Mac Longtubes Install Pointers

[Mattstang04]

Anyone here got any helpful hints before I get to installing Mac Longtubes. Got a set in ceramic coating ordered this week.

Already plan on dropping the K-member and have an engine brace from harbor freight.

I'm going to try reusing the factory studs, nuts and gaskets for the install.

Looking for tips for anything unexpected that anyone has come across, dealing with the EGR tube (I'm not deleting the EGR), or any complications with the oil dipstick tubes.

Any good advise welcome. Thanks in advance.

 

[96gt02]

Egr will most likely give you issues, best to spare on hand and will most likely need at least a few studs and nuts

 

[Roots-type]

I'd get new Ford racing gaskets and a clutch/flywheel/tob/pilot bearing setup and do it all at once.

 

[Stang Lover]

I would take 311 advice and do everything now while it's out and easy accessible because it's not gonna be fun later trying to do a clutch job. I bought Mr. Gasket brand header bolts from the part store for not much. Think of everything as cheap insurance. American muscle sells the header gaskets for $21 and the mid pipe gasket for $16 you don't want to put it all together and find out you have a header leak. Might be a good idea to replace the starter also.

 

[cpotts13]

You pretty much have all you really need.... make sure to get OEM header gaskets. They are different from the Ford Racing ones. The Ford Racing ones I ordered from AM seemed like paper, the OEM ones are layered metal... I also used all my OEM studs. The headers come with new bolts just in case..

 

[Stang Lover]

The ford racing ones I used from American Muscle are like teflon material gasket. I had no issues with them having had the car for over 1 year before I sold it.

 

[cpotts13]

The ford racing ones I used from American Muscle are like teflon material gasket. I had no issues with them having had the car for over 1 year before I sold it.

Mine have been fine as well..... just a heads up for him if he has a preference...

 

[Maustang]

Soak everything with wd-40 the day before.

 

[Mattstang04]

The car only has 27k miles and the clutch feels fine. I understand the reasoning for replacement, though I'm not going to do it.

Good point on the wd40 soak.

Got me a little concerned about the EGR tube. I've finessed them before on a previous GT but age is a factor. The car is low miles but these parts are all about 12 years old now. Hope it holds together.

I have leftover studs and nuts from the old 04 GT too. I intend to reuse the studs and nuts but if I need back ups, hopefully the GTs will be the same as the 4v.

Thanks for all the feedback.

 

[Mattstang04]

So I have gotten to the EGR tube portion of the install. It is installed on the header and the header is bolted in place. Took the egr valve off to get it to mate to the tube. The egr tube is holding he valve about an inch higher than it needs to be. Anyone have any tips on getting the tube bent down to bolt up the valve or is something else wrong that need to be dealt with?

 

[Biff-Mach1]

So I have gotten to the EGR tube portion of the install. It is installed on the header and the header is bolted in place. Took the egr valve off to get it to mate to the tube. The egr tube is holding he valve about an inch higher than it needs to be. Anyone have any tips on getting the tube bent down to bolt up the valve or is something else wrong that need to be dealt with?

use something to slip over the EGR pipe to bend it in place. kinda like what you do in rebar

 

[Mattstang04]

Thanks for the feedback, I'll give it a try. Got a friend coming over to help today. Hope fully we can slide a pipe over it and force it down. Other wise we may end up cutting it and putting high temp silicone hose between the 2 parts to make it flexible.

I see you have the same headers on your mach, from your sig. Did you have trouble with the EGR tube too?

 

[Biff-Mach1]

Thanks for the feedback, I'll give it a try. Got a friend coming over to help today. Hope fully we can slide a pipe over it and force it down. Other wise we may end up cutting it and putting high temp silicone hose between the 2 parts to make it flexible.

I see you have the same headers on your mach, from your sig. Did you have trouble with the EGR tube too?

I did but deleted the EGR. I actually started the threads on the header first, couple threads then installed the EGR valve first and tightened down the header side. if I would do it over again I would coat the headers with JET coating and wrap it. my floor pan and trany tunnel get a lot hotter.

 

[Mattstang04]

Got it to work, mainly by doing what you just said. Took the header loose but not off which gave the EGR tube enough play to bolt the valve into place with the valve already installed onto the tube. Then tightened the header nuts back up on the studs to pull the header back up to the head.

Got the car started with the k-member back in place. Sounds pretty good. Not as loud as I thought it would be but still has stock catback on it. I did notice some extra valve noise being transferred through the headers though. In the short 2 times I ran it, did not hear any exhaust leak ticks which I'm super pleased about.

Didn't pay any attention to the heat in the floor boards. Hopefully the ceramic coating will help with that a bit. Going to put the front suspension back together tomorrow.

Still have to wait til Tuesday for the second set of O2 sensor extensions to come in. Thought I would only need them for the rears but the fronts needed them too.

Trying to think of what other mods I want done before I get the car dyno tuned.

 

[Biff-Mach1]

Got it to work, mainly by doing what you just said. Took the header loose but not off which gave the EGR tube enough play to bolt the valve into place with the valve already installed onto the tube. Then tightened the header nuts back up on the studs to pull the header back up to the head.

