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Header install guide?
I remember reading a little while ago on here a header install guide complete with pictures. Does anyone have that link? I have searched but can't find the message....
I'm tackling the Bassani Midlength's next weekend, and the person wrote a really nice install how-to. I will be dropping the K, thats for sure! Is it easier to support the motor by a engine lift, or by a jack underneath once the K is dropped? Using a lift, would the front clip have to me removed? If anyone would have that link I would definitely appreciate it... |
Re: Header install guide?
For those that are interested in the header install guide I was talking about, I finally found it...
Header Install Guide Some quick questions... The Bassani headers come with their gaskets. Are these the recommended gaskets or should I reuse the stock gaskets? I want to use all of the stock studs and nuts if possible. I want to pick up some extra ones from the Ford dealer before I start just in case. Does Ford sell these, or are they going to look at me like dear in headlights when I ask for them? Do the Bassani's require me to remove the oil dipstick tube during installation? I have the PHP intake spacer on. Hsa anyone ran into any problems getting the EGR tube reattached? Would it be better to disassemble the EGR from the upper, then attach it to headers, and then reattach it to the upper? Sorry for all the questions, I just want to make sure I have everything before I get started. Friday afternoon, I plan on getting started, with being finished by Saturday. Hopefully Monday or Tuesday I can get back in to get realigned, then the 2nd week of May I have my appointment back at LaRocca's for a retune. Then it will be off to the show in Carlisle in June! |
Re: Header install guide?
I dont have any answers for your questions, however I am toying with the thought of putting those headers on myself when I get back to TX and the emissions arent a problem anymore. So please when your done, post your findings on those issues. Those arell questions I have myself. For the header bolts thou you can probably go to any mustang store and pick them up. Back home in TX we had Texas Mustang parts, and my friends shop 50resto. Here in CT we have Mustangs unlimited. If you dont have a local shop you can probably pick them up through those dealers, if your Ford Shop doesnt have them.
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Re: Header install guide?
All that work just for 12 horse, if that! Sheesh! hahahaha. Stock manifolds are good to 600 horse, why whould anyone want to go through all that work for such a little increase? esp for daily drivers. My god man!!
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Re: Header install guide?
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I can personally have a set of headers in in about 4 hours. I don't call that a lot of work. SVTSnake, best of luck with your install. I've installed longtubes, but not the midlengths so I don't know your specific questions. |
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No hijacking was required, Just giving my opinion like everyone else does. Maybe it will save some people some time and money for a wastefull adventure.
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Re: Header install guide?
Get some Stage 8 bolts for your headers I have a set ready when I do headers to my Mach. These bolts have special locks so will not come loose and have exhaust leaks.
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Re: Header install guide?
Make sure you dont mess up any of the threads, I chewed one up pretty bad and had to use the stock manifold stud kinda like a tap to get the bolt in. I dont think it hurt anything but it scared the **** out of me when it happend. I had to take out all of the studs and use the supplied bolts by header which im not sure if they are grade 8 or not. The studs were not clearing the primary tubes. I heard the bassani gaskets are really good. As far as the egr I disconected it on the valve side first then connected it on the exhaust then back on the valve. It was a PITA. Also double check that all the bolts are tight, I had to do the job twice because of leaks.
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Re: Header install guide?
Orange Whip, thanks for your opinions, but having headers on my 95 Cobra (shorties at that) and on my 99 Cobra, I would say that they make more than 7 horsepower! I gained 14 HP and 7 FT. LBS. TRQ. with the 95 just with the headers, and close to 17 HP and 13 FT. LBS. TRQ. with the 99! They do work, its just if you have the mods to show it...
If you are only making 7 horsepower with them, then I can say that you started at the wrong with your mods. Also, in my opinion, not every bolt you do to a car is really justified until its been properly tuned afterwards. Installing ANY part that moves the factory O2 sensor position will not warrant a good outcome without a proper tune, headers is one of them! Now back on topic, I'm sure it'll be a learning experience! Already told the wife not to depend on me for at least Friday/Saturday. Kinda looking forward to it to be honest! As for the header bolts, I like the Stage 8's, but they are a pain to install! I had them on my 95, and my installer was going to shoot me for making him install them! On my 99, they just used the bolts that came with the headers. I have read that reusing the stock locking nuts and studs is the way to go. My only concern though is how much thicker the Bassani flanges are compared to stock. Guess I'll find out once under there. The EGR I am thinking the way to do it is like Mike said, disconnect from the intake, attach it the header, then muscle it back on top. Of course I may get out the blow torch and heat it up some if I can't get it back up there (that's how they got my 95's reattached). 1 thing is for sure, as always, will take plenty of pics and post them as usual! This week, I will go to Sears to pick up a few items. BTW, is there any difference between our A-arms and the 03-04 Cobra A-arms? I keep seeing the 03 Cobra A-arms advertised with better bushings, tighter turning radius, and low friction ball joints with a revised stamping. Are they that much better than our's? Woohoo, post #500!!! |
Re: Header install guide?
