PACESETTER HEADER INSTALLATION COMPLETE!!

[Tyler]

so here is how it went.


first: i cut off my muffler. disconnected the hangers, cut it off with a sawzall...

second: cut off the over axle pipe.

3rd. removed post cat o2 sensor..and the sensor before the cat. unbolted the collectors from each side of the stock manifolds.. then slid off the y pipe, cat, and I pipe.

everything was going smooth..

4th: removed most of the god damn freak'n piece of **** heat shields.. (pain in the ****en *** ) fortunately, the bolts werent rusted on like ****en crazy, and they came off with ease. still a pain. then.. removed plug wires. (plugs are remaining in .. for the time being.

5: this took about 2 hours. just to remove the drivers side turd log manifold. god damn the bolts are a PITA to get to. question tho. on the stock bolts.. there is a nut, and then a seperate threaded piece that did not come out. do i remove all of those?

6: tomorrow morning i plan on removing the passanger side manifold,

7 installing the new pacesetter headers.


note: i didnt have to remove the starter heatshield..

so far.. 5 hours of work..

any questions or tips for me?

please respond.. any help will be greatly appreciated.

and unfortnuately i have no pictures.. my dad wouldnt let me use the digital camera.. which i understand because my hands are filthy! dripping wiht liquid wrench.. blood, and all sorts of other foreign liquids

[ June 28, 2003: Message edited by: Tyler ]

[ June 29, 2003: Message edited by: Tyler ]

[ June 29, 2003: Message edited by: Tyler ]</p>

[xjarayax]

[img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] keep us updated

[Kyle]

Well I'm not sure how different the install on the 3.8 is from the 3.4, but if you wanted my two cents on the issue anyway...

The pass side is harder to do because the air conditioner gets in the way. If you loosen the bolts on the a/c and the brace to it and wedge something behind it to keep it forward it makes more room. You will save a lot of time.

From personal experience if you don't have anyone helping you be careful putting your header on the driverside because I broke my oil sensor off because it kinda got in the way.

Invest in some lock-tite if you haven't already and when you do finally get them on tighten them drive for little while let it cool down, tighten them and do that a few times it was hell trying to get them not to leak.

Mine also came with hex bolts but no washers so I invested in some long hex wrenches and I put a few washers on there and it helped me get them tighter.

(Then again my wheel well got in the way for some reason and the headers wouldn't go on completely without a little work. Rksport acted like they cared, but then after I sent them pictures and explained the problem they acted like I didn't exist :mad: .)

Good luck with it all though I hope it goes smoothly.

[Tyler]

i hope so too.. since you have... rk sport headers????


i got pacesetters..

but i will definately remember the A/C part. thx

[Tyler]

before i get started.. i'll take pictures of everything we did so far.


my hands will be clean so there is no problem with using the digi cam.

i'll keep you guys up to date with my progress..

[Tyler]

ok! all stock manifolds are off..

new header gaskets are soaking in water.. it'll be about another 30 min till i get them on,.


did all the prep work needed for the installation.

put all the sensors in their appropriate ocations on the headers..

changed out the spark plugs.. got new wires ready to be put on.

the passanger side manifold was about...3 hours easier than the drivers side.

i was able to work around the o2 sensor..it wasnt really in the way all that bad. the heat sheilds were the hardest part. but i just imagined how they would have put them in.. then imagined in my mind what it would look like in reverse... and they came out with ZERO HASSEL.. it was kool..

lets see... what else.. oh ya.. got pictures.. they arent that great. just pics of the old log manifolds on the ground laying as they slowly rot away in the sun.

pics of the new headers. i'd say i got about..2 and a half more hours of work ahead of me. right now im on my 30 min break waiting on the gaskets to soak up more.

so far.. 7 hours and 30 min total work time.

[Tyler]

oh, and by the way..


do all 4th gens have 4 o2 sensors?

on on each header.. one on the y pipe before the cat.. and 1 post cat?

or is that just the 95 - 97 3.8's?

[BlitzPuppet]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Tyler:
oh, and by the way..


do all 4th gens have 4 o2 sensors?

on on each header.. one on the y pipe before the cat.. and 1 post cat?

or is that just the 95 - 97 3.8's?<hr></blockquote>

3.8s have 4 O2 sensors. I only have two [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Tyler]

ok! headers on on!!

It Was a PAIN IN THE *** !!

it sounds VERY LOUD WITH OPEN HEADERS!

i turned the car on.. let idle.. revved to 3k.. turned car off. then retightened bolts. i did this 3 times. bolts are secure. i may have to keep tightening them more and more as days go by, but im afraid i'll break a bolt.

anyways. im having major trouble getting the middle spark plug on the passanger side IN!.. I CANNOT GET A 5/8ths socket on the sparkplug to get it tight! i had to twist it in with my hand.. and then wrapped some sticky wrap stuff used for opening pickle jars around it.. and used pliars to get it tightened..

i broke my EGR valve.. can someone make or sell me a block off plate? lol.

im still in shock on how awesome my car sounded open headers. the neighbors came out.. to turn off their car alarmS! their faces.. :eek: haha.

anyways.. question for all you 3.8l pacesetter header users... HOW DO YOU GET THE MIDDLE PASSANGER SIDE SPARK PLUG IN AND SECURE?!?!?

[speedy-v6-camaro]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by BlitzPuppet:


3.8s have 4 O2 sensors. I only have two [img]tongue.gif[/img] <hr></blockquote>

Wrong. 98+ only have 3.

[ChronoGN]

Kewl! This thread will help me when I install my headers.

[Tyler]

im glad this post will help someone out! makes me feel better!

if you have ANY questions. feel free to ask.. i'll be more than happy to answer them for you.


ok..time for an update.

open y pipe..sounds SICK!! ****EN SICK!!..

anyways.. all in all...


on and a tip.. DONT TRY TO PUT ON THE Y PIPE BY YOURSELF!! unless you got bricks..

i tried it.. my hand slipped due to sweat.. and it smashed me in the face..... :mad:

[Camaro_SLP]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Tyler:
open y pipe..sounds SICK!! ****EN SICK!!..
<hr></blockquote>


Post what it sounds like when you have the full cat-back on.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr> Originally posted by Tyler:
if you have ANY questions. feel free to ask.. i'll be more than happy to answer them for you.<hr></blockquote>

I was curious as to where you purchased your pacesetter headers,,and how much were they? Also, did you get the ceramic coated ones?

[jonny985]

JC Whitney sells them for $249.99 ceramic coated. If you order more than $250 you get free shipping, no tax and no handling. I am so close to buying a set for myself. Glad to see you got them on good. Please post a sound clip of the open headers if you could.

[Bliggida]

heh Tyler, good deal. I have my exhaust manifolds off right now, and whoopy I get to put the stock ones back on! No header for me!

Anyway, partaining to point number 5 on your list. Those bolts are used for the LS1 engine to attach bracketry that we don't have. You can ingore them and re-use them. But in general re-using exhaust hardware is never a good idea unless you are in a pinch. I am going to go up to the bolt and screw mega store tomorrow. Not that you'd want to change them out again, but for other's - future referance. I'll give you the bolt specs...

Gonna have a set of 12 found or made to fit the headers but without a secondary thread set. Will make installation much easier.

I am somewhat suprised that your headers didn't come with new bolts? Or did they and I just didn't read it?