Those who have tackled the dreaded long tube install...

[blackvenom77]

Seriously how bad was it?
I mean everything I try to put on this car fights me. I get mad start cussing and punch innocent cardboard boxes to death.
Anyway
I got a nice bonus from work and want to get a set of Kooks header's and X-pipe. Should I do it or pay someone? Think it's around 500 bones last time I checked.

 

[OrangeCobra2004]

I'm going to be doing them myself also. May I rec. That you go with ARH longtubes. They have great quality if not better then kooks, they tuck up under the car better & I know some kooks have problems with the collector leaking. Get some ARH's. Lethal seems to be the best place to get them:

http://www.lethalperformance.com/pa...4-svt-cobra-exhaust-headers-longtube-arh.html

 

[torrence]

Buy from AR direct to get the best price.... Trust me on that....

 

[BWH2003]

It was the biggest pain in the a$$ I have ever done on a car. I had to pull the headers off three times both sides to bang dents (one tube is dented almost 1/3 of the pipe) into them just to get them to fit and clear. All this to clear a tubular kmember and the steering shaft. It was horrible and I could only imagine what would have happened if I left the stock k in there. If I did it again I would not go with kooks but would definitely give ARH a try.

 

[blackvenom77]

It was the biggest pain in the a$$ I have ever done on a car. I had to pull the headers off three times both sides to bang dents (one tube is dented almost 1/3 of the pipe) into them just to get them to fit and clear. All this to clear a tubular kmember and the steering shaft. It was horrible and I could only imagine what would have happened if I left the stock k in there. If I did it again I would not go with kooks but would definitely give ARH a try.

Kinda what I thought. What headers did you buy to be such a PITA to install?

I thought Kooks redesigned their headers to tuck better and welded collectors?

 

[redfiresvtsnake]

I'm doing it this weekend. Installing a set of SLP long tubes with an off road X.

 

[MaximumVelocity]

Support the motor from up top, and drop the K-member. That's easiest, but then again, I have a lift.

 

[boosted2000si]

I bought quality headers, bassani mids, so I dint have any issues with having to band/dent/crimp any pipes. Mine went in perfect, the first time, and holding strong.

If everything else you put on the car has given you troubles, then I would NOT recommend doing it yourself. Its a very tedious, time consuming, job. If you have time, patience and a good workmanship then you could knock it out. I personally had more of an issue installing my H/E then I did my headers, but the headers took 5x's longer.

If you do not have good workmanship, then do not tackle it yourself. It will cause you issues down the road with leaks and gaskets blowing. If you do DIY, then take these few suggestions.
1. OEM Gaskets from Ford.
2. OEM Hardware(nuts and bolts) or the stage 8(I think) locking bolts.
3. Get some heavy duty thread locker from your auto parts store. It will be white and a think stinky paste. Make sure you use plenty of it on the hardware connecting to the heads.
4. Use a sharpie and mark all the points the k-member bolts to the car. Both wheel wells, and both sides under the car. Use many many marks, not just one line. Make sure you get it as close as you can back to those marks when putting it back up.

Keep in mind you have to brace the engine, as your removing the engine support(K-Member.) Once again this can get very ugly if not done a correct way.


So to sum it up, I didnt think it was nearly as bad as I read online. However I used to own and run my own performance shop, so I have all the tools I could ever need for the job, and feel I have great workmanship as well. I did have quality headers, I didnt have any clearance issues.

 

[GodStang]

There is a new style of Kooks that do not hang as low as the old ones like mine. They hang about as low as the AR. People have had good experience with the AR. Just a tip USE FACTORY GASKETS at the head and Percey's metal gasket where the header meets the mid pipe.

 

[black03]

Buy from AR direct to get the best price.... Trust me on that....

If American Racing Headers is selling their stuff to our customers for less then their distributors are then there's a real problem.

 

[blackvenom77]

I'm doing it this weekend. Installing a set of SLP long tubes with an off road X.

Did you buy the one's in the market? You bastard I wanted those, lol
Good luck with the install and let us know how it goes. :thumbsup:

I bought quality headers, bassani mids, so I dint have any issues with having to band/dent/crimp any pipes. Mine went in perfect, the first time, and holding strong.

If everything else you put on the car has given you troubles, then I would NOT recommend doing it yourself. Its a very tedious, time consuming, job. If you have time, patience and a good workmanship then you could knock it out. I personally had more of an issue installing my H/E then I did my headers, but the headers took 5x's longer.