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I just went thru this yesterday installing the drivers side header. If you are raising the motor, there is plenty of room to remove the EGR connection from factory exhaust manifold. When putting long tube in I made sure I used anti-seize on the EGR threads of header. I was able to get header in place put a couple nuts on to hold. Then there was enough room to get the EGR tube and fitting aligned and threaded on, then I tightened with a wrench. |
Re: Header install guide?
Good Luck SVTSnake, just installed mine about a week ago. Let me tell you, its a real fun job!! :3: :notsure: Is probably the most PITA install ever. Make sure you tighten down all your header bolts really tight, because I didn't and I had some leaks and had to go back in a tighten them all back down again.
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Re: Header install guide?
In addition, leak or no leak, its always best to follow up a few days later and retighten the bolts. Its not going to hurt and in most cases youll find a few that backed off just a bit. Altought I dont know how tough it will be to get to the bolts on them with the new headers.
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Yeah, I am sure checking them will be a PITA!
04DSG, how do you like them? Any pointers? |
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you know, i dont seeing you have to do all that work, a few years back i helped a buddy install bbk long tubes on his 96 cobra,WE DIDN'T HAVE TO REMOVE THE K-MEMBER !!! we just lifted the engine with an engine hoist, it wasn't easy but it took 4 or 5 hours, i cant see that car being any different than ours.. I just bought a st of bbk's for my mach, i also will be tackling mine this weekend. i'l let you now how much of a pita it was...
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So far I have the drivers side BBK header in with new poly motor mounts also. Doing the passenger side right now, then the trans mount. I put about 5 hours grinding & polishing time on the headers to clean the weld, splatter weld marks and port match to factory gasket which matches the head ports. |
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I'm glad someone agrees with me, that you dont have to remove the k-member!!
was it easier to take the motor mounts out of the way??? |
Re: Header install guide?
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http://www.mach1registry.org/forums/...ad.php?t=33586 |
Re: Header install guide?
Went out today and got the rest of the tools I needed. Also picked up another set of header studs and nuts from my favorite Blue Oval parts supply (Randy over at Liberty Ford)...
For the Bassani gaskets, is there any need for using silicon on the gaskets prior to installing them? I have heard that the Bassani gaskets seal really nice... |
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My headers came in today! Boy are those Bassani headers sweet looking...
Taking off tomorrow around 10 to start the install... Will keep ya updated! |
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So far its been 4 days for that install and havent heard from you yet. Alot of work just a 7 horse power eh? Ok i'll give maybe 12 horse. Not a big advantage considering how much work your going through. This has been what i have been tlaking about people. But hey, its your ride. |
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FWIW, I only gained ~ 12 rwhp on my '01 Cobra after installing JBA 1 3/4 shorty headers. However, I gained almost 40 rwhp @ 6800 rpm, and had more power just about everywhere else in the rpm range as well. Well-worth the $$$ & PIA install if you ask me... ;) Additionally, when doing other mods the exhaust manifolds WILL become a bottleneck sooner or later - that's a proven fact. |
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And just how often is some one going to drive at 6800 rpm, esp for the average joe blow street driver? Is it really really worth it? Can you justifie the time and money to adjust your driving to always drive at 6800 rpm? and that is if your engine will stay together all the time you take it that far all the time. |
Re: Header install guide?
What are you talking about? Its done! Did it by myself, started Friday around 2:30, finished up about 11:00 Friday night, started Saturday around 2, finishing up around 10, and then started Sunday at 11, and was complete around 4 with oil change and rear differential oil change! There were plenty of breaks in between as well. I would say in all, probably about 11-12 hours of actual work time, no alignment needed, and they sound and feel awesome! Will be back at the tuner next Tuesday. I started another thread Friday night titled "Bassani header install progress"
They are NOT that hard to install. Like I said, I did eveything by myself, with the exception of getting the K member back up in place. Well, to each his/her own I guess, but the BIG BLOCK sound is back up under there now :3: |
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Curious on if you had to re shape the oil dip stick tube or not??? On the BBK long tubes you have to re shape it. Nice job on your install! |
Re: Header install guide?
Ive had my k-member on and off so many times, I can prob. do headers in about 4 hours with air tools.
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Re: Header install guide?
