If it was a bit challenging to muscle the muffler into place, then you could say hooking those hot pipes up to the head was going to be daunting. Fortunately, today this turned out not to be the case. If the anticipated level of difficulty was 7; it turned out to be closer to 4, thanks to a generous application of Nutz Off, PB Blaster, and good old WD-40. To be honest, removing the strut bar beforehand was the biggest inconvenience. For the most part, every nut and bolt backed out like should, except for one stubborn stud protruding from the head. Luckily turning the stud into a screw seemed to do.
Pro tip – buy a new O2 sensor before you start, that thin little 20-30-year-old wire will break just as you get everything into place. Twisting the new header into place from above took some creativity, and getting the thicker flange to pass between the trans and tunnel was the hardest part. We were working alone, and if memory serves correct, at one point a floor jack was brought in to make a little extra space underneath the car so the header could swing up into place.
Once installed, quite a few moments were taken to admire the new tubes emerging from beneath the polished valve cover. The blue break-in heat from the previous owner really pops with that JDM bling. There were a set of $1,000 hand made high-rise headers that were oh so tempting, but you know what, these are pretty damn nice for the price. The CLM has never sounded this good, and the butt dyno shows noticeable gains above 4,000 RPM. Anyone know a good SMOG shop?
