Longtubes - DIY or pay?

[Mach1Run]

Got a set of pypes longtubes and now I have to decide to either do it myself or pay to have them put in. I really want to DIY but am bit intimidated by the 1/2 a page of instructions and my own lack of experience. Don't have anyone other than the internetz to help out so it will be done probably out on the drive way. Or I found a shop that will do it for $450.

What exactly has to removed to get these suckers in there?

My only real concern is I will get it about 1/2 done then have something go horribly wrong and have to have it taken to the shop after all. I guess thats the worst that could happens lol.

 

[Jeffs FRC]

Remove the starter, motor mounts/brackets, and the dipstick and they will slide right in easily after you jack the motor up. Its really not that hard of an install. Just time consuming, especially if your doing it on the floor of your garage...

 

[1fast05]

Its not too bad,but if your not use to doing stuff like that, Then 450 bucks really isn't to bad, I did mine in about 5 hours and that was going in and watching tv and eating lunch, having some way to hold up the motor and take out the motor mounts makes it super easy

 

[05xgt]

Where you located at? IMO it's not a job for the faint hearted. On a scale of 1-10 ten being the hardest I would say they will be around a 6.5-7. also you will in all probability also have to take the steering rack and column loose in addition to what was mentioned above.

 

[GIG4FUN]

moved to chat...


i did mine with a friend an beer. Memories that are fun and not forgotten.


do it with a friend

 

[Jeffs FRC]

Where you located at? IMO it's not a job for the faint hearted. On a scale of 1-10 ten being the hardest I would say they will be around a 6.5-7. also you will in all probability also have to take the steering rack and column loose in addition to what was mentioned above.

Ive got Pypes. No need to mess with the rack or column...

 

[dysan]

I believe the pypes are just like the kooks and I had to disconnect the steering column when I put my kooks in. It's not difficult to do that though, just the one bolt at the bottom holding the steering shaft into the rack, take the driver's side bolt out of the rack and loosen the passenger side bolt and push the driver's side forward.

 

[Fast64ranchero]

I have the kooks and it took me 5 hours by myself with the car on a rack, I ended up making a wedge to hold the engine up while I ran the car up and down on the rack to tighten the header bolts, I'm pretty picky, so I'd say the hardest part was tightening the bolts correctly, or maybe the O2 sensors the connector on the passenger side was a PIA, would have been easier if I would have waited till the engine and exh had cooled

 

[usafimj]

Here you go. I'll help you out some. Found this in the DIY section of this forum. I used this write-up also when I did my LT's http://s197forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1338

 

[Bkid]

I did mine on Jack stands it was not reall difficult ,just time consuming. I spent a lot of time cleaning my heads though. I wanted a perfectly clean surface. 450 is not to bad though.

 

[Top00Cat]

mine will probably be going in this weekend. let me know how you make out with these

 

[mikeysgt]

I paid my tuner 400 bucks. He installed my arh's AND gave me two new dyno tunes for them and another for the nitrous/longtube combo.

 

[Mach1Run]

If I can find enough good walkthroughs and info I will DIY it. I love being able to say that I did something. Going to be at least a week or two until I can do anything though. Either the wife has to get out of school for the summer or my mach 1 comes back from the eaton swap at the shop so I have something to drive if I need it. My projects are notorious for going sideways and taking 3 times longer than most everyone else lol.

God the line lock install on the mach wound up taking 3 days after I chewed a thread in the master cylinder and had to order one and a new bit of line.

 

[06Stang]

Paid a master tech at my ford dealer to do it. Best decision I've made. Car is amazing. Also did the motor mounts

 

[06Stang]

But I also got it done for only 250. He did an awesome job. Even fixed any rattles and loose clips. Car is hundred times better than it was when I did my own x pipe and mufflers. He went above and beyond

 

[pieperz06]

i know of a guy in houston that will do it for 200 bucks and make you an x or an h pipe to go with it

 

[Riptide]

My personal "policy" on this stuff is that unless I can find someone to give me a screamingly good deal on labor I will attempt to do it myself first. For this job that would have to be in the $200-300 range. Past that and I'll try first thanks.

If I didn't have a second car to drive then it might be a different story. Oh and btw, getting this done on your own is definitely worth at least some bragging rights.

 

[dysan]

When I did mine I saw it as a "right of passage". If I have to do them again I'll probably pay someone to do it cause it really does suck doing it on your back with jackstands in a garage.

 

[terry5357]

OP depends on if you have more money than time. I did mine in my driveway. definitely need jack stands and a hyd jack. You don't have to remove the steering shaft if you can get the motor jacked up high enough. the pass side is the most time consumming dealing with starter and getting motor mount out of the way. Took me 10 hrs, but I had to stop and slot the flange because dumbass BBK didn't send the shorter bolts with the kit.

 

[302]

If you've never done it before i would not advise you to do this by yourself. An extra pair of hands goes a long way when you're not very skilled. If you have decent mechanical skills it wouldnt be that hard, but again if you have never done it the extra hands will help. Most of the time there are 100's of ways you think the header will fit, but in fact there is only 1 way it will fit most of the time and its just trial and error getting the bastards in there. LOL.

But, once you get the hang of it a header install is not too bad and it can be done with ease very quickly.