Re: Header install guide?
 

No reshaping of the oil dipstick tube was necessary. Only had to loosen the bolt that holds the tube to the block, install the header, then retighten! On my 95 and 99 Cobra, I had to reshape the dipstick tube after the headers were installed...

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...

Re: Header install guide?
 

Since I launch my Mach @ 6800 RPM at the track, I can certainly say it's worth it for me... :gears:

As far as the "average joe blow street driver" goes, I did mention that there were gains elsewhere to be had below 6800 rpm. ;)

Re: Header install guide?
 

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.

Re: Header install guide?
 

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!!!!!

Re: Header install guide?
 

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.

Re: Header install guide?
 

I'm just about finished with my BBK Longtubes now and wondered if anybody needed a front end alignment after reinstalling the k-member?

Re: Header install guide?
 

Hey Snake,

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.

Re: Header install guide?
 

I was able to get the K member back in the same location by using the washer indentations. No alignment was necessary with my install.

On my 95 Cobra, the dipstick tube gave me a fit trying to get it right after the header install. It would never read the oil right. I finally got it to be just about as accurate as possible by buying another tube and bending it outside the car.

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:

Re: Header install guide?
 

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?
 

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?

Re: Header install guide?
 

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.

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?

Re: Header install guide?
 

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.

Re: Header install guide?
 

Even as a daily driver, Headers wil make me smilie.

Re: Header install guide?
 

what i have to do w/ the egr when i change to lt header

Re: Header install guide?
 

thinking about getting headers for x-mas what are you talking about it being a drag if the car is a daily driver?

Re: Header install guide?
 

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

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.

Re: Header install guide?
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by birdman941 (Post 759369) 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.

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:

Re: Header install guide?
 

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?

Re: Header install guide?
 

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...