MAC Ceramic Longtubes Installed!!

Skud

Skud

Member
Sep 10, 2003
493
0
17
Saskatchewan
#1
First off.. WOW..

I was doing some suspension work and a stupid stuck bolt made me have to drop the K member.. After I got the K member off, I looked up and saw the manifolds were right there.. So it was time to install the headers that had been sitting my closet for the last year and half..

Anyways.. I got them all installed and I have a bit of a leak because I had to hack up some extensions to get them to bold up to my magnaflow x pipe..

They sound soooo good!! There was also a VERY noticeable SOTP increase.. I don't know exactly what the numbers are, but it's no doubt there.

Now I just need to find a muffler shop in the Cleveland area that can work with stainless AND do mandrel bends..

I know there have been a lot of complaints about the MAC headers eating oil and wrecking engines. I *so far* don't have any problems yet (knock on wood). When I first started up the car I left the EGR tube unhooked for 15 - 20 minutes "just in case".

Some facts:

1) I used NEW Ford manifold gaskets
2) I used NEW stock studs and nuts
3) I had to buy some o2 extensions. I had to break the little tabs off of the connectors because for some reason they don't fit with them.

That's it!! I think this is one of those mods that is a VERY big pain in the ass and is a lot of work to do (too much it almost seems), but in the end I believe the gains outweigh the pain and frustration. Especially if you slow down and take your time to do everything RIGHT.

Thanks!!
Riley
 
#4
I have Mac ceramic coated LT's. They leaked for a long time before I figured out what the problem was. It was the front passenger side header bolt. Once I got that tightened up it was all smiles. No oil loss. That was a problem with the 4V's, or so I've read. My problem is the the Mac cat-back. It clunks and doesn't fit right. I've taken it to several shops with no permanent fix. It's clunded so much that it almost has a hole worn in the pipe from where it hits on hard bumps. I have to find someone to custom fab a cat back and weld in my current muffs because I love the sound, hate the clunk.
 
#5
OK, now I'm slightly concerned...

I was giving my engine bay an once over after I drove to work.. I noticed that the rubber line connected to the PCV valve is completely squished when the car is running.. So it looks like my PCV valve is plugged and the vacuum collapses the hose. When the car is not running, the hose is fine.

This has me concerned in a couple of ways:

1) My PCV valve isn't working..
2) If it WAS working would I be having all of the troubles that other people had with tons of oil being used after they installed headers..

Now, I don't know how headers could create vacuum but this is a really strange coincidence.. I mean I'm 100% positive that line wasn't collapsed due to vacuum before I installed my headers...

I'm scared that once I fix the PCV valve, then I'll have all the issues others have had with their headers..

Thoughts?

Thanks!!
Riley
 
#7
Skud said:
OK, now I'm slightly concerned...

I was giving my engine bay an once over after I drove to work.. I noticed that the rubber line connected to the PCV valve is completely squished when the car is running.. So it looks like my PCV valve is plugged and the vacuum collapses the hose. When the car is not running, the hose is fine.

This has me concerned in a couple of ways:

1) My PCV valve isn't working..
2) If it WAS working would I be having all of the troubles that other people had with tons of oil being used after they installed headers..

Now, I don't know how headers could create vacuum but this is a really strange coincidence.. I mean I'm 100% positive that line wasn't collapsed due to vacuum before I installed my headers...

I'm scared that once I fix the PCV valve, then I'll have all the issues others have had with their headers..

Thoughts?

Thanks!!
Riley
Click to expand...

I dont know how in the world MAC would have come up with a header design that scavenges so good, that it puts a severe vacuum in the crankcase. Hopefully its just the PCV vavle.
 
#8
Is there a definitive way to test the PCV valve? I'm going to pull it off tomorrow..

Also, I wonder if it's just the hose connected to the PCV valve getting old and mushy.. The car runs awesome and I don't have any problems with oil escaping anywhere that I can see..

There are two rubber hoses and a hard plastic tube. One hose connects the PCV valve to the tube.The other rubber hose connects the plastic tube to the plenum. The rubber hose that goes to the plenum doesn't collapse..

Also, when I rev the engine to say 2000rpm the hose reverts to it's original shape and is no longer collapsed.

Thanks!!
Riley
 
#11
ive found that working on older f.i. 5.0s and carb'd 5.0s, and a bunch of old mopars around the house, that 99.9% of oil lekage from gaskets are because of the pcv system clogged or stopped up. that causes the engine to have extreme pressure inside of it. the other .1% is from blow by from bad rings, the reason im saying this is that the longer you leave it like that, eventually your engine seals will pop.
 
#15
ive got some macs for my 98 auto, not gonna do it myself but will pay a shop to do them.

and if your worried about the headers using oil and chucking it back in the EGR........... why not get a EGR delete kit from Randy ( he is on this ofrum but has his own section on www.************.com he works in a ford dealer and is a top guy and has sorted me out before)

Si
 
#16
Question for you guys, where does the steering shaft go on the MACS? Is it between the 3rd and 4th primary tubes or after the 4th primary by the egr. Also how do you completely remove the steering shaft
 
#19
I did the MM solid steering shaft at the same time. The steering shaft still comes pretty close to the headers so I don't know if it would eventually melt the rag-joint or not..

And yes, the steering shaft goes outside the headers..

Riley
 
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