[EOMAK]

Hi,how hard is it to install performance headers in a 1990 5.0lx?I am a noob to engine bolt on HP but am good with my hands.It looks easy enough to do but worried about at how hard the bolts on stock headers are going to be to unsrew off engine block and the one side were it looks like i have to take other engine parts off to get at header.I have off road h-pipe and 2 chamber muffers system now.How much more HP will i gain with headers?How many hours avergae would i need to install headers?Would it be better just to take it to a shop and hve it done? Thx.

 

[1stPny]

First. What brand headers are you getting? Are you getting shorties (equal or unequal) or LONG tube headers?
Next, to get the bolts of. Spray lots of MARVELS MYSTERY oil on it the night before you do the install. When you wake up spray again. Should be ready to take off.I did not drive my car when bolts were soaking.
Only thing I had to remove was my intake tract (piping, maf, and airbox) as they were in the way. Do not forget to undo from your midpipe as well.

As far as power numbers...well, overall your PEAK numbers will not go up much 1-10. But throughout the powerband you will notice a difference (on a dyno.not the butt dyno)


To do the actual work by myself it took about 1 hour. But I am more familiar with working on my car. Could take you less. Or could take you 3 hours. Never know on how stubborn yourbolts will be.

FINAL THOUGHT

GET STAGE 8 LOCKING HEADER BOLTS!!!!!!!!!1

 

[meangreen92]

Yeah, the bolts to the heads are no trouble at all. The ones to the H-pipe are the big what-if. But If you have new headers, they'll come with new studs and bolts for the H-pipe joints. It's almost easier, when the studs on the outgoing headers shear off, it's a good thing - as long as you don't have to put those old headers back on.
If you don't get equal-lengths, it will be a piece of cake.

 

[EOMAK]

thx for info. the header bolts were prety easy to come off and my offroad hipe pipe bolts connected to the old header were easy too since i took it off last week.Now i need to bye a high performance brand of headers that are to stock specs. of old headers so there's not much hasssel bolting them back on to engine and h-pipe.What brand in best for this.? i think its shorties iam looking at?

 

[meangreen92]

Mac is pretty good, especially for the price, BBK is good too. There are other brands like Flowtech, Hooker, and Hedman, which should be good. If your o/r pipe is from one of these manufacturers, you should consider that brand of headers a little more strongly.
If you've got the $$$, spring for the ceramic coating.

 

[wayne94mustang]

any shortie will bolt right in but id stay away from mac, iv had real trouble in the past getting them to line up and bbk is WAY better quality

 

[EOMAK]

cool sweet only took 5 hrs to install headers EEkk oh well noob here. Bought the BBK shorty headers they fit perfectly to block and h-pipe with no adjustments Test drive tomorrow. WEEEEEE.Whats the dif. between cerramic coated ones?

 

[WITELITENIN]

Ceramic holds the heat of the headers in so it doesn't burn anything. Do yourself a favor, GET THE CERAMIC COATING. I have been through about 7 SETS of plug wires, 2 clutch cables, and 2 speedometer cables from those painted headers getting so hot they melt stuff. I switched to BBK ceramic long tubes and have never had a problem since.