All the voices in my head are screaming to just take it somewhere and have them install it - but I am bound and determined to do it myself. I am not what you would call good with the wrench, but I want to learn...

What advice can everybody give me for installing the Spoon header and Carsound Cat? Is there a "How to" anywhere that I can follow?

Wish me luck!

 

Courtesy of S&M Racing...

http://www.sandmracing.com/m_e02_jdmheaderinstall.html

HTH


[Modified by Jason Franza, 9:32 AM 7/5/2002]

 

Do you have all the metric tools required?
You will need 12mm socket and key, 21mm (I beleive that is the correct size) key for both O2 sensors, if you are lucky the bolts holding the cat converter to the header and cat. to the B pipe are not too rusted and will not give problems, otherwise use a good quantity of "liquid wrench" to help you.
Be patient and carefull when you put in the Spoon header, it fits very tightly between the engine and the radiator.
When thigtening the bolts holding the header to the engine, star from the center and work you way out, use a criss-cross pattern and torque each bolt in step. I don't remember if there is a specific torque given for these bolts.

Good luck.

 

buy a can of "liquid wrench" or soak all the bolts with WD-40 before the un-install.

also, it make it a lot easier to wiggle the header into the engine bay if you temporarily remove the clutch slave cylinder.

Have fun, you'll love the 4-1 header power!

 

Ehhhh, officially the Spoon is 4-2-1!!!! OK, I'm bored...

 

I don't have any keys (same as Alan Wrench? )- what are these for?

 

You can rent the key from Autozone. It's a key that allows you to remove the o2 sensors much easier.

Jason-
who usually just uses vise grips, a rag, and liquid wrench


[Modified by Jason Franza, 10:21 AM 7/5/2002]

 

those are not needed for a header install..

these you will need
-12 mm
-14 mm



Will


[Modified by Willard, 9:58 AM 7/5/2002]

 

I use WD-40, A fubar'd adjustable wrench and a hammer for o2 sensors.

 

Do I need to disconnect the battery?

 

nope...

you can un hook the O2 sensor without damage.


[Modified by Willard, 10:18 AM 7/5/2002]

 

Maybe I didn't use the correct term. I am talking about hex. wrench. You can use a vise-grip or adjustable wrench also for the O2 sensors but I personnaly don't like to use those because they usually cause a stripped (round) head bolt.

 

Flux, i just did my JDM 4-1 install this week with the help of a couple friends that are equally as inept at "car-stuff" as myself. Like you said, not good with the wrench so to speak, haha. That's me. Anyway, it took us a while, but we did it. I don't remember needing a "key", we just unscrewed the o2 sensor from the cat and secondary with an adjustable wrench and re-screwed it into the new parts. I bought some anti-sieze as the DC Sports instructions advised, and put it on all the nuts and bolts that went into the header on the engine block too. Got it at a local hardware shop.

The most difficult part of the install was just getting everything off. My larger socket wrench doesn't have an adapter for the smaller sizes like 12mm and such, so I was using this tiny wrench trying to get off all those near-fused nuts and bolts, which was a bitch to say the least. Once we got past that though, everything was relatively simple. I wanted to used S&M Racings page too, but I couldn't connect to their site so we just put everything together in the reverse order we took it off basically.

Also, I got my cat from David at SMSP and it came with all the little bolts/flanges/gaskets/etc. that I needed, which helped a lot. So if you got yours from him, and you have a header, you should have everything you need I think. It is helpful to have another hand, specially getting the old header off and the new one on, it took two people to align the header on the lower bracket and at the top for us.

If you have any questions, feel free to IM me. Not that I know WTF I'm doing in most respects, but since I just did this install 3 days ago, it's still fresh in my memory. I'll give you my email if you IM me too.

Good luck!

edit: (motto for the day: Do unto other HT-er's as you'd have done to yourself, haha)


[Modified by uncleben, 10:14 AM 7/5/2002]

 

22 mm open ended wrench works JUST as well. Remember liquid wrench or PB Blaster and HEAT are your freinds.

Also IMO taking the AC fan off the radiator is MUCH MUCH MUCH easier than taking the slave cylinder off.

 

Flux: Also remember to put any type of cover ( cardboard, etc.) on the radiator to protect it from possible impacts during header installation.

 

No need to take anything off except the plastic under cover. Takes 5 seconds to actually put the header throught the gap between the radiator and motor.

 

5 secondes is a little bit optimistic isn't it ?
I did not take anything off but I had to work a little bit to make it fit through the gap.

 

Just put a Spoon header on the other night and to fit it through the gap took 5 seconds. Just have to figure out the best angle to fit it through.

 

Go to lowes now and buy 3 new bolts for the cat to b-pipe connection. I used grade 8, 3/8in bolts with lock washers. WD-40 or not, those were not coming off my car without twisting them off. Also, the "a" bolts with the springs, that connect the header to the cat are a dealer only, very expensive, very had to get piece. I once again went with the Home Depot spec replacemant by useing 3 in grade 8 bolts and enough washers and nuts to make them mimic the function of the OEM bolts. I used allen head bolts, so it looks mad sano as well.
I'm having a hard time getting the S2K donut gasket, and I'm now useing something from pepboys that does not quite work right, and as a result I have a slight leak between the header and the cat. In retrospect, I would not have taken the old header off until I had the right gasket, but the one I had looked like it was going to work fine.

 

I've not yet gotten a one piece header on the car easily without removing something. THe time I waste trying to I could have taken on the AC fan and put it back on.

 

"I've not yet gotten a one piece header on the car easily without removing something. THe time I waste trying to I could have taken on the AC fan and put it back on."

It can be done. No time wasted on that part of the install for me at least.

 

The hardest part for me was seperating the damn cat from the B-pipe...which is why I just dropped the entire b-pipe to remove the top cat bolt, which is a real bitch to get to...on my first car the cat bolt on the top actually fused itself together with the nut, should have used some sort of liquid loosener spray.
Austin

 

Thanks for the tips guys - the process is underway and so far so good.

First problem: How do I seperate the harness that connects the O2 sensor wires running from the header? It looks there are 2 harnesses that snap together about 6-8" from the sensor but I cannot get them apart. Suggestions?

 

They snap apart, just keep trying

 

There is a small clip that you need to pull or puch to unlock both connectors