My mid pipes came unexpectedly from JDM today, I wasn't expecting them for a couple more weeks, I was exciting to get my longtubes and high flow cats in. I am impatient so I couldnt wait till a garage was available to me,so I put the truck up on jackstands and went to work. I got the passenger side header and cats off, and the new passenger side header in place, I re-used the stock header gasket and studs, the top nuts are tight and 3 more of the bottom nuts have to be tightened(they really suck to tighten, hard to reach!!) and that's as far as I got, oh most of the time it was raining on me. so right now my truck is up on jackstands in my driveway, with half stock exhaust and half JDM, I'll try and finish up tommorrow, hopefully it won't rain. any tips would be appreciated.....

 

any tips? Drink lots of beer to numb the pain from skinned knucles

Keep us posted!

 

on the passenger sid, if you are using the stock studs, take them all out, then fit the headers on place, then to reuse the studs, one of them.....i think on the bottom.....you have to start the nut on the stud, push it up against the flange of the header, then tighten it in. If you just put all the studs in, there isn't enough clearence to thread the nut past on of the pipes on the header!!!

Also helps to take a 13mm wrench and cut it so you have this little stubby wrench, then you can actually slide it on the nuts and use a pry bar or large screw driver to lever against it to tighten the nuts you can't get to. I think passenger side was 10 more a pain then the driver's side.

Oh yeah......if you haven't already....if you ot the black colored hardware from Jim.......don't use it if you ever plan on taking the system off.......hehe Real good hardware.......too good!!!

 

thanks guys, my nuckles are skinned and I'm currently drunk, I gave up on it for tonight, hopefully it will not rain tommorrow. the passenger side is pretty much done except for the tightening of the bottom 3 nuts on the factory studs, I think a 13 mm stubby wrench will help. SO the drivers side is easier? I hope so, maybe it was the rain or sitting in the mud, but the passenger side kind of sucked, it only took me an hour to get the old crap out and the new one in, less the 3 untightened nuts, but it was a pain, The drivers side goes in from bottom right? and I'm going to have to get some tin snipes or break out the dremel to cut out the heat shield for the O2 sensors. I Can't Wait To Hear It!

 

I used all the bolts that came with my kit from JDM. It was extremely easy. I was able to put all teh bottom bolts in then hang the header on those with the gasket inplace already. I was also able to use a 1/4 inch drive 10mm socket and get to all but two or three bolts. hope this will help.

 

Tips? You'll need to stock up on these



And make sure you cut the holes in the heat shields for the O2 sensors before you bolt in the headers, it makes it a lot easier. I had to line up each header, mark the shield, and then remove the header to put the hole in. That's all I can remember right now.

You'll love them though

 

This is the best tip I can offer



You'll love them

 

thats a beautiful sight. that is my drink of choice. gotta love coors light in the can. i wont drink it if its in a bottle. im not sure why, it just doesnt taste right...chris

 

And here I am thinking it tastes better out of the bottle>??? Hmmm. Oh well! LoL. Coors Light rocks!

wkuper11, Glad the install is going well. Your truck is gonna sound mean! Do you have the single or dual muffler catback>??? I love the way mine sounds(dual muffler), it is great setting off car alarms and waking up the world at 2am. -Mat-

 

i have the silver bullet catback