Should test fitting longtube headers really be this difficult?

[Venom351R]

I just spent 2 hrs trying to test fit the passenger side of my accufab 1 3/4 long tube headers but I cant even get them up through the K member.

I unbolted the motor mounts from the K member and jacked the engine up as high as it would go, the upper intake was hitting the cowl by the hood and the bolts for the motor mounts were completely out of the holes for the K member and the long tube would still not go up through. I removed the starter to give it more wiggle room and it just will not clear the Team Z K member and the side of the tranny where it sticks out where the starter goes. It keeps getting caught up right at that point. There is no way they will go trough from the top down from what I can see unless maybe taking off the valve covers makes a difference?

Anyway what do you suggest to try and get this to work? I need to test fit these to be sure there is no issue before I send them off to be coated. With no smog or AC I figured this was going to be a breeze but its becoming a major PITA

 

[revhead347]

Did you try unbolting one motor mount at a time. Generally it won't work if you unbolt them both at the same time. You have to unbolt one side at a time to get the engine to tilt over as it rises. You are correct, they do have to go in from the bottom. Also, you are going to want to jack up the front of the car as high as you can get it, and have it on jackstands, or have it on a lift obviously. You need a good deal of room under the car to angle the headers up into position. Have a good light under there so you can really see how much space you have. I always take the starter out myself. Once you get the motor tilted over and the proper clearance under the car, they slide right in.

Kurt

 

[Venom351R]

I'll try the one bolt at a time. Is there anything else that needs to be unbolted other then the mounts at the K member b/c I kept thinking I was going to snap something. The car is up in the air now there is no rear end in it. While I probably could get it up a little higher I'm going to see if I can get it as is, it is up a good amount but if I get it up much higher I wont be able to reach around into the bay to grab the headers and fit them up against the heads.

I'm also jacking it from the lip at the bottom of the bellhousing. Is that where I should be jacking it from? And once I do get the header up into position should I lower the engine back down into its regular position just to be sure everything clears when the engine is sitting as it should be?

 

[revhead347]

Getting the front end in the air is really the secret. You insert the header up in there almost vertically. Once it's up in position, you can lower the engine back down. It doesn't really matter where you jack the engine from. I usually just put a block of wood under the oil pan and jack it there. The header doesn't necessarily slide up directly with the flange facing the cylinder head. Sometimes you have to rotate it a little bit.

Kurt

 

[ProKiller]

yes.


took me an my dad 7 hours to get the passenger side one it. and the car was on a lift. keep at and you will eventually get it. like Kurt said, you will have to put it in almost vertical and twist it in.

 

[revhead347]

I've done this job so many times I've got it down to a few hours. I pulled the driver's side header in 40 minutes.

Kurt

 

[Venom351R]

Thanks guys I'll be home in awhile so I'll give it another shot. I wish I was actually installing them now but this is just the "test fit" before I send them off to be coated

 

[revhead347]

Good choice to test fit. Try and take some pictures of how you did it for when you go to put them back in. You always scratch them up a lot on your first try.

Kurt

 

[Venom351R]

There is no f'ing way these are going up there with the set up I have. The headers either hit the jack, hit the motor mount or hit the K member. No matter what angle I turn them to it hits one of them. I cant get the motor to turn to one side anymore then it is. The only thing I can maybe gain is height by jacking it up higher but that does not give me any angle clearance which is what I really need.

I'm at a cross roads now b/c I want to test fit them before getting them coated but its getting to the point where If I dont send them off to be coated soon its going to throw off the whole time table for getting it running again b/c I honestly dont know how long the coating and shipping back to me will take.

Just how important is it to test fit headers? Am I taking a huge risk if I send them out to be coated before test fitting them? With no AC or smog and an aftermarket K member there should not really be any clearance issues as far as how the fit once installed but its looking as though I might have to have the car towed off to a shop and have them installed with a lift b/c there is no f'ing way its going to get done w/ jack stands in my garage. Notice any frustration there?

The only good thing about the trials and errors today was that my exhaust gaskets wont need to be trimmed at all, they fit like a glove on the exhaust ports

 

[revhead347]

Given the trouble you are having, I would test fit them. Maybe not get them all bolted up, but at least get them in place. It's not going to be any easier the second time, and you are just going to scratch the piss out of them. Any chance you can post pics of your methods?

Kurt

 

[Noobz347]

I say screw it... get em coated and hope for the best. If they don't work out, you can always sell them and get a set that DOES fit.

I'm assuming that when you install these things for REAL that you're going to pull the motor.

 

[Venom351R]

I can try, I wont be attempting it again until this weekend. If the engine would tilt more I could get them up there but its at the point where it just raises the car up higher in the air b/c the engine wont go up more and wont tilt more. I'll try moving the jack so that the handle and the jack is under the engine and not the transmission that way I might have more room to adjust the angle I put them in.

No I didnt plan on pulling the engine. Not that many people out there looking for headers for high port heads. They wont be a quick sale so thats not really an option. These are the only headers that will fit these heads there is no "other option" I know my biggest issue is just clearance, if I had a lift it would not be this bad, thats why I'm debating just getting them coated and then having the car brought to a shop and have them install them.

 

[revhead347]

I seriously don't think a shop is going to do any better. It's not something they do every day. Odds are they will scratch up your headers. Keep at it, they will fit. How close are you to getting them up there?

Kurt

 

[Venom351R]

it does not need that much more wiggle room. The forward end of the flange either hits the motor mount or the end of the flange hits the K member, or the middle is hitting the ear by the starter. If I had a few more inch's it should go up

 

[revhead347]

Try facing the flange side of the header up. As you bring it up into place, rotate it around so that the flange goes around the corner it's binding on.

Kurt

 

[Venom351R]

I should have more room doing it that way with the jack out of the way. Is this being more difficult for me b/c is a 351 or is it really this much of a hassle putting long tubes in

 

[revhead347]

Probably a combination of the 351 and the longer headers for the hi port heads. It's not hard on a 302. At worst you will have to pull the tranny and bellhousing.

Kurt

 

[Venom351R]

well that might end up being the weekend project if this next attempt fails. Is it better to remove the tranny then the bellhousing or can it all be removed as one unit by just unbolting the bellhousing?

 

[revhead347]

I consider it much easier to remove them seperately, but you actually don't have a choice when you have longtubes. The collectors and flanges are too close together for the bellhousing to slide up between the with the transmission attached. You have to swing the bellhousing in at an angle between the headers, and then slide the transmission in. There is no way you won't be able to get them in with the bellhousing out.

Kurt

 

[Venom351R]

Other then dropping the transmission what other options do I have if I can't get them in this weekend? What about dropping the k member and supporting the engine from above? Someone also suggested to take the heads off an go from above. Out of the tranny k member and head options which one would be the most logical and hassle free?