos! My friends is driving:





We were laughing the whole time driving the car. My rims look so small on vid, they aren't so in real life lol

nogoodmaxima

yea ima just swap headers when i go for a motor swap lol this **** is too much of a pain from what i read and my big *** hands arent going to fit in there.

D I R T Y I 3 0

If you can that would be incredibly more convenient. Fronts are easy, rears I just feel like giving to my mechanic for

nogoodmaxima

not for nothing i was thinking ether obx headers and ypipe or ebay headers i checked dna motoring website and they didnt have the ones you bought ? is it a ebay store exclusive lol

D I R T Y I 3 0

Go for OBX, you will get gains from those headers in addition to the Y whereas my headers aren't substantial enough to provide gains. I just didn't have the money nor do I care much to be meticulous about gains, its just something for fun.

Check the link in the very first post of this thread

Grimix

That thing sounds wicked

D I R T Y I 3 0

Ha yeah I love the cammed sound at idle, too bad its going to go away :'(

phatboislim

iTrader: (27)

first vid first few seconds...MONEY!

D I R T Y I 3 0

^I NOZE

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

Lesson # 1 buy yourself a jack , jack stands, and a Maintenance manual or download the FSM....Go buy yourself an automotive magazine and inside there should be a Harbor freight Coupon with 50% saving on various tools.....Buy this stuff first then your performance parts! Good luck youngster....Wish I was there too help you it could've been done in less than 4 hrs....with obstacles!

D I R T Y I 3 0

Noted and thanks

Madmax1999

iTrader: (1)

Where can you get one nowadays, there all out of production. Called cattman and he says he needs a dozen orders before he would go into production.

D I R T Y I 3 0

Ebay bro unless you are referring to the ones I got

To makea long story short, we did everything fine and the exhaust shop did what I asked them to do... BUT now my stock rear exhaust manifold is leaking at the head. Freeaking gasket so I put the rear header in the trunk and sent it off to my mechanic.

This car has been fun but more of a headache in maintaining and fixing it in the past two years and I've realized that for all the money I've put into it in these two years I could have bought myself a nice little miata or 240SX - a real sports car. SO I'm done modding it and will just stick to driving it now

Flava_24/7

iTrader: (46)

Seems like you put in a lot of work for no real gains over the Y pipe you already had.

aackshun

iTrader: (3)

He didn't even do that much