Don't fear L/T install

oxfordgt · Jun 14, 2006

2 weeks ago my friend and I installed Mac L/T headers, prochamber, catback, QA1 K member, A arms, coil overs, CC plates, poly motor mounts, upper and lower control arms and a tri ax. I was stressing the install because of all the horror stories about L/T install. But I think that was the easiest part. IMO you must drop the K member to install them. Once the Kmember was out it took about 15 min to get out the stock manifolds (13mm deep socket and a few extensions) all straight shots to the bolts. It then too about 10 min to to get the driverside header on. The passenger was alittle harder. I put the front of the header in the general area and then had my buddy lower the engine till i could get it in place (lowered about 3 in). Most bolts were fairly easy on the passenger side but some on top were alittle harder. I would suggest getting a stubby racheting wrench for those. Over all the header part of the install took about 2 hours with dropping the kmember and installing the headers. I put the QA1 kmember in so im not sure if it is harder or easier to install then the stock one but it took us about an hour.

We did all of this on the floor of my garage and we are not trained techs. If we could do it anyone could. Plus I saved a bunch of money by doing it myself. I paid my buddy for his help with the front lowering springs we took off

I would say the hardest part about the install of all those parts was getting the rubber bushings out of the axel for the upper control arms and putting the poly ones in.

If you are going to install any of these parts and have questions feel free to ask i could probably give you some good tips.

Red2000GT · Jun 14, 2006

What did you use to hold the engine up while you dropped the k-member?

hotmustang331 · Jun 14, 2006

AWSOME!!!! We (me and my dad) did basically the same thing...but BBK LTs, PA racing tubular K member, and dropped the pan and installed a windage trey.

But we ran into some problems.
A. had to grind ALOT of the INSANELY HARD steel to get my motor monts to line up correctly.
B. Grand away on my aftermarket shocks to get the coilovers to fit over them
C. Beat out the louvers in the stock oil pan...that then made some holes in it LOL that we had to soder(sp?) up.

We seriously took our time, partly because we destroyed a stock shock when trying to make the coilover sleeve fit over it....and I had to order the after market illuminas. My car was down about a month LOL, since we could only work on it here and there.

Sounds like you guys had an easy install LOL....im happy that you did . You are going to LOVE the power that you car will have.....but will HATE bumps in the road. I have the QA1 coilovers and a small sudden bump in the road (like hitting certain bridges) feels and sounds like you hit a 6inch deep pot hole LOL. I would reccomend setting the struts to their softest setting, that seemed to help mine quite abit. Let us know how yours is....

oxfordgt · Jun 14, 2006

We used a jack with a 12 in long 2x6 on top of it under the oil pan.

Our install went pretty easy the parts fit great and no grinding needed. The only trouble we had was the EGR. My buddy ate to many wheaties that morning and bent the crap out of the tube. I just fabbed up a delete plate for the plenum and sent him to the store to buy a pipe cap that fit the the header to cap it off.

hotmustang331 · Jun 14, 2006

^ thats a way to do it LOL....get your tuner (or handheld) to turn off the EGR or you will get an engine light.

blackfang · Jun 14, 2006

Mine were done with a lift and we didnt use anything to hold it. vehicle was about 15-20 inches off the ground and the motor lowered about a few inches to allow more room. Transmission and trans mount held it with ease.

BennyBlown2v · Jun 14, 2006

blackfang said:
Mine were done with a lift and we didnt use anything to hold it. vehicle was about 15-20 inches off the ground and the motor lowered about a few inches to allow more room. Transmission and trans mount held it with ease.

I have heard a few people say this works... Shouldn't you still brace/hold the motor from above just incase? Also, that's alot of stress for the trans and trans mount crossmember...could doing it this way damage the mount, or even damage the trans?

gtvertsoon · Jun 14, 2006

blackfang said:
Mine were done with a lift and we didnt use anything to hold it. vehicle was about 15-20 inches off the ground and the motor lowered about a few inches to allow more room. Transmission and trans mount held it with ease.