If you do not have good workmanship, then do not tackle it yourself. It will cause you issues down the road with leaks and gaskets blowing. If you do DIY, then take these few suggestions.
1. OEM Gaskets from Ford.
2. OEM Hardware(nuts and bolts) or the stage 8(I think) locking bolts.
3. Get some heavy duty thread locker from your auto parts store. It will be white and a think stinky paste. Make sure you use plenty of it on the hardware connecting to the heads.
4. Use a sharpie and mark all the points the k-member bolts to the car. Both wheel wells, and both sides under the car. Use many many marks, not just one line. Make sure you get it as close as you can back to those marks when putting it back up.

Keep in mind you have to brace the engine, as your removing the engine support(K-Member.) Once again this can get very ugly if not done a correct way.


So to sum it up, I didnt think it was nearly as bad as I read online. However I used to own and run my own performance shop, so I have all the tools I could ever need for the job, and feel I have great workmanship as well. I did have quality headers, I didnt have any clearance issues.

Thanks for all the tips! :thumbsup:
I think I'm about to pull the trigger on a set. She's no longer my daily driver so I have all the time on the world. Know it's going to be a bitch but I know I can do it with some help from my brother. There's always that since of accomplishment you get knowing you did the work on your own car.

There is a new style of Kooks that do not hang as low as the old ones like mine. They hang about as low as the AR. People have had good experience with the AR. Just a tip USE FACTORY GASKETS at the head and Percey's metal gasket where the header meets the mid pipe.

Thanks for the tips as usual GodStang! :rockon:

 

[redfiresvtsnake]

Did you buy the one's in the market? You bastard I wanted those, lol
Good luck with the install and let us know how it goes. :thumbsup:

Thanks for all the tips! :thumbsup:
I think I'm about to pull the trigger on a set. She's no longer my daily driver so I have all the time on the world. Know it's going to be a bitch but I know I can do it with some help from my brother. There's always that since of accomplishment you get knowing you did the work on your own car.

Thanks for the tips as usual GodStang! :rockon:

Yeah I bought those. Saw them in the MACA forum. Should sound lpretty loud and sick when it's done. SLP longtubes, off road x and Borla Stingers. :rockon:

 

[BWH2003]

Kinda what I thought. What headers did you buy to be such a PITA to install?

I thought Kooks redesigned their headers to tuck better and welded collectors?

They were kooks headers I bought in March and they are the 1 7/8" headers. Someone made them completely wrong and I had more dents in them than I can count. I called kooks and when the owner of the company talked with me he told me I was installing them wrong. He then started telling me how to install them. I immediately told him I know how to install them and that I couldnt due to the headers not fitting. He still insisted I was putting them in wrong. So much for customer service. Chris at kooks did help me out a ton and after beating the heck out of the headers they fit. If you do get kooks and have issues talk directly with chris and no one else.

 

[IronTerp]

Seriously how bad was it?
I mean everything I try to put on this car fights me. I get mad start cussing and punch innocent cardboard boxes to death.
Anyway
I got a nice bonus from work and want to get a set of Kooks header's and X-pipe. Should I do it or pay someone? Think it's around 500 bones last time I checked.

If you remove the K member, it's a much simpler job to do. Really just simple wrenching if you go this route. Actually going with an aftermarket K member kit is a great mod to do simultaneously and a bunch of folks do it this way.

Here's the best writeup I've seen and I'd copy them out and keep em handy. I installed MACs and they were a great fit and no issues at all.


http://www.fnsweet.com/garage/ltinstall.shtml#1

 

[spartansnake]

so would i be satisfied going with the MAC longtubes? im kind of scared since they are not SS and are only 1 5/8 with a 2.5'' collector. I was thinking going with the 1 3/4 and 3'' collector from either KOOKS or ARH. Mods in sig, anyone care to chime in?

 

[svtwelch711]

that says alot about AR, under cutting dealers. oh and starting AR after parting ways with kooks with thier CAD designs to start AR in the 1st place.....WOW.

 

[OrangeCobra2004]

So which headers are you going to pull the plug on? Kooks or ARH?

 

[IronTerp]

so would i be satisfied going with the MAC longtubes? im kind of scared since they are not SS and are only 1 5/8 with a 2.5'' collector. I was thinking going with the 1 3/4 and 3'' collector from either KOOKS or ARH. Mods in sig, anyone care to chime in?

I know at least 20 guys in the MACA that have gone with the MACs and I've heard zero complaints. But, the Kooks and American Racing are nice headers as well. Depends on your budget and your personal preference.

 

[blackvenom77]

So which headers are you going to pull the plug on? Kooks or ARH?

I bought a set of Kook's last night from Lethal Performance. Thought about doing the Mac's but I've always wanted a set of Kook's. Glad the bonus was a good one for a change.


Thanks for that link Dwight!! :beer:
Now the fun begins, lol, should be worth it though.

 

[Casper cobra]

I'm doing it this weekend. Installing a set of SLP long tubes with an off road X.

do not forget to post the video.:beer: