The Mustang Forum for Track & Racing Enthusiasts

Taking your Mustang to an open track/HPDE event for the first time? Do you race competitively? This forum is for you! Log in to remove most ads.

  • Welcome to the Ford Mustang forum built for owners of the Mustang GT350, BOSS 302, GT500, and all other S550, S197, SN95, Fox Body and older Mustangs set up for open track days, road racing, and/or autocross. Join our forum, interact with others, share your build, and help us strengthen this community!

Starting my header install today!

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Figured that i would go ahead and knock out the American Racing Headers i purchased several weeks ago while i could.
they have been sitting in the truck for a few weeks while awaiting the company to send me the correct boss 302 style x pipe.

wish me luck...



steve
 

Sesshomurai

Good luck! I've been eyeing the kooks longtube headers, but its beyond my mechanical skills at the moment. Maybe you can update the HOW-TO with some tips after! e.g. how long does it take? tools? what not to do to ruin your engine? etc. lol
 
drivers side is easy. all of the studs/nuts can be reached from inside the engine bay using either a ratching wrench or ratcher and a 15 mm socket.

things that need to be removed are in what i would consider being the correct order.

air intake system
cats/cat pipes
steering shaft nuts/bolts
steering shaft
trans cooler if equipped
factory header nuts drivers side.
factory header
starter
a oil catch can if equipped
pass side header nuts
pass side header

i think the install will require removal of a motor mount as that side goes on.

i will try to install them first without removing them.



i am by no means fast any more so do not use me as a valid time table. i get gimped up and will go sit for a hour or more...pacing myself. but if i can do this so can any body else.



i will snap a few pics later btw.
 

steveespo

Lord knows I'm a Voodoo Child
Moderator
4,008
1,924
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
10-20 Years
Cookeville TN
Motor mounts have to come out, one side at a time. Some of the studs have to be replaced with bolts to mount headers. If you don't have a lift get the car as high as possible and remove tires and inner fender liners. Take the battery and tray out of the car. Be careful of the AC line on the passenger side. You have to jack the motor up and down to get the bolts and nuts on. Do the passenger side first as its the hardest and you will need the easy drivers side to keep sane. LOL. Make sure you don't stretch wiring connectors and label things, take pictures before you take things apart. Check you tube for videos, there is a lot of good info out there.
Good luck and enjoy 30 horsepower at the wheels!
Steve
 
thanks for the tips
i started on the pass side just as the sun left town.
no more lift for me, the hsops gone. so i am going old school...floor jack and a pair of stands.
its not reeally that bad. hope i did not jinx myself...
 

Justin

Save the dawn for your dishes!!!
I did a set of bbk's on a 2012 GT on my back. took the better part of 6 hours. wasnt too bad. motor mounts have to come out. the big fall back was they over tightened the ground strap on the passenger side motor mount and the lug was smooshed so line and flat had to break it to get it off. and had to pull the wire out the harness and put a new end on it. that added 2 hours right there as we had to go around town to get a ground lug.
 
not finished yet.
i have been taking my time. its not a daily driver so i am in no rush.
i have about 4-4 1/2 solid hours into it as i type this and about 1/2 of that has been working on the removable of the manifold from the pass side. it is as stated above the hardest one by far.

i found that by removing the battery the battery tray,
the ecu and its mount along with the fuse box from the pass side fender that i have just as much room as i did on the drivers side now.

so i was able to at that point remove that manifold just as quickly. the only line in the way would be that a/c line. but it can be worked around.

my motor mounts are very very tight. to a point i would say too tight. some of the bolts came out very easily, while others required a whole lot of love. im going to install the drivers side header today. and try the pass side also.


i will say that i am a lot slower that most these days. so do not take my time table as any form of statement as to how fast or slow these things are to be installed.



