So I guess here is a nice thread about having your cake and eating it too. Budget headers that don't leak and you'll put the expense header guys out of business as the Pacesetter's are pretty large primary wise too... it wasn't a great deal to start with, I will say that...I guess you can compare it to the Whipple in it's "PITA-ness". There was a lot of trial and error...I had a bunch of issues with it before I got it totally 100% gripe free...and it started after I installed the them.
I was hot lapping at our local track one night...car was running great, consistent 13.4's or lower and on my last run I torqued the motor so much off the line I blew the collector clean off...after that it never sealed as good, so I went to the exhaust shop and he un-did the clamps and welded my collector to the crossover and the rear header. Keep in mind I still had the 3-bolt flange down there. Well all was great, no more leaking...then I developed a tick from the 3-bolt flange. I got over it and a few months later I bought a lowering kit and installed the shortened dog-bones as well. Don't do this!!! Turned out with the shorter dog bones it pulled the 3-bolt collector UPwards and everytime there was even the slightest bit of load on the motor it would grind/bang against the floorboard. Especially when you would shift it from Park to Rev. or Drive it would "BANG" against the floorboard. No bueno
SO...got rid of the shorter dog bones thinking that would solve it. WRONG. Made it worse...no idea...so we pulled the whole piece out and cut off the top bolt...it leaked more but didn't hit the floorboard anymore. I'd like to stop and thank Jay (Abrasive) for a second because he lost probably 10 years of hearing off of his life beating at the downpipe and floorboard with a power hammer for about an hour. THANKS MAN!!
Took her back to the exhaust shop again and had the bottom 2 bolts removed...he cut out the lower flange on the downpipe/flex and welded the upper flange to the downpipe. Keep in mind all of this was done on the car. Now when I toasted my motor a few months ago, we thought it was going to be utter hell on wheels to get it out. Well...it wasn't really to our surprise. I unbolted it from the catback...and undid the o2 harness leaving the sensor in there. Removed the rear valve cover and all of the crap back there (eg. rockers/springs/retainers/pushrods/sensors, etc.), bent the tranny dipstick out of the way and after I unbolted the rear header...just yanked it all right out in one piece...and then you have those pics after the removal.
All in all I love it...I have a 2 piece header system just like ZZP's Stainless Slipfit headers but for nearly half the price. Only other advise I'd give ya is just get new GM metal manifold gaskets and A LOT of red high-temp RTV for the front header to crossover connection. Oh...and if you are installing them for the first time, be sure to mock them up and mark them if you are going to have them welded OFF of the car as I said, all of this was done ON the car. Cost me about $50 to have it all welded. Another thing is if you do not have a bolt-up portion after the downpipe then I would find a stock catback and get one. Without being able to unbolt the catback this will not be possible. I had to do this as I had the entire system welded as one piece...never again.
Here are the pics after I removed them from the car. I wish I would have gotten a few more shots as they stand but mi camera es broken-oPics of them on the car will come soon and I will update this thread
Originally Posted by Iron Indian