Got the car started with the k-member back in place. Sounds pretty good. Not as loud as I thought it would be but still has stock catback on it. I did notice some extra valve noise being transferred through the headers though. In the short 2 times I ran it, did not hear any exhaust leak ticks which I'm super pleased about.

Didn't pay any attention to the heat in the floor boards. Hopefully the ceramic coating will help with that a bit. Going to put the front suspension back together tomorrow.

Still have to wait til Tuesday for the second set of O2 sensor extensions to come in. Thought I would only need them for the rears but the fronts needed them too.

Trying to think of what other mods I want done before I get the car dyno tuned.

I did the clutch free play mod, pilot bearing, TB, clutch, K-member, front bushings, A-arms, bump steer, shocks, a/c compressor, steering rack, hubs and some other small stuff while I was down there.

I was a little disappointed in the sound too but everyone is telling me it sounds a lot better from behind and flybys. it does have that sound that headers give you when shifting. don't know how I can explain it. kinda like a sleeping old man breathing in...:sleeping:

there coated too but not good of a coat I guess.

weird, I only need the rear o2 extensions.

 

[BLKFOX]

When I did mine, the EGR definitely took some persuasion. Depending on what all your goals are for the car, I went ahead and did the 4v head cooling mod while I had mine tore apart.

 

[Biff-Mach1]

When I did mine, the EGR definitely took some persuasion. Depending on what all your goals are for the car, I went ahead and did the 4v head cooling mod while I had mine tore apart.

forgot about that. ya definitely do that.

 

[Mattstang04]

Wish I would have thought of that. Its almost back together. If I have to put a clutch in the car down the road, I'll put the cooling mod on.

This car won't see heavy thrashing so it should be okay for a while, plus its got the last version of the 4v heads. Good spark plug threads and the best cooling Ford could muster.

It's a recreational driver that only sees the occasional light flogging, maybe a pass or two at the track just to see what she'll do. Won't see much more that some typical bolt ons, dyno tune, etc. No power adders on my mind at the moment. Hopefully it can stay cool all by itself in the meantime.

 

[Mattstang04]

Just a little closure to this whole ordeal. Are longtubes worth the hassle? Took the car to the dyno today. It was 94 degrees F with 49% humidity.

I have no baseline for the car in stock form. My only performance mods are the Mac longtubes and an offroad pipe. No CAI, no catback, stock 3.55 gears, not even a K and N filter (still got a motorcraft paper filter in it). I did remove the big rubber silencer from inside the filter housing. It is bone stock other than the longtubes and the mid pipe.

Baseline with the longtubes without any tune changes was 304 rwhp and 312 tq. The mixture was rich averaging 12.1 air to 1 fuel.

After the proper adjustments were made the car made 312 rwhp and 326 tq. The mixture is averaging 12.9 to 1.

I am pleased with the numbers. I would probably recommend these to a friend. The price of the Macs were right and the payoff seems worthwhile. The job was time consuming. I'm not going to brag that I did it in a weekend. It took a solid 24 hours of my time and about 3 hours of a friends time, helping me out. I came incredibly close to deleting the EGR but with his assistance we found a method for getting it hooked up and happy. I did the job without air tools or a lift. Jacks, jackstands, back to the concrete. In all honesty it was laborious not complicated (except the EGR which was both laborious and complicated).

But hey I made over 300 to the wheels with my first performance mods on this car. That's a good deal.:beer:

 

[Biff-Mach1]

Just a little closure to this whole ordeal. Are longtubes worth the hassle? Took the car to the dyno today. It was 94 degrees F with 49% humidity.

I have no baseline for the car in stock form. My only performance mods are the Mac longtubes and an offroad pipe. No CAI, no catback, stock 3.55 gears, not even a K and N filter (still got a motorcraft paper filter in it). I did remove the big rubber silencer from inside the filter housing. It is bone stock other than the longtubes and the mid pipe.

Baseline with the longtubes without any tune changes was 304 rwhp and 312 tq. The mixture was rich averaging 12.1 air to 1 fuel.

After the proper adjustments were made the car made 312 rwhp and 326 tq. The mixture is averaging 12.9 to 1.

I am pleased with the numbers. I would probably recommend these to a friend. The price of the Macs were right and the payoff seems worthwhile. The job was time consuming. I'm not going to brag that I did it in a weekend. It took a solid 24 hours of my time and about 3 hours of a friends time, helping me out. I came incredibly close to deleting the EGR but with his assistance we found a method for getting it hooked up and happy. I did the job without air tools or a lift. Jacks, jackstands, back to the concrete. In all honesty it was laborious not complicated (except the EGR which was both laborious and complicated).

But hey I made over 300 to the wheels with my first performance mods on this car. That's a good deal.:beer:

those are good numbers. I made 289hp and 302tq about 9 years ago. it only had off road Hpipe and cat back.

you should get gears, JLT intake, throttle body and nitrous. these engines love nitrous! unless you want to go big and go turbo..