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ORANGE WHIP: Sorry you don't feel that headers do any justice... However, for those that go to the tracks, and who occasionally race there Mustangs for what they were meant for (ie: sports cars), headers are great! I can guarantee you that my car pulls harder than before, and that is BEFORE my tune next week! Like Angus said, peak numbers don't mean sqwat, except for that, a number! You have to look throughout the curve to really see your improvements. My car dyno'ed stock at around 262HP. After a simple EFI dyno tune, it was up to 278HP, BUT I gained almost 30HP throughout the curve. Could I feel it? H*** YEAH! Was it worth my time this weekend? You betcha! Not to mention I enjoy working on the car. Big deal, it took a little while to do. You in a hurry to get somewhere? Don't get caught up in peak #'s... |
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As far as the "average joe blow street driver" goes, I did mention that there were gains elsewhere to be had below 6800 rpm. ;) |
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Oh i wouldnt go that far to say that. I just cant justifie the time and money for the little horse that headers give up these days. Esp for the average street mach dirver. I can understand people that use headers when you are drag racing for living but not for an average daily driver. I can see mid pipe and cat backs replacments becuase they do give up horse and torque and they are relatively easy upgrades. Most of the restrictions are further downstream with cats, pipe size, and restrictive mufflers. Its more important to remove those restrictions than some minor curve imperfections within the exhaust manifold. Dont get me wrong, i think headers help but not to the extent that some people think at low end rpm. Which doesnt help the average daily driver. yeah the headers work better at higher rpm than lower, but again how offten is a guy doing to be driving his mach at 6800 rpm? And if you like spending 12 hours of your day replacing manifolds for headers... more power to you. |
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Have you ever port matched headers to the cylinder head exhaust ports? There is a lot of torque with long tube headers. If you don't have the balls to install them then don't worry about the gains.... Anyone that does a long tube header install has my salute.. A true American muscle car bolt on!!!!! |
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Amen Phil! How does your car feel after installing? Mine feels like it really pulls now. Can't wait till this Tuesday when I get retuned. BTW, how did you poly mounts feel? I had ordered the Energy Suspensions poly motor mounts, but they wouldn't fit with the Bassani headers. I ended up reusing the stock ones.
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I'm just about finished with my BBK Longtubes now and wondered if anybody needed a front end alignment after reinstalling the k-member?
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I'm just now putting the rear end back in... I plan on driving it in the next couple of days. As far as the headers go. The motor really revs good and sounds like a mini pro stocker. I will be hooking up the shorty h-pipe and Mac pro dumps tomorrow, along with my carbon fiber driveshaft. The poly mounts fit fine with the BBK long tubes. My damm dip stick oil tube is still giving me a problem. I ordered another tube for $12.00 and will re-shape it, now that I know how it needs to be. |
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Re: Header install guide?
Headers are done and first impression is WOW! Next to the gears this is by far the best seat of your pants mod to date. When I hit second I must of laid down 50-60 feet of rubber before I let off the gas. I will have the car tuned in a few weeks to see where I stand. Worth every penny. Orange Whip 04 doesn't know what he's missing. :LAUGH:
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Been there, done that with projects long since gone. Yeah fun, but not as necessary as headers use to be in the 70's and 80's when engines needed them. Not so nesessary for an daily driver mach1 though. Its performance is good enough for a normal driving as it is. |
Re: Header install guide?
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Are you just mad that you cannot afford to have them installed or cannot do the install yourself? You have had like nothing positive to say about anything in this thread... :smack: Sorry for coming off so negative, but just because you don't feel that headers aren't worth it, I can assure you that driving mine before and after there is a world of difference. Sorry! Some of us do take our Mach's to the track on Friday and Saturday nights and run them. And there is a noticeable difference in the way the car sounds and idles after the header install. Scott - know what you mean! I will be back on the dyno Tuesday getting retuned. Will post #'s when I get home... Oh, and BTW, congradulations on the install! It really wasn't that bad, wasn't it? |
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No iam not mad that i canot afford them or have them installed. I can have a set if i wish and iam a dyno lab technician and spent years as a Ford certified technician and work with all engine and exhaust applications. So i can do these things myself. Iam just stating facts for those people that use there machs as daily drivers who may think that headers are a necessity in which they are not in this day and age. Iam sorry if you think iam so negative but i feel its important that headers are not always needed because of todays technology and those people should consider how they want to use there mach when other people like to brainwash others into thinking that it is necessary. What i have been saying my be negative to you sir but may be positive to another. Iam just giving the other side of the story that some may be concerned about in which you disagree with. So who is being negative about it now? If racing is your bag and you require headers, thats just great. I can see how it would be to your advantage for that application. I would aquire a set of headers myself for that reason because i would want to squeez as much horse power out of my engine for that type of driving. Again, i just dont think for the money and time to tear up the mach for a set of headers is feasable for as little horse that we have been discussing in relationship to a normal daily driver when todays exhaust manifolds are good enough for street applications. If your happy with your headers, fine! If you think you need them, Fine! Thats what you must do. I want to show a fair and balanced view for pros and cons of headers and the misconceptions that ensue from header usage. Thats all.
