UPDATED: headers on but need help asap!!!

['94firebirdv6]

key word being attempted. i was in the garage all day today and didnt get a whole lot done. the bolts are so rusted. the first thing i tried to take off was where the y-pipe connects to the cat...SNAP broken bolt. a few minutes later with a sawzall and thats taken care of. then i tried to unbolt where the y-pipe bolts to the collector and the bolt just turned. i could not get a wrench on the top of the collector to hold it because the heat shield was in the way. i get the front and rear heat shield bolts off but the middle one with the braket holding the vaccum line or whetever would not come off for anything. it just rounded. i tried everything i could think of and couldnt get it off(this took about 5 hours) so i got mad and started working on passenger side. took off altenator. i dont know if i need to take off the ac pump? anyway the EGR was in the way and i was too frustrated to figure out how to get that thing off. so tomorrow im just gonna take the torch and cut off the bolt holding on the heat shield to the manifold because i will not reuse it with headers. im am so frustrated i almopst feel like saying screw it and having a shop do it. how much would that cost? if anyone has any tips for the install id REALLY appreciate it. thanks.

oh yeah i started up the car with open y-pipe and drove it a short distance. IT SOUNDS AWESOME lol at idle, it sounds like a cammed out v8 and when you open it up, its just like a race car or something. im tempted just to drive around like that lol.
peace

[ March 24, 2005, 10:31 PM: Message edited by: '94firebirdv6 ]

[Snuffalofogus]

Originally posted by '94firebirdv6:
key word being attempted. i was in the garage all day today and didnt get a whole lot done. the bolts are so rusted. the first thing i tried to take off was where the y-pipe connects to the cat...SNAP broken bolt. a few minutes later with a sawzall and thats taken care of. then i tried to unbolt where the y-pipe bolts to the collector and the bolt just turned. i could not get a wrench on the top of the collector to hold it because the heat shield was in the way. i get the front and rear heat shield bolts off but the middle one with the braket holding the vaccum line or whetever would not come off for anything. it just rounded. i tried everything i could think of and couldnt get it off(this took about 5 hours) so i got mad and started working on passenger side. took off altenator. i dont know if i need to take off the ac pump? anyway the EGR was in the way and i was too frustrated to figure out how to get that thing off. so tomorrow im just gonna take the torch and cut off the bolt holding on the heat shield to the manifold because i will not reuse it with headers. im am so frustrated i almopst feel like saying screw it and having a shop do it. how much would that cost? if anyone has any tips for the install id REALLY appreciate it. thanks.

oh yeah i started up the car with open y-pipe and drove it a short distance. IT SOUNDS AWESOME lol at idle, it sounds like a cammed out v8 and when you open it up, its just like a race car or something. im tempted just to drive around like that lol.
peace

open y is the WORST SOUND in the gd world. I hurt my fuggin ears to go over 1500 in my car :mad:

spay your bolts down tonight and have fun tomorrow [img]graemlins/popcorn.gif[/img]

[BLLDOGG]

nah dude, dont have a shop do it. get some penitrating(spelling )oil and put it on there and let it soak. shoould have done that in the first place since your car is so old [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Wicked 3800 V6]

Took me lots of time with the vise grips to get off one small heat shield nut.

['94firebirdv6]

wicked:
was it on the driver side? i put in about another 2.5 hours today. FINALLY got that bolt off. tried using an asetelyne torch(i know i didnt spell that right) but it wouldnt cut the bolt so i took an angle grinder and just grinded it off and then cut away the surrounding heat shield with the torch. so the driver side heat shield should come off now. on the passenger side i took off the alt, entire egr system and all but one heat shield bolt. i still dont know if i ned to take off the ac to get to the front manifold bolts. did anyone have to take their ac off to get the manifolds off?also, what is that tube that connects to the pass. side manifold right behind the egr? i cannot get that off but i know it has to come off.
thanks

[99v6cam]

o2 sensor? That's all I could think of, anyway, 3.4L header install = PITA, good luck.

[Predator Bird]

finally someone feels my pain. sorry about the header install. i know whats its like to spend a day and not even be halfway done. i spent about 14 hours and only got as far as removing the old manifolds. i had a shop finish it off b/c i didn't have the energy or patience to finish. good luck w/ it.

[FlamespikeMST1]

alot of penetrating oil...
visecrips
and patience

about 8 hours
warm the car up before you take off the bolts makes it easier on you....wear gloves...be easier fr the knuckles

['94firebirdv6]

are the heat shield bolts and the manifold bolts?
i had a bad dream that they were and if thats the case, i grinded the head off one of them....am i screwed?

[99v6cam]

yeah they are, that sucks dude...

[98Camaro3.8]

Originally posted by '94firebirdv6:
are the heat shield bolts and the manifold bolts?
i had a bad dream that they were and if thats the case, i grinded the head off one of them....am i screwed?

Are you asking if the bolts that hold the heat shields on are the same ones as the header bolts? If so then no, they are not.

The best way to get the heat shields off is to use brute force. Bend, grind, and pound them to hell if it helps.

['94firebirdv6]

thanks soo much matt!
i was really gettin scared the more i thought about it. i didnt have time to work on it tonight because i had a Dr.s Appt.

i dont know if this happens to you guys, but if somethins worrying me i normally have really realistic dreams about it and this time i thought i was really screwed about those bolts.

trust me...brute force has been used :D
if thats what you consider: vise grips, pipe wrenches, torches, boltcutters, angle grinders, and crow bars lol. those things are coming off even tho they def dont want to

[98Camaro3.8]

hmmm, I hate to say it but now I'm not sure. I didn't notice you had a 3.4. My parts manual is not very exact, but it looks like the heat shields may use the same bolts. :(

[99v6cam]

they are... i feel like a broken record :-p

[Predator Bird]

some of those heat shield bolts do go through the exhaust manifold into the block. i remember once we took off the heat shields, we didn't have to remove as many bolts to get the manifolds off. i hope you're able to get those bolts out yourself.