Don't buy MAC equal length headers, They suck to install.

4dStang · May 11, 2004

I posted this on "talk" but wanted it on "tech".

1995 Mustang GT 5.0

I have recently decided to upgrade my exhaust to MAC performance shorty equal length headers and add on a pro chamber h-pipe.

I installed the headers and definatly had problems getting the drivers side in. The instructions were junk about installing from the top, because I had to remove the motor mounts and steering shaft then lift the motor to get the headers in. After getting the headers in,which took 3 hours, I could not tighten the bolts with anything but the flat side of a 7/16" wrench because no one had the fore thought to make enough room to allow the round side of the wrench to fit next to the tubes. Now I cannot even torque the headers down with out stripping the bolts. Then, I got the bolts tight to the best of my ability and added the plugs. Well, now I cannot tighten the third plug, drivers side down without removing the header. HUH? No room. I can't get a socket of ANY sort on there. So now I have to remove the header on the drivers side so I can tighten the spark plug. Great forethought again.

My question is: Do they test these parts before they sell them? Isn't there a R&D department there?

I spent a full day putting in a set of headers and now I have to remove the drivers side so I can tighten a GD spark plug. WTF over. I am quit e pissed about this because it takes me about 2 hours just to turn the stupid bolts 1/8 turn at a time. I will NEVER buy Equal length headers again!

JUST A WARNING.

Chris

Matts89LX5.0 · May 11, 2004

you're not the first person that has complained about Mac EL headers.

Matt

4dStang · May 11, 2004

I have been reading these boards for at least a year and have seen nothing bad (to my weak memory) about MAC EQ length being so chitty. I am pizzed. I got a weekend in STL coming up and I will be tearing crap apart again to get it ready to be there, if it can. Mac headers suck.

LISTEN UP YA"LL MAC EQ length headers suck!!!!!!!!!

90mustangGT · May 11, 2004

My experiences with products from MAC is that they are crap. I had the fenderwell CAI kit, it came rusted in the inside. Traded the CAI for thier shifter, considering reinstalling the stocker.

4dStang · May 11, 2004

I wish I could get Jesse James to build me a set of them Custom headers. All this mass market stuff is JUNK JUNK JUNK!

93 teal terror · May 11, 2004

I had to send a set of their eq. headers back all the way to cali...i paid shipping and never got reimberrsed. ($30 worth) The first time they plain judt didnt fit no matter what i did. When bolted up the flanges were sitting 1/4" off of the head on one side.....obviously that creates a problem. The 2nd set was fine. Never had a problem with them. They do take mechanical inginuity to install and change plugs etc.

5spd GT · May 11, 2004

I have had Mac Products on both my 2000 GT and on my 93 LX 5.0...and haven't had a problem...

My equal length headers were tight to fit...but I wouldn't say not to buy them because of that...they are one of the cheaper prices and you can't expect them to be up to par with the higher quality ones unless you want the price with it...

I slightly dented the sides of the tubes going into the heads where I had some problems with putting a wrench on it...just enough so that it doesn't disrupt airflow and have had no problems since then...

Demented4.6 · May 11, 2004

Mac headers SUCK in general. my buddy has standard shorties on his and they were a PITA!! i can take my BBK's off and on 10 times before we got his driver side on

5spd GT · May 11, 2004

BOWTIEKILLER said:
Mac headers SUCK in general. my buddy has standard shorties on his and they were a PITA!! i can take my BBK's off and on 10 times before we got his driver side on

Hit and miss is a better way to put it...not basically stating that they all are bad...

If one has got the money spring for some better quality...but if one is on a budget...I see no problem with getting mac or flowtech etc...if they don't fit send them back and see if the next ones fix it....

9 Deuce GT · May 12, 2004

I wish that I would have done more research before I bought those same POS's that you bought. I finally got them in, and the heads, shock towers, MC, brakes lines and valve covers have more of the revolutionary HTS crap on them then either of the headers. The coating seems to just wipe off of the headers, but stays permanently on every thing else. Way to go MAC.

blown93feature · May 12, 2004

I know one thing about those fkn things and that is,if you have aluminum heads don't bother using those things because they will hit steering columb and the stut tower on the other.I could always change the plugs(pita)and remove them without too much trouble but thet did suck and I wouldn't buy another pair if I had a choice.

91StangLX · May 12, 2004

4dStang said:
I posted this on "talk" but wanted it on "tech".

1995 Mustang GT 5.0

I have recently decided to upgrade my exhaust to MAC performance shorty equal length headers and add on a pro chamber h-pipe.

I installed the headers and definatly had problems getting the drivers side in. The instructions were junk about installing from the top, because I had to remove the motor mounts and steering shaft then lift the motor to get the headers in. After getting the headers in,which took 3 hours, I could not tighten the bolts with anything but the flat side of a 7/16" wrench because no one had the fore thought to make enough room to allow the round side of the wrench to fit next to the tubes. Now I cannot even torque the headers down with out stripping the bolts. Then, I got the bolts tight to the best of my ability and added the plugs. Well, now I cannot tighten the third plug, drivers side down without removing the header. HUH? No room. I can't get a socket of ANY sort on there. So now I have to remove the header on the drivers side so I can tighten the spark plug. Great forethought again.

