How long should it take

[V8killR4U]

How long should it take me to take the driver side header off, to get them welded up.

Hoe much should it cost to have someone pull it and weld it up?

 

[blueta]

Well I don't know about you intercooled guys but our hot air set up is a PITA! But I can do it in about 20-30 min. Not sure on the price of welding...I do it myself

 

[77tech9]

Drivers side was 2x as easy as passenger.

I took it off, welded, put back on and tested within 2 hours. And my friend who welded it I bull****ted with for a while also.

 

[QuickWrench]

How long should it take me to take the driver side header off, to get them welded up.

It depends. If you have to manually jack and stand the car, headers/crossover have never been off, and you're working with just basic hand tools, it could take as long as a couple of hours to get the driver's side header off. It shouldn't, but consider that the worst-case.

If, on the other hand, you're doing this on a lift, it's been apart before, and you've got great, organized tools, it could take 5 minutes.

It's like any other operation, I guess.

Hoe much should it cost to have someone pull it and weld it up?

Again...It varies based on the condition of the car, and how extensive the header patch must be. I've done the pull&patch on a couple of stock headers on TRs in my area. I don't have a lift [yet], but with header R&R and my time for the header blast and TIG repair, it wound up around $100 [cash].

 

[QuickWrench]

...looks like we were all typing replies at the same time...

blueta / 77tech9: What rod/process did you use to do the headers?

 

[V8killR4U]

Thanks guys!

 

[77tech9]

Originally posted by QuickWrench
...looks like we were all typing replies at the same time...

blueta / 77tech9: What rod/process did you use to do the headers?

I think so lol..


but I was going to TIG it, but we just cleaned it really good and MIG welded it. If you do it good it should last a long time, there was only 1 spot WAY in there that we couldn't reach, but it might not have had a leak anyways.

BIG performance gain.

 

[blueta]

I used a mig to do it. It's all I got for the time being

 

[MistaScott]

I migged mine and so far so good. A mig weld should be around $45, a tig around $100.

The header takes about an hour to get off if you've never done it before. You don't even have to jack the car up but it helps a lot. Label everything and be organized so you don't lose/misuse bolts.

I didn't have to remove my crossover, just the bolts on the driver's side and I was able to snake the header out.

 

[justabuickv6]

Took me a couple of hours. Remove/or loosen the alternator and AC bracket then jack the car up, and drop the cross over pipe. .

You can get to the front 4 bolts from the driver side fender well. I had a long extension. Worked GREAT! You'll have to get to the back ones from underneath.

Clean the head/header surface good and duplicate the then above steps in reverse order.

 

[77tech9]

I had to take off alternator bracket and PS bracket, that took thelongest I think, and on my headers there is a couple bolts that you can only turn like 10 degress at a time

But mig and tig would do around the same job. Tig would look a lot nicer, but I wouldn't say it would hold up more. They are going to crack eventually anyways.

 

[87grandnat]

Hey do any of you guys use that exhaust wrap on your headers?
i wanted to remove mine, have them sandblasted then welded (i know i have leaks) then wrap them with some of that exhuast wrap, but have heard mixed things about them, just thought i would ask what you all think, thanks

 

[MistaScott]

I don't know about the exhaust wrap, I think most use gaskets when they have warped header flanges. Best thing to do is get it machined or file it yourself to make it flat.

 

[87grandnat]

i'm just talking about using the header wrap, instead of getting them ceramicoated. That exhaust arap is supposed to lower the engine temps, because it doesnt let out the heat from the headers.

 

[MistaScott]

ha sorry, I'm so asleep I thought wrap said warp at some point, brain fart...

 

[blueta]

I'm not sure about the wrap. I would personally be afraid of using it cause it would keep the heat in the headers instead of cooling them off a little. Isn't that the reason they crack in the first place?

 

[87gninpa]

I dotn think my headers have ever been off. is it hard to break the bolts loose the first time? they look pretty rusted, and if theyre anything like my downpipe bolts, it looks like its going to be a PITA. are they any easier to remove than the dp boltS?

 

[MistaScott]

Originally posted by 87gninpa
I dotn think my headers have ever been off. is it hard to break the bolts loose the first time? they look pretty rusted, and if theyre anything like my downpipe bolts, it looks like its going to be a PITA. are they any easier to remove than the dp boltS?

Much easier. 9/16" long socket, just have to be dexterous with your fingers getting in and out of some tight places.

 

[87gninpa]

so as long as i can get to the bolts, they arent that bad to remove? i just dont want to break any or strip the bolt heads

 

[MistaScott]

No the bolts shouldn't be very tight -- 37 ft. lbs. is the spec. You have to take off two alternator support brackets and the oil dipstick support bracket and dipstick as well. These items are bolted onto the header bolts.