You didn't support the motor at all?? I supported it the first time with a jack and 2x4, which ended up putting a nice dent in the oil pan. Then used the front of the oil pan which worked much better. My LT install took forever.

Mike97gt · Jun 14, 2006

I recomend holding the motor up with something other than th trans mount and trans.. sure that might work 99 times.. but if all of us in this thread did that atleast one of us would have the mount fail on them.

blackfang · Jun 15, 2006

The guy I did them with has done hundreds of LT installs that way and builds 800-1000 rwhp turbo 03/04 cobras(THP cars at WFC9). I am not worried how he does the work since he has been doing it for 10 years and no issues doing it that way.

However, most people here wont be using a lift in a garage.

hotmustang331 · Jun 15, 2006

Thats still not good buisness of him, everything should be properly secured in a professional shop IMO. I sure as heck wouldnt let him do it like that LOL....
Its like him putting your wheels on and only putting on 3 lug nuts and saying "3 will hold just fine....I have run all my cars like that for 10 years" LOL. Not to diss him or anything, or you....just stating that it may work, but its not exactly safe haha.

blackfang · Jun 16, 2006

Well nothing is safe in a shop. I trust him and his years of experience doing it. It worked though

Roger_4.6_96 · Jun 16, 2006

oxfordgt said:
We used a jack with a 12 in long 2x6 on top of it under the oil pan.

Dont do that ever agian. You could of bent the living crap out of your oil pan.

'01 Steed · Jun 16, 2006

hotmustang331 said:
Thats still not good buisness of him, everything should be properly secured in a professional shop IMO. I sure as heck wouldnt let him do it like that LOL....
Its like him putting your wheels on and only putting on 3 lug nuts and saying "3 will hold just fine....I have run all my cars like that for 10 years" LOL. Not to diss him or anything, or you....just stating that it may work, but its not exactly safe haha.

I agree with your basic logic, but your analogy isn't quite right. He may have taken risks during the install, but it's not like he left parts off the car as your analogy implies.
For the record, I did mine on my garage floor also, using large jack stands, a 2 ton floor jack, and a cherry picker to lift the engine.

oxfordgt · Jun 16, 2006

Roger_4.6_96 said:
Dont do that ever agian. You could of bent the living crap out of your oil pan.

It doesn't dent it because the weight is evenly placed across the oil pan. Plus it worked very well.

hotmustang331 · Jun 16, 2006

[QUOTE='01 Steed]I agree with your basic logic, but your analogy isn't quite right. He may have taken risks during the install, but it's not like he left parts off the car as your analogy implies.
For the record, I did mine on my garage floor also, using large jack stands, a 2 ton floor jack, and a cherry picker to lift the engine.[/QUOTE]

haha yea I know...just trying to get a point accross Thats the best I could think off right then LOL. But hey as long as it did work and the guys car is OK....thats all that matters.

'01 Steed · Jun 16, 2006

Yep!

Believe me, I'm very safety conscious! The last thing I need is to crush a hand, or even worse. 9 years ago, on my 30th birthday no less, I was helping my brother pull a trans out some Dodge (Daytona I believe). It slipped off the floor jack we were using, and when it hit the ground, it pinched my right hand between it and the floor. Luckily, it rolled off under it's own momentum. However, it did leave me with a scar. You can make out the bolt-head pattern and corner of the trans pan in my scar, clear as day. DOH!!!

Anyhow, I totally agree with your concern!

Cheers!

Pennywise2 · Jun 16, 2006

I know BBK L/T headers were a PITB to install.

stangman · Jun 16, 2006

oxfordgt said:
It doesn't dent it because the weight is evenly placed across the oil pan. Plus it worked very well.

ditto, io've done a dozen+ header installs & that's the way i do it everytime. works perfect as long it's even across the oil pan & tranny

Don't fear L/T install

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