steve-o
 

Justin

Save the dawn for your dishes!!!
yeah when I helped my buddy on his 12 gt back in march we tried everything to keep from taking out the motormounts just wasnt possible. the JBA headers he had were the hardest I have seen by far to install as the fwd cylinder tube on the pass side blocks all the top bolts.
 

ace72ace

Zaino, I put that $hit on everything
1,242
71
Have you given any thought to replacing the stock motor mounts to some nicer Steeda mounts while you have it all ripped apart?

http://www.steeda.com/store/steeda-heavy-duty-engine-mounts-for-ford-mustang.html

Read on another forum of an article showing the Steeda vs the OEM unit at 75lbs of force and then 125lbs and the latter pic showed quite a bit of deflection.

Haven't ever had a vehicle where I considered replacing them but as long as you have it all apart, would it be worth it?
 
lol
well i have all the time in the world right now.
seems that header company that i liked sooo much kinda screwed me over again.
looks like i got 3 valve headers instead of a 5.0 boss specific header.

now i know why and how i got shipped the wrong x pipe.

so that flub has me sitting here waiting. if those clowns do not overnight a set of the long tubes to me then it will be two weeks before they go in. and they did not overnight the x pipe so i am not expecting things to be any different.



steve
 

Justin

Save the dawn for your dishes!!!
ace72ace said:
Have you given any thought to replacing the stock motor mounts to some nicer Steeda mounts while you have it all ripped apart?

http://www.steeda.com/store/steeda-heavy-duty-engine-mounts-for-ford-mustang.html

Read on another forum of an article showing the Steeda vs the OEM unit at 75lbs of force and then 125lbs and the latter pic showed quite a bit of deflection.

Haven't ever had a vehicle where I considered replacing them but as long as you have it all apart, would it be worth it?
I have a set of BBR motor mounts I am going to put them in my car.

gremlinsteve said:
lol
well i have all the time in the world right now.
seems that header company that i liked sooo much kinda screwed me over again.
looks like i got 3 valve headers instead of a 5.0 boss specific header.

now i know why and how i got shipped the wrong x pipe.

so that flub has me sitting here waiting. if those clowns do not overnight a set of the long tubes to me then it will be two weeks before they go in. and they did not overnight the x pipe so i am not expecting things to be any different.



steve
What company is it again? this is so I know not to order those lol.
 

ace72ace

Zaino, I put that $hit on everything
1,242
71
@Justin - who asked you? j/k ;D Got a link for the BBR mounts? I will dig up the link I saw showing pix of the stock mounts compared to the Steedas

@Steve - Bummer man, maybe it happened for a reason and will give you a chance to swap out the mounts while you are under there. Would you also consider relocating the oil filter while you have it apart? Everyone says the stock location is a pain in the ass to do your our own changes and it can get messy. Relocating the filter (but I honestly don't know where, esp with headers you have to carefully consider where you route the lines) is something I'd consider, provided someone else already did it and give a good write up on all the steps, and required parts, hint hint.
 

Justin

Save the dawn for your dishes!!!
ace72ace said:
@Justin - who asked you? j/k ;D Got a link for the BBR mounts? I will dig up the link I saw showing pix of the stock mounts compared to the Steedas

@Steve - Bummer man, maybe it happened for a reason and will give you a chance to swap out the mounts while you are under there. Would you also consider relocating the oil filter while you have it apart? Everyone says the stock location is a pain in the ass to do your our own changes and it can get messy. Relocating the filter (but I honestly don't know where, esp with headers you have to carefully consider where you route the lines) is something I'd consider, provided someone else already did it and give a good write up on all the steps, and required parts, hint hint.
here is a pic with the BBR mounts on the boss.
90065980.jpg


here is the link to buy them
http://www.blowbyracing.com/bbradmomo.html
 

Justin

Save the dawn for your dishes!!!
no problem...lol. I had them left over from my 06 GT parts that I never got around to installing. the tubular k-member that I put in the car use a different style. I almost sold them glad I didnt as they will fit the boss :)
 

TMO Supporting Vendors

Top