rollinstylee
Hard-core CEG'er
I just finished installing my MSDS headers and wanted to share some notes on my experience because I liked reading other people's comments on the procedure when I was getting myself mentally prepared to do this. I also have some videos of direct before and after sound comparison with this mod alone, since I'm not sure if such a thing has been posted before. And if it has, well here's another example.
First for the notes:
1) PB Blaster is indeed your friend. Don't try to break any of the nuts in this operation loose without first letting PB Blaster soak on them for at least a couple hours. On the front manifold, I couldn't see the top studs at first so I didn't hit them with PB, then when I got around to trying to break them loose, I was putting so much torque on the ratchet I was afraid of snapping the stud. I hit them with PB from ABOVE when I realized you could get a clear shot at them in between the coolant hoses and then they broke loose with a more reasonable amount of torque.
2) I don't care what everyone says, the rear manifold is easy. Every single bolt is accessible with a ratchet, several extensions put together, and ONE SINGLE U-JOINT. Note, however, I was using swivel extensions which allowed some directional play. Still, I believe you could do it with non-swiveling extensions and only one U-joint.
3) NOTHING other than the Y-pipe with cat pipe, splash shield, and oil filter need to be removed from underneath the car. No alternator, intermediate shaft, radiator, fan shroud, NOTHING ELSE. I didn't touch any of these things and made it through fine.
4) Flex head gear wrenches are NOT necessary. I've seen several people say this install is practically impossible without them, and I will say that is very untrue. I did the entire installation with only ratchets, extensions, and sockets, with the exception of one front header nut (top middle) which I could only get with a regular old open ended 13mm wrench.
5) The bank 1 upstream oxygen sensor CAN be removed from underneath the car quite easily unlike what I have read in a thread dedicated to this topic, as well as in Tourige's header how-to. Just use an O2 sensor socket and a ratchet, fairly roomy access once the Y-pipe is gone. You could even put a pipe on the ratchet going over the subframe for extra leverage if it's really stuck. Luckily mine wasn't.
6) All the rear studs can go back in before the rear header is installed. Unlike with the stock manifold, there is room to slide the header on and off the studs. This makes hanging the rear easier if you put the studs back in first.
7) In the exactly opposite fashion, the front studs DO NOT need to come out to get the front manifold off, but they DO need to come out until you have the header in place if you do not drop the radiator (I contend that removing the studs is easier than dropping the radiator). Unlike the rear, the front header is actually "deeper" where it matters and provides less clearance to the cooling fans. Knowing this would have saved me some time and paint scratches to my header.
Those are the main things I can think of that I wanted to share, I'll add more if I remember anything. Feel free to turn this into a helpful hints thread for advice you haven't seen anyone else mention.
Now here's sound clips of before and after the installation. The first was right after I got the car so the only performance mod was a K&N drop-in filter. The second is a few days ago before I started, and at that point the only potentially sound-altering additional mod was an optimized throttle body. There's bonus moosing footage that one.
Totally stock except K&N drop-in:
WARNING: EXTREMELY ANTI-CLIMACTIC!!!
After MSDS install, everything aft of headers is stock:
Guess what my next mod needs to be?
Damn cold intake...these vids are literally only like the 3rd and 4th time it's done that.
First for the notes:
1) PB Blaster is indeed your friend. Don't try to break any of the nuts in this operation loose without first letting PB Blaster soak on them for at least a couple hours. On the front manifold, I couldn't see the top studs at first so I didn't hit them with PB, then when I got around to trying to break them loose, I was putting so much torque on the ratchet I was afraid of snapping the stud. I hit them with PB from ABOVE when I realized you could get a clear shot at them in between the coolant hoses and then they broke loose with a more reasonable amount of torque.
2) I don't care what everyone says, the rear manifold is easy. Every single bolt is accessible with a ratchet, several extensions put together, and ONE SINGLE U-JOINT. Note, however, I was using swivel extensions which allowed some directional play. Still, I believe you could do it with non-swiveling extensions and only one U-joint.
3) NOTHING other than the Y-pipe with cat pipe, splash shield, and oil filter need to be removed from underneath the car. No alternator, intermediate shaft, radiator, fan shroud, NOTHING ELSE. I didn't touch any of these things and made it through fine.
4) Flex head gear wrenches are NOT necessary. I've seen several people say this install is practically impossible without them, and I will say that is very untrue. I did the entire installation with only ratchets, extensions, and sockets, with the exception of one front header nut (top middle) which I could only get with a regular old open ended 13mm wrench.
5) The bank 1 upstream oxygen sensor CAN be removed from underneath the car quite easily unlike what I have read in a thread dedicated to this topic, as well as in Tourige's header how-to. Just use an O2 sensor socket and a ratchet, fairly roomy access once the Y-pipe is gone. You could even put a pipe on the ratchet going over the subframe for extra leverage if it's really stuck. Luckily mine wasn't.
6) All the rear studs can go back in before the rear header is installed. Unlike with the stock manifold, there is room to slide the header on and off the studs. This makes hanging the rear easier if you put the studs back in first.
7) In the exactly opposite fashion, the front studs DO NOT need to come out to get the front manifold off, but they DO need to come out until you have the header in place if you do not drop the radiator (I contend that removing the studs is easier than dropping the radiator). Unlike the rear, the front header is actually "deeper" where it matters and provides less clearance to the cooling fans. Knowing this would have saved me some time and paint scratches to my header.
Those are the main things I can think of that I wanted to share, I'll add more if I remember anything. Feel free to turn this into a helpful hints thread for advice you haven't seen anyone else mention.
Now here's sound clips of before and after the installation. The first was right after I got the car so the only performance mod was a K&N drop-in filter. The second is a few days ago before I started, and at that point the only potentially sound-altering additional mod was an optimized throttle body. There's bonus moosing footage that one.
Totally stock except K&N drop-in:
WARNING: EXTREMELY ANTI-CLIMACTIC!!!
After MSDS install, everything aft of headers is stock:
Guess what my next mod needs to be?
Damn cold intake...these vids are literally only like the 3rd and 4th time it's done that.