Thread: This doesn't look right???

I test fit the front header and the crossover pipe is off by a country mile. I don't see a way to twist this thing to make sense of it.

Well after beating out my fire wall for an o2 sensor to fit, snapping my transmission fluid dipstick mount to try to make it fit, hacking up a crossover that didn't fit and rigging it with flex pipe from advanced to get it to my buddies house so he can fab a pipe I've had it with these things and they are going back. I'm sure I'll get a hassle because the crossover is jacked up. I've had to mug my car with a hammer and a grinder all day to get these things to fit and it wasn't even close.

Are there headers that drop right in with absolutely no problem? I can't take another two days of laying on my garage floor trying to shove a circle through a square. A car shouldn't have to be molded around headers.

Here's another pic of how the crossover lined up with the front header.

IMG_0127.jpg picture by donkason - Photobucket

...rotate the crossover?

I tried twisting it every which way and to no avail. As for it being backwards I don't think so. The end of the crossover that hooked into the front header was flared and the end that hooked into the rear header was not flared. This matched how the headers were flared for the slip joints. Plus the end piece that hooked into the rear header had an S like bend in it which fit the tight space. Turned around they were all out of whack.

Everything just needed moved over about 5 inches and the fit would be fine.

I got PO'd and hacked the pipe trying to fit it so I probably screwed myself out of any refund or a new one for free:-(

Ima try one more shot and get a new crossover from SD since everything else is installed already. If that doesn't work I'll go with the SLP suggestion.

That was pretty funny and it was spot on. Too late though since I already hacked it up. I finally called the seller and he offered no real solution for me. He said they don't sell parts of the kit and since I cut it I can't return it. He said he'd talk to his manager about a partial refund but we'll see. Kinda crappy they have no real product support.

Its time to put it all back together and trailer it to my buddies to custom fit a pipe. He's a wizard with that stuff. I'll have him bump the diamater of the crossover too.

I've got a 3.4 pulley and a pcm is about to get purchased too so the pain will go away when I lay on the throttle.

Originally Posted by mechguy

From your pic it looks like the crossover is about two inches too far to the driver side. I recently installed SD headers and mine was that far out.

Rotate the crossover to get the best combination of angle and closeness. Then, use a wood 2x4 piece between the body to force the front of the crossover to match the front header. Its a matter of shimming garbage between pieces of wood to get it there.

Looking at the header/crossover junction from the driver side will show that they meet at an ugly ass angle. Push them together and tighten to the head while having as many studs in cyl head as you can. Beat the crossover with more wood occasionally to better slide them together.

BEFORE you begin this, make sure you can slide the front header into the crossover without effort. If it doesn't, take the pipe to have it expanded. The muffler shop will tell you they split if they are expanded, but I did it because there was no option. Stainless steel actually is very ductile, but then again SD's are more like "mystery steel". The pipes didn't split. Oh and the rear header should be tightened down.

These are ugly ass headers so you have to beat them at their game.