Header install

[ImBrokeAF]

So I finally pulled the trigger and ordered some headers for my '13. I went back and forth between Speed Engineering, Texas Speed and Stainless Power. I found the best value was SP if I ordered from Steve at RDP. Shout out to Steve for answering all my questions. Nobody had headers in stock due to Covid but Steve said he would have them drop shipped from SP from his stocking order. Well, I ordered on fathers day and had them on Wednesday. I was shocked to receive them in 3 days. I emailed Steve on Thursday morning before I left for work to request a tune and had it my inbox by the time i got to work. Excellent customer service!

For the install, I must have searched this forum for 100 hours reading threads about the install and watched countless videos on YouTube. i am a novice mechanic at best and have not installed headers on a car since the late 80's. So to say I was nervous was an understatement. I started the project Thursday after work and had the stock exhaust off and the headers bolted up before I stopped for the day. Friday morning I finished the install and loaded the tune. All done and cleaned up by noon. Total of about 9 hours to do the install by myself on jackstands. i took my time and while I had the opportunity, I cleaned everything I could reach under the front of the car. For those guys that say they did the install in 4 hours, I applaud you. You obviously are more skilled than I am and also there is no way you are 6-2" and 300lbs like me. There were plenty of times i didn't think I would be able to get my hand and forearm wedged in far enough to remove or install spark plugs or header bolts on the passenger side and lets not talk about unclipping those damn O2 connections on the back of the heads. 4 days later and the wounds on my hands and forearms are finally starting to heal LOL

All I can say is LT headers without cats and the stock NPP exhaust sounds bad ass. the clips on YouTube dont do it any justice.

Now to get up the courage to tear into the supercharger to install a 2.55 upper and solid isolator.

[Vegas Bound]

Congrats, doing the work yourself is very satisfying.

[Shodown]

Nice.

The first set of headers that I installed (shortys) took all day, but after having done it once the long tubes only took about 3 hours. The passenger side is the worst for sure.

[madmikeismad]

Awesome to see 11's. Headers only?

The headers can be done in under 4 hours on a lift with 2 people lol. No way I'd have bothered trying by myself. Holding them up and lining up the first hole was a huge pita even then.

Let me know how you like that chiller kit, I'm in the market for one in the next couple weeks and cant decide.

[Happy_Dan]

Well done!

[Juiced1]

Nice job OP. Glad to see people wrenching on their own. Taking the lid off to unbolt the supercharger requires small hands to get those back bolts. Keep that in mind if you start a pulley project up. I tell people all the time it's easier to just do the balancer. When you're ready for your next round of mods hit us up.

[HawkeyeZL1]

All I can say is LT headers without cats and the stock NPP exhaust sounds bad ass. the clips on YouTube dont do it any justice.


Amen.

[12oclockshadow]

Originally Posted by HawkeyeZL1

All I can say is LT headers without cats and the stock NPP exhaust sounds bad ass. the clips on YouTube dont do it any justice.


Amen.

[Dave Karl]

Congrats on your DIY install of the headers. I do DIY work on my '13 haven't done headers yet. As Juiced posted the lower pulley is much easier than the upper and you have more surface area of the belt in contact with the pulley to prevent slippage. Just a thought.