Longtube Install This weekend

I am going to be installing some BBK ceramic 1-5/8 longtubes this weekend with the o/r H. I ordered felpro gaskets and locking bolts as well as some o2 extenders and some new motor mounts. I was hoping that the motormounts would take care of any clearance issuses i.e. steering, etc. Am I correct or will the steering arm still be a problem. What else would you recommend having before I start?

My car is a '90 (25th Anniversary). I just asked about the steering because I did hear of some people having trouble with it, and just figured that old, sagging motor mounts were the cause. I purchased the prothane mounts from summit. I am not too worried about the stock header to h-pipe bolts because i have swapped the stock one with a gutted cat pipe about 3 times in the past 2 months and took it off about 4 weeks ago when I put my tremec in. I was gonna get an engine hoist to hold the engine up, because i don't feel comfortable just using a hydraulic floor jack to hold up the motor especially with the trans crossmember unbolted. I will post how the install goes. It will be going in this saturday. Thanks for your help and responses.

Michael Yount said:

Just a reminder - if the hoist you're using is hydraulic - having the engine held from above by a "jack" is no different than supporting one from below by a jack. Previous posters comments about using lumber or jack stands (in addition to hoist if it's hydraulic) to hold the engine up while you're working around/under it are the safe way to go. You don't really know how alive you are until you've had 6 or 7 hundred pounds come down on your hand or arm -- or worse yet, your head.

As the other poster said - patience. Lots of it - order the Sam's-size jar of patience before you start. To Jerry's point, if they don't fit and clear everything - send them back. That's where you'll really need the patience - cause it means everything has to go back like it was (w/new engine mounts) until you get a set that fit. Quality control on headers in general is pretty spotty. There are so many small dimensional variations car to car, and header to header, and the clearances on long tubes are so tight, that sometimes, they zig where your car zags and they just don't fit. Don't pay for ceramic and then bang 'em up to get 'em on. For that reason, I always order stainless or bare - test fit them, do any banging for clearance; learn the install tricks. Crank them up to be sure they seal. Then remove them and send them off for coating - and, yes, do it all over again when they return from the coaters. Patience.

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I was more worried about with all the movement under the car that the jack gets kicked or slips off the oil pan or something of the sort. I would rather use a cherry picker and have more room to work with underneath the car.

Well, I got the BBK longtubes in yesterday. It was long an tedious, but for the results it is definitely worth it. I am a little sore today, but very happy with the results. The quality and fit of the pipes are great. I went with the ceramic finish, and it really stands out in my engine bay and underneath the car. No problem with the O2s, I bought the extenders and then used wire ties to keep them out of the way. I also opted to put new polyeurathane motor mounts in while they were accessible, and WOW what a difference. They just look more substantial compared to the flimsy stock rubber. My whole engine sits up higher in the engine compartment and therefor tuck the headers up even closer to the floor. There aren't going to be any clearance issues with them. It is so high, it looks like my hood will barely shut (I haven't shut the hood yet). I ran into a little snag putting my o/r h-pipe on, but I think that was just because of the tremec transmission and the exhaust hanger sits a little further back then a regular T-5. I had to cut the hangers off of the h-pipe, but I will weld them on where they need to be. I am not sure what series flowmaster the previous owner put on, but they are still quiet with the longtubes and o/r H. It sounds just like it sounded when I had my gutted stock pipe on there, so I was a little disappointed. I am going to run up to Mustangs Unlimited when they open up today and pick up the MAC system. I think the hardest parts were reconnecting the steering linkage (because of the tight space), figuring how the passenger side header was gonna drop in (you have to hold it at a certain angle and then turn it, and getting the top starter bolt back in when everything is in place (it is a bitch..I would recommend maybe putting the starter back in when things are still loose). The car is still in the air awaiting the cat-back system, but I will update the post and let you know how the car feels.

90mustangGT said:

Glad you got them in. I replaced the stock headers and stock H pipe with them and noticed a big difference in sound at all levels. At idle it sounded like it had a really mild cam but not any louder, at WOT especailly over 4Krpm's it screams, sounds good cruising, but not much louder. I have 2ch delta flow flowmasters, btw.

Your motor sitting too high? maby you didn't get the motor set all the way down in the K frame. Mine sits a little higher than stock, but mine weren't blown completly when I replaced them.

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The mounts are down in the frame. I don't think the motor is sitting too high it just looks odd to me since I have been used to the motor sitting where it was.