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Re: Header install guide?
I don't want to start a war here but I'll tell you what, my car now runs like a raped ape. I cannot begin to describe how the car feels now. My car is not a daily driver but if it was I wouldn't hesitate to do it all over again. And what the hell has a dyno lab technician have to do with anything?
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Re: Header install guide?
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SVTsnake was ensinuating that i did not have the technical expertice to install my own headers. So i felt it was necessary to mention my own technical abilitys in relationship with headers in which my dyno experiance takes me into the realm of exhaust systems and engine configuration testing. And that is what his rebuttle to my post has to do with. |
Re: Header install guide?
If it werent for the strict emissions in CT, I would def get the headers installed. When I get back to TX those will be going right in if I shoot to stay NA. Id say the price of the part and self install or even paying others to install it is way better then paying the price on U/D pullies for 8-12 hp and risking a motor. Heck gears are about half the price and you dont get any hp, thats not an easy install either. Bang for the buck, sure its not the best. But after you do the handfull of cheap mods, if you stay NA this is def one to go for. Id be more apt to spend the extra cash to have the intake gasket matched to the header too. But hey if the heads are all ready out, might as well port the intake and the heads. I look at it this way, when your done with the other bolt ons, where you gonna go for another 8-12 hp without spending lots of cash anyways.
You got Mid-Pipe, Aft Cat, gears, Mass Air (maybe if you swap out the entire inlet and have to go with it, i dont think id spend cash just on a mass air alone), Intake Spacer (ehh maybe), Shaker Raise (another ehh maybe, thats an appearance mod for me that would be on a person by person basis), dyno tune for sure. Headers is a good step to go after that, or go for the big bucks and get cams and port work. Even then cams from what I saw got 40hp+/- WITH exhaust and not by itself. |
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Even as a daily driver, Headers wil make me smilie.
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what i have to do w/ the egr when i change to lt header
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thinking about getting headers for x-mas what are you talking about it being a drag if the car is a daily driver?
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Hey, did anyone who installed headers have the drivers side wheel well "leak" noise, the one that you could hear off drive thru walls? And was it gone after the install? Just curious, because besides the great torque curve, I am willing to throw on some LT's just to get rid of that...maybe mine just need retorqued? So second question, to tighten all the header bolts, does anything have to be taken off?? Thanks
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Re: Header install guide?
Although this is an old post, a buddy and I completed BBK Long Tube installment in less than seven hours without dropping the K-member, yesterday. We did jack either side of the motor to accommodate replacing the motor mounts, removed the starter and disconnected the steering link to get the headers in place, then re-installed the starter, (had to use a mirror to view bolt holes and several rachet extensions to reach them, attacking from the front of the motor), and re-connect the steering link. In jacking the motor, had to watch the throttle/clutch cables near the firewall on top as well as coolant lines on the opposite side. Dipstick needed to be cork-screwed back into place, but lined up without difficulty and bolted back into place.
All in all, the installment was fairly easy, just time-consuming. We had the advantage of installing BBK Long Tubes on my '98 GT - THAT took 12 hours and was a b***h and a half, but we'd learned a lot from that experience to apply on this occasion. A difference in heads, possibly angle of the heads - for whatever reason, installing headers was NOT as difficult as it may seem. :CHEERS: |
Re: Header install guide?
On a 4.6 32V it isn't hard.
I just did an un-install the other day on a Mach. It took me about 6 hours overall. (including Mt. Dew breaks) Now installing them on a 5.4 32V is another story. Driver side = easy Pass side = Not so easy. |
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The 5.4 is going in the Mach? I was curious on how it fit... Aluminum or iron block? I'm interested in learning what other difficulties you've encountered... :what: |
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Been reading up on all this stuff.. and have heard different header install experiences. Anyone done kooks LTs?
Obviously I'm wanting to do the install as quick and painlessly as possible without screwing anything up. I have access to a lift, and don't know if I can just put the car up on that without still being forced to take out the K-Member. Otherwise, if I do take it out, won't jacking the oil pan with a 2x4 damage it? I'd rather ask redundant questions than be forced to buy a new car for wrecking it : ) |
Re: Header install guide?
Question
Does the Bassani Mid Length Headers (Part# 46049C) fit on the Automatic. I was on Ninosport where it just says Mach1 and GT, however, on Bassani's page it clearly states Manual. Does anyone have this set of headers installed on their automatic? |
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I'll vouche for the "it isn't as easy as people say" guys by stating "ITS"S AN EMEFFER!""
lol it's like being in an all day arm wrestling knuckle buster and knowing that you won't win. It's humbled me for sure... |
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