BBK Equal Length Headers Problem...

josegome · 05-04-2006

I have a 1991 LX 5.0

I just had some BBK equal Length Headers installed but it seems like the headers are hitting the steering column because I feel the vibration on the steering wheel. Has anyone experienced this problem? Would Motor mounts fix the problem? If so, steel or urethane? Thanks.

89GTVert · 05-05-2006

I had the same problem when I installed mine but mine were sitting on the passenger side frame and the whole car would vibrate. I bought new mounts but I stil had the problem under power so I had to shim the pass. side of the engine up with a piece of steel that had a slot cut in it for the motor mount bolt. (not the best way, but its been fine so far).
As far as mounts go, I considered the solid motor mounts because they would have solved the problem for sure but I didnt really want the vibration to become permanent

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josegome · 05-06-2006

thanks 89GTvert. I'll let my mechanic know...

79PACER · 05-08-2006

I just posted this a month ago. I had the same problem. There was no way around it. I called Summit Racing, where I bought them, and BBK and neither could tell me what the problem was.

I figured it out......

You have to make a small dent on that one tube. I used a socket and a hammer so it was the perfect dementions. I asked others about flow problems, but the dent you'll be making is so small it won't matter. At least I don't think it will. Good luck

josegome · 05-09-2006

79Pacer: did you try the engine mounts? Supposedly they increase performance because they stop some of the shaking from the motor. If motor mounts are too hard to install i will just get a socket and a hammer....thanks bro.

79PACER · 05-09-2006

I have never heard of the motor mounts increasing your performance. Maybe over a 12 or 24 hour race, and even at that I can only see a few minutes over the whole thing being saved. I'm not saying it's not possible, I'm not a race tech. I just don't see it. I bought solid and convertible mounts and neither of the two cleared. I ended up going with the socked and the hammer. Just go really slow. You can always add another small dent, but you can't take a small dent out. Good luck, let us know how it goes.

meangreen92 · 05-09-2006

Stiffer motormounts will increase performance, in that, torque isn't wasted moving the motor within the bay.
I guess you might see a one, maybe two HP difference on an engine dyno, with the dent in the header, but it's worth it to be able to drive that car.
I'd check in the techroom on foureyedpride about the wipers, I'm scratching my head on that one. '79s (and I think '80s) are wired a little differently than the rest of the '79-'86s, so bare that in mind, if you wanna throw parts at it...

josegome · 05-12-2006

it's been two weeks since my mechanic installed the BBK equal lengths and if I would have known that they were going to hit the steering wheel column at different occassions while driving (maybe after driving over a whole or hard acceleration) I would have gone with the shorties...i didn't want to contribute to any further problems (if any) by driving around and having my headers rattle up against my steering column and perhaps affecting that so I have therefore left my pony in my driveway and have been driving my POS 1984 Celica which has at least saved me a bit on gas than I would otherwise in my stang especially after a couple of mods that I did to it the same day I had the exhaust upgrade (I mean that I would be having fun while driving my car hard thus using up a lot of gas, not that my mods made my fuel economy worse because I can't really say since I have not driven my car much anyways)

I am considering in installing the shorties now instead of putting a dent in my equal lengths. will I be able to install the shorties without doing anything to my mid pipe besides unscrewing the bolts that hold the headers and the pipe? after observing my mechanic install the headers it seems like I will be able to install the shorties....my only concern is that he installed the heards first and then the mid-pipe so I don't know if I will have to pull the pipe down or whatever...

Thank you guys for replying...now I know not to get the motor mounts and even if I did it will not be a considerable increase in Hp and definitely not worth the installation price...I'm thinking that the whole motor will have to be lifted, am I correct?

meangreen92 · 05-12-2006

I swapped a set of Mac unequals in place of some worn out equal lengths, and the hardest part was getting the equals out. It should be as hard as it was to get them in.
You don't have to drop the midpipe, just unbolt the headers, and it should stay pretty much in place.

josegome · 05-13-2006

yeah, it might be a hassle to take the unequals out just because when I was trying to tighten the bolts on the equal lengths I have now (b/c my mechanic said that I had to the next day since some bolts may become lose) I could not reach some of the bolts because I could not get a good 90* angle with my socket. I'm going to have to get the right tools for this or something....we'll see how it goes...

does anyone have any suggestions?

does anyone agree that shorties (these are the same as an unequals right?) are easier to work with than equal lengths?

meangreen92 · 05-13-2006

Try wrenches. You can also get smaller-headed bolts. If you need a decent, cheap, shorter sparkplug, try Bosch Supers. Don't get platinums.

josegome · 05-13-2006

I use Autolite 25s. They conduct better and my mechanic said that the platinum ones only feel good for like the first 60 miles or so and then they are crap.

Thanks for the tip. SO will I have to take the spark plugs out when I remove the headers? will it give me better clearance or is it like a mandatory mechanical "rule" that I must take the plugs out?

I remember watching my mechanic when he was taking my stock headers out and taking the plugs out. I was just wondering if he did it to get more room.

550allmotor · 06-01-2006

you cant get away from the problem i got the equal length shortie's and they still hit but i got a k-member from d&d they raised my mounts up 1/4 inch problem gone and bolts go with arp header bolts work like a charm you can even get to them hot to re torque the bolts

550allmotor · 06-01-2006

and yes it makes it a whole lot easier to take the spark plugs out first otherwise its a nightmare

tomoshea84 · 12-15-2007

I Had the same problem and this is how i fixed it. I shimmed the motor mount on the driver side with some body shims. I also think you can fix it by installing new motor mounts. They designed the header to sit with minimum clearance on a stock applications. so after the years of wear and tare has drop your motor down a 8th or 4th.