03-04-2008, 09:53 AM
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 295
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Cheap Headers, Expensive Install
So I bought some of those inexpensive headers off of Ebay...
like these...
ebay headers
I took my car into an independent Porsche mechanic here in Austin and they said it would be be about $250 to install them. He said something about moving the first set of O2 sensors back to the rear set of cats. But those wouldn't reach that far so he was going to use a new set of the rear 02 sensors in place of the old front sensors. Then he'd have to reprogram the OBC to clear the CEL. All in all he said it would be about $2000 with the cost of the new sensors. Seems like a lot to me. Any advise? I told him to hold off and I'm going to get another estimate from another place.
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TimAustinW
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/d...ignature-1.jpg
02 Seal Grey, NHP Headers w/ Highflow Cats/2ndary Bypass Pipes, smoked side markers/3rd brake light, exterior match interior trim, 986 Lloyds Mats, 986 deck lid emblem, arctic silver intake grills, ipod link, painted calipers, Glass Window Robbins Top with defroster kit, Bose Sound System, Leather lower door panels, Console Lid w embroidered crest; Stainless door sills; Painted Bumperettes; Custom Hood Crest
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03-04-2008, 10:01 AM
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Where the Sewer Meets the Sea, CA. USA
Posts: 2,695
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I would say screw his suggestion and just install the headers and install the o2 sensors in there normal locations and be on your way.
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03-04-2008, 10:13 AM
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 295
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But the headers will require deleting one set of cats, what should I do with those 02 sensors? Lose them all together? I expected that I'd need to delete the cats but from the posts I've read it sounded pretty straight forward. Remove old headers, emove first set of cats, install the new ones, either remove the first set of O2 sensors or put them post cat and then reprogram the OBC for the CEL. Still I can't seem to add up his costs. O2 sensors are around $250-$400 right? so why did he quote me $2200. Is the difference the cost in reprogramming the OBC? Is that normal for that to be so much?
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TimAustinW
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/d...ignature-1.jpg
02 Seal Grey, NHP Headers w/ Highflow Cats/2ndary Bypass Pipes, smoked side markers/3rd brake light, exterior match interior trim, 986 Lloyds Mats, 986 deck lid emblem, arctic silver intake grills, ipod link, painted calipers, Glass Window Robbins Top with defroster kit, Bose Sound System, Leather lower door panels, Console Lid w embroidered crest; Stainless door sills; Painted Bumperettes; Custom Hood Crest
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03-04-2008, 10:28 AM
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#4
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Porscheectomy
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Seattle Area
Posts: 3,011
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I assume this is a 2000 or newer car? You do need to move the back O2 sensors downstream of the main cats (from downstream of the precats, which are gone now) to keep the CEL off. You don't need a new O2 sensor though, you can either splice into the existing cable or make a cable extension. $200 seems pretty pricey for welding a couple of bungs, a little soldering and unbolting/bolting. You don't really need a Porsche specialist to do this job, any muffler shop (gasp) could do it.
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03-04-2008, 10:33 AM
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 295
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blue2000s
I assume this is a 2000 or newer car? You do need to move the back O2 sensors downstream of the main cats (from downstream of the precats, which are gone now) to keep the CEL off. You don't need a new O2 sensor though, you can either splice into the existing cable or make a cable extension. $200 seems pretty pricey for welding a couple of bungs, a little soldering and unbolting/bolting. You don't really need a Porsche specialist to do this job, any muffler shop (gasp) could do it.
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So then the $2200 price is WAY pricey right? I'm still trying to figure out why so much.
Oh, and sorry about the eggs CJ, that sucks.
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TimAustinW
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/d...ignature-1.jpg
02 Seal Grey, NHP Headers w/ Highflow Cats/2ndary Bypass Pipes, smoked side markers/3rd brake light, exterior match interior trim, 986 Lloyds Mats, 986 deck lid emblem, arctic silver intake grills, ipod link, painted calipers, Glass Window Robbins Top with defroster kit, Bose Sound System, Leather lower door panels, Console Lid w embroidered crest; Stainless door sills; Painted Bumperettes; Custom Hood Crest
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03-04-2008, 10:51 AM
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Colchester, CT
Posts: 489
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Well, maybe my experience will help. Even though I didn't have to have O2's moved, my 99 2.5L needed a lot of work to get out the sheared exhaust header bolts. New studs were put in and I had the studs removed from the cats and bolts put in. Then I had them put everything back together so I could just drive it home.
It cost me $1300 after tax and that was for $10 in parts and almost 14 hours of labor. How much is that charging per hour?
Also, I bought the headers from Maxspeed and they have the plugs already for the O2's if you had to move them. Maybe different headers would help?
Chris
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1999 986 2.5L, Stock Exhaust (S muffler), EVO Intake, 18" Stock rims (17" during winter), IMS Upgrade, 150k+ miles and counting!
87 944S brought back to life
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03-04-2008, 11:03 AM
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: smyrna ga
Posts: 210
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From the pic on the auction it looks like those headers are drilled for o2 sensors.... just have them put there...and take Blue2000s suggestion.
That's my setup, the first pair of o2 sensors are in the bungs on the headers and the second pair at the cats... no CEL and I've been driving it a little over a year now.
I have sport cats though with the second set of o2's after them so I didn't have to have bungs drilled to move my second set of o2s
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- ian
Last edited by idheaton; 03-04-2008 at 11:11 AM.
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03-04-2008, 11:33 AM
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#8
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Porscheectomy
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Seattle Area
Posts: 3,011
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TimAustinW
So then the $2200 price is WAY pricey right? I'm still trying to figure out why so much.
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My advise would be to look elsewhere.
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03-04-2008, 05:15 PM
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Sacramento
Posts: 3,417
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__________________
-99' Zenith Blue 5-spd...didn't agree with a center divider on the freeway
-01' S Orient Red Metallic 6-spd...money pit...sold to buy a house
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03-04-2008, 05:36 PM
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#10
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Porscheectomy
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Seattle Area
Posts: 3,011
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blinkwatt
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That guy has NO catalytic converters. Of course he's going to get a check engine light. I posted a little while back a solution to trick the ECU into thinking it's seeing a clean signal by some wiring work. Dangling the rear O2 sensors will probably work too but Tim still has the main set of cats from what I can tell. He may as well keep things emissions legal.
Last edited by blue2000s; 03-04-2008 at 05:39 PM.
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03-04-2008, 06:15 PM
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 631
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My exhaust job is in the works right now. I found a local muffler shop that has mandrel bent tubing. He's fabbing me up some secondary cat deletes with the elbows to connect to my Stebro. I ordered some high flow cats to fit and am trying to get the proper o2 sensor bungs. Then I'm going to weld the bungs in the secondary cats and extend the wires to the rear cats. Those same ebay headers you purchased I'm going to also.
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03-05-2008, 01:39 PM
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Seattle
Posts: 352
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At the independent euro garage that I use, labor to install the headers was $200. I bought the Maxspeed headers that had two bungs per header so they just had to place the O2 sensors in approximately the same location. I get a CEL every other month or so but it takes 30 seconds to clear with an OBDII reader. I bought a couple of sensor extenders that will move the rear sensor out about 3/4 of an inch. I've seen similiar extenders prefabbed on some 996 headers. Thought I'd give it a try as they are only about $10.
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2000 Black Boxster S
EVO Intake & GIAC Tuning
Headers & Porsche Sport Exhaust System
ROW M030 Suspension
Front & Rear Strut Braces
B&M Short Shift & EVO Billet Linkage
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