If I were to do this install again...I would:
(1) Buy a jack (a race jack preferably) that not only carries three tons, but does not feel like it weighs and manuevers as if it weighed three tons,
(2) Take the wheels off when I jack up the car (rear),
(3) Spray the header bolts and studs liberally with PB Blaster for 2-3 days ahead of time,
(4) Have a shorter breaker bar (approx. 14") in length,
(5) Be more patient and calm, especially in the beginning when the adrenaline is pumping...more likely to break or snap the darn bolts and studs off,
(6) Have a creeper (my back and the back of my skull were killing me after this install),
(7) Have a real light, not a freakin' ghetto flashlight (yeah, I have learned),
(8) Take off the plastic support in the middle of the car rather than letting it hang and hit me in the face numerous times before I decided to take it off.....it just had one screw....geez...talk about lazy....,
(9) Make certain that when the ratchet is turning, it's not because the head of the bolt is broken....though funny, please make sure that when you are removing these bolts....take your time and keep a steady hand. For whatever reason, I found these bolts to be sensitive. Not too much brute force. With a breaker bar connected to the end of your ratchet, turn it slowly at first (in the correct direction) until you hear a slightly high-pitched"click"....this was consistent for each bolt when loosened. Different from when the bolt broke, sounded more like a "crap, it broke",
(10) Make certain that when you are dislodging the headers, pull toward the front of the vehicle in an upward fashion and then down at the cat end...be careful as this is where elbows and forearms can easily get scraped,
(11) When installing the headers, especially on the passengers side, the header part facing the front end of the car should go in first, ...don't forget the first bolt to the header here (deep 13mm socket w/ long extension to help bolt go in) and then second either at the other end or somewhere in the middle just to keep it from falling,...tighten two ends first to make sure of appropriate gasket fitment,
(12) When putting on the new bolts with anti-seize, make sure to tighten in the same fashion....take your time and make sure the ratchet isn't bouncing around...this can break the bolt or cause you to have to re-thread the block or have the shop do it (not good),
(13) If no bolts or studs are broken then tighten remaining bolts to appropriate torque wrench setting (double-check this for your vehicle) or if you have broken bolts or studs go to your trusted shop and have them do it after they fix any leaks from broken bolts and/or studs
(preferably replace with OEM products)
(14) OR better yet, if the bolts or studs are broken, set a propane torch to it while holding it down with vise grips...be careful as these suckers get ridiculously hotttttttttt...as Ohio said, they will easily come out
....I will practice this one time Ohio, if not on this install, then probably for my new exhaust and cats!!LOL, can't stop laughing!! How's this? Thanks!
***don't forget to insert all the advice from the guys that made it happen in the first place**
etc....
(BTW, thanks to you too MNBoxster - Jim '99 - your initial post was on the lost thread as well. I appreciated your advice then too! I didn't forget!)
Hybrid Mode
