Kooks LT Install ('10 GT)

[3VNightmare]

Not that there aren't enough threads on this already but I have to say, I did it today by myself and it took about 8hrs and it was miserable, what a PITA. Both motor mounts, dipstick, & starter had to come out. Steering shaft also had to get dropped on one end. I also bought kooks' catted x-pipe and had no dtc codes when I started it. The headers do fit in there really good it's just a pain to tighten some bolts after the headers are in. Car sounds much different and feels different. For anybody looking to do it just an FYI 13mm is the size for the header (old & new), steering shaft, & motor mount bolts (on engine block), 15mm to get the h-pipe & motor mount (on chassis) nuts, and 10mm to get the starter off & to loosen the steering shaft in the inside of the car. And apparently kooks welded exhaust hangers on the x-pipe and on the '10 there is nothing for them to go into, not sure about the 05-09's.

 

[dysan]

+1 on the absolute misery of doing headers on these cars. I installed the 1 3/4" kooks on my car and I got lazy and used the percy carbon gaskets that came with them. Now I'm going to have to pay the price since it sounds like the one on my driver's side is giving out. I should have got the Percy Seal 4 Good metal ones from the get-go so I'm going to have to basically do the headers AGAIN!

I've become friends with a local drag racer who's got a lift and I'm hoping he'll let me use it this weekend since doing it on jack stands just plain sucks.

Congrats on the mod!

 

[scramblr]

Did mine in the Garage on jack-stands as well. It is a PITA, but at least we don't have to pull our motor to get them on like older styles. For me it's great satisfaction knowing I did it myself everytime I hear the exhaust at WOT.

 

[Ssiptang]

And apparently kooks welded exhaust hangers on the x-pipe and on the '10 there is nothing for them to go into, not sure about the 05-09's.

Mine doesnt have that either. Not sure if its needed..as my x pipe is tightly help by headers and cat back.

 

[TheWizard]

I did my JBA's on my 07' in the garage on jack stands and it sounds like the same nightmare. I started out trying it myself, then enlisted help and it still took 9 hours.
I don't advise anyone to try doing this on their own. Getting to the bolts is a PITA and it didn't help that i shifted the entire motor over 2 inches when I removed bolts on the motor mounts. Not good!
I do love the sound though! BIG difference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEyYtvuu7TU

 

[DDTCM]

I have the kooks lts also and they sound and perform great.Wish I could say that I installed them myself.....but that would be lying, lol.

 

[3VNightmare]

ALSO i forgot to mention the 02 extension wire they gave me had the wrong end on it ....so I had to improvise.

 

[fdjizm]

Definitely paying someone to do my headers if I decide to buy a set one day lol

 

[Jeffs FRC]

ALSO i forgot to mention the 02 extension wire they gave me had the wrong end on it ....so I had to improvise.

It was most likely right. You just have to grind the small tabs off and it will work...

 

[3VNightmare]

Yea, that's what I ended up doing.

 

[UltraKla$$ic]

Did mine myself on jackstands in my garage and it was well worth it. I KNOW it's right and no stripped out bolts. I used the Percy Seal-4-Good gaskets and they are topshelf!

Regarding the exhaust hangers, I called Maryland Speed where I got my kooks and they said that somewhere in the production year of like '06 or something FORD stopped putting the hangers on the cars. Mine is an '07 and I didn't have hangers on the car, but I did have them on the H-pipe.

 

[GerRod]

I installed mine on jackstands in the garage as well. What a PITA but the satisfaction in doing it yourself makes it worth it

 

[07stangcs]

+1 on the biggest PITA ever. Much easier when you just drop a stroker in with them already mounted =) The satisfaction is even better when you give her the first start up open header style!!!!

 

[08VistablueGT]

Did mine myself as well (Hooker long tubes). While I can't say it was a major PITA, it was certainly time consuming.

I have a 2008 GT, and did not use the hangers on my mid-pipe because there was nothing to hang them on to. lol I actually had to cut off the driver's side hanger because the interference on the tranny brace was too significant.

 

[Vbshelbygt]

Been there done that 3 times. Not fun but think I could do it in my sleep now

 

[Mach1Run]

Not nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. I did it alone on jackstands. Biggest problem I have had so far is the damn high flow cats aren't efficient enough to keep from throwing codes with out being tuned so that was another $500 I did not really want to spend at the time but oh well. Could probably do another set in a day if I had to, though I will do my best to supervise if someone else wants it done. I got so many tiny little cuts on my hands they stung for a week.

 

[CandyRedGT]

Thought about any long tubes would throw codes?