My question is: Do they test these parts before they sell them? Isn't there a R&D department there?

I spent a full day putting in a set of headers and now I have to remove the drivers side so I can tighten a GD spark plug. WTF over. I am quit e pissed about this because it takes me about 2 hours just to turn the stupid bolts 1/8 turn at a time. I will NEVER buy Equal length headers again!

JUST A WARNING.

Chris

I installed MAC headers on my 91 Mustang and had the same problem you are having with fitment and the bolts. After some Knuckle busting I was able to get them on. The bolts were another problem all together. I finally got fed up and bought a set of Allen Head Bolts for the headers, problem solved.

Schlodes · May 12, 2004

Guess I got lucky?????

I bought a set of used MAC equal length shorty headers 2 years ago, $200 CDN.., and they went in fine. Didn't have to loosen any motor mounts to lift the engine at all. Pass side one was by far the worst.. I had to rotate it a few different ways b4 i got it to slide in... it was tight but it did. They fit well, no probs on DS side, not even close to steering shaft, and on pass side the one primary tube is close to the frame rail down there but i'd say 1/4" inch away still.

As far as ports lining up. Have even had them off and back on since, and no problems there either.. I start the very front bolt and very rear bolt in a couple turns only, to hold the header & gasket up.. and with the header pulled back against the two outer bolts holding on, I slowly thread the rest in just to get em all started a couple turns in by hand.. then I push the header against the head and try to fully thread in all the headerbolts by hand. With some I need a wrench. Its a biioootch and you have to go an 1/8th of a turn on some of them, but I have never had a problem on THIS SET with port alignment or rust, [they are probably a total of 4 years old cause they were on another car b4 I bought em off this guy] and they are just now starting to turn a tan color in some spots.

I like mine.

93 teal terror · May 12, 2004

Schlodes said:
Guess I got lucky?????

I bought a set of used MAC equal length shorty headers 2 years ago, $200 CDN.., and they went in fine. Didn't have to loosen any motor mounts to lift the engine at all. Pass side one was by far the worst.. I had to rotate it a few different ways b4 i got it to slide in... it was tight but it did. They fit well, no probs on DS side, not even close to steering shaft, and on pass side the one primary tube is close to the frame rail down there but i'd say 1/4" inch away still.

As far as ports lining up. Have even had them off and back on since, and no problems there either.. I start the very front bolt and very rear bolt in a couple turns only, to hold the header & gasket up.. and with the header pulled back against the two outer bolts holding on, I slowly thread the rest in just to get em all started a couple turns in by hand.. then I push the header against the head and try to fully thread in all the headerbolts by hand. With some I need a wrench. Its a biioootch and you have to go an 1/8th of a turn on some of them, but I have never had a problem on THIS SET with port alignment or rust, [they are probably a total of 4 years old cause they were on another car b4 I bought em off this guy] and they are just now starting to turn a tan color in some spots.

I like mine.

Yeah my 2nd set was fine. Didn't have to lift the motor or anything. The only thing that soured me away from mac is the fact that i had to pay the $30 to ship them back to cali and they wouldnt give me a credit or anything

BlueDevil95 · May 12, 2004

I had mac shorties on my car before and have mac 1/34 longtubes on her now. of course they're a pita to install, there is very little room to work with in there. but i can't say they were any more difficult to install than any other brand header because they all are difficult. they also lined up almost perfectly. headers suck to install, period. not just macs. do a few different sets and you'll see what i mean.

93VertLX · May 12, 2004

BOWTIEKILLER said:
Mac headers SUCK in general. my buddy has standard shorties on his and they were a PITA!! i can take my BBK's off and on 10 times before we got his driver side on

Thats me, and if I ever have to take those headers off again, the only thing they will be used for is for structure at the bottom of a freakin pond. Mac Headers suck! But there catback is good!

93 teal terror · May 12, 2004

heres what my headers look likek after 3 years.....

ss93cobra · May 12, 2004

I guess I got lucky then. I got a set of their ceramic coated equal length headers for my 93 and had not problems putting them on or tightening the bolts although I did use stage 8 locking header bolts. No issues with the plugs or the dipstick either. I guess if you make thousands of a particular product you're bound to have a bad one now and then since we're all human. Mine look just as nice as my buddies jba ones too.

fordman54935 · May 12, 2004

My car came with MAC equal length headers. Over the last winter, I took them off to bead blast and repaint them. The end product looks great and the paint is holding up well, but reinstalling those things were a PITA. The flange bolts didn't line up at all when it came time to reinstall them, and it took both me and my dad to muscle those things back into place. Of course a week later I blew a header gasket out, and had to do the whole job all over again. It was easier the 2nd time around, as we learned the little tricks to putting them back on.

85_SS_302_Coupe · May 12, 2004

I'm rollin the whole MAC catalog underneath....this makes my 10th MAC header/exhaust install so i'm pretty happy. I do think i'm going to switch it up next time though, i want something ceramic coated instead of the aluminized coating.

Don't buy MAC equal length headers, They suck to install.

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