DIY Headers install :( I'm about to give up
 

Hi guys. My OE headers have been eaten by rust and I have decided to get some aftermarket stainless steel headers from ebay.

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ine=1359980810

So much for trying to be a blacksmith - I was able to take the original headers out but having difficulties with:

1. 2 broken bolt heads 1 on the left manifold and 1 on the right...

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ine=1359980810

I'm afraid to use the vise grip and break what's remaining :( I also do not have that much room to manoeuvre, any ideas?


2. Can't get these studs out! Tried grinding, drilling, hammering them but the bolt rust ate into the pipe already like they are welded to eachother and dam the steel is so tough that I already destroyed a dremmel and 2 drill bits :(

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ine=1359980810

I have 6 of these to deal with :(

The car is in my home garage and I'm about to have it towed to the pro muffler shop so that they could torch (acetylin) the bolts out.

Any of you guys experienced the same problem with super rusted bolts? How'd you get them out? TIA! :o

You can buy a portable torch at Home Depot under $20. Heat is the only way.

Depending on which header you bought, you might have another battle trying to install those, and for what kind of hp gains?

Tip for you: keep all the bolts loose for installation until you get all the pipes on and lined up. Depending on fitment, you might have to double up on some gaskets if you can't get 100% seal.

Thanks! You know what, I might just reinstall the old ones when I replace those rusted bolts with new ones (well at least 16 out of 18 rusted bolts). I might just consider this experience a headers 'cleaning' and 'detailing' process rather than a headers upgrade. I've gone through the headers threads (saw your comments) and found lots of logical information there. Well, I'll em first and if they don't turn out ok then I'll shelve those shiny ones and go back to the ol reliable rusted OE's!

I agree with your strategy. Since you've gone this far, at least try them out first and pull them if you notice any flat spots in the rpm band and/or loss of torque in the low end. At least if you decide to switch back you'll be able to do so more easily. ;)

During reinstall, do yourself a favor and use a little anti-seize around the threads/bolts(be careful around the o2 bungs as o2 sensors are sensitive to anti-seize). I don't know if you've tried taking off the o2 sensors or not but those can be stuck as well. A $15 investment in a nice o2 sensor socket removal tool goes a long ways on the stubborn o2 sensors if you're not able to take them off easily with a regular wrench, stop and get one. The last thing you want to do is to strip or round off the hex head(which is easy to do with a regular wrench).

Good Luck

While this kit is normally used on the head, it may work on your header too. Let us know how it turns out! http://www.stomskiracing.com/products.php?id=8

Here is my advice. And by the way it is not unusual for these manifold bolts to snap on older cars... Take it to a reputable shop, preferable one that works on Porsche's. The bolts will need to be drilled out and very carefully as you do not want to drill to deep and hit a water jacket. And they have to be drilled straight. Next, you want the shop to install Time-Serts not Heli-Coils if they cannot get the old bolts out clean...Some times they can drill into the center of the bolt and then use an easy out to extract the bolt. But, sometimes they are just to hard to get out and must be totally drilled. And you do not want to snap the easy out as those are hard to drill. Make sure the shop you chose knows the difference and knows how to install Time-Serts.

This is a hard time consuming job and will cost you a few dollars but you want it done right so pay the extra. I have broken 5 exhaust manifold bolts so I understand what it takes to repair this mess.

Oh, and one other thing---junk the ebay headers...

Hit with PB blaster, let soak for a day.

Then either:
Hit with heat or something like this:
http://loctitefreezeandrelease.com/

Grab with some vice grips, crank them down, and good luck.

On my car the bolts on the cat flanges are actually pressed into the flange. A few snapped off or the nuts had half rusted away and I had to drill them out of the flange. This is a major PITA but with good drill bits it can be done. Remember that with drilling these out a slow speed on the drill works better.

If you're able to grab some of the stud still, I found this to be more helpful over Vise-grips in the past.

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ine=1360093551

Guys thank you much for all the information you have shared here. I'm gonna be trying out the drilling and using bolt extractors for my first attempt. I'm trying to determine now what type of drill bits to use. So, to the local home depot I go! Will update you all on the progress. Thanks again!

Just an update on this project.

For the total of 6 studs that wouldn’t come off shown on my 3rd picture, I drilled them out using, carbide drill bits and a round file I modified and cut so that it becomes a file type drill bit. I then continued filing them out until what remained fell off.

On the broken exhaust manifold studs - What I decided on first was do the screw extractor route. Unfortunately the screw extractors broke and got stuck in the broken bolt so yes – I had to re-drill them out using Dremmel with a carbide cutting tip. I was able to make a hole in the center of the broken studs but I didn’t really want to continue in making the holes wider for fear of destroying the threads on the block.

What I finally decided on after this 2 month project (I only work on it during weekends) is to let go of these 2 bolts (1 bolt on the right header and 1 on the left header). Use a lot of gasket and tighten the other 5 bolts 10% more than Porsche specified torque per bolt (e.g. 20ft/lbs instead of just 18 ft/lbs.). I also wanted to shortcut the process so that I will finally know if the headers will even fit. Fortunately, the headers where a perfect fit. At least that was the only nice thing about all the trouble – they fit perfectly! Fortunately as well, No exhaust leaks! At least, not just yet probably – or I might be just lucky.

Anyway, in the future, if the headers leaks or I decide on doing some other things under there which requires time, I might just consider using Time Serts as suggested by pmkazz. Tried doing some research on the topic “missing one bolt on exhaust headers” and it shows a 50/50 chance of being a problem or NOT. For some 5 studs are ok to keep the header in place for some it’s not. For now, since I don’t have that much choice, I’m good and hoping the install will hold…for the meantime.

Here are some pix of my install…

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ine=1361785338

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ine=1361785338

Again, thanks for all the inputs guys!

The stromsky racing jig is fantastic for drilling out the broken studs in the heads. Foolproof and quick. Been using their kits on 911's for years. Using only 5 bolts in the header will cause the header to warp over time, then you will never get it to seal again.

For the cats, the best way is to remove them from the vehicle, cut flush with the surface, then start drilling. Don't go all the way through, just keep stepping up to widen the hole. Once you get it close to the edge of the old bolt, smack it with a punch and hammer and it will come right out.

No one likes spending the money on the drilling kits from stromsky, but once you are done with it, you can easily resell it as this is becoming a major issue on these motors more and more. Plus, in the scheme of things, it really only costs a couple of hours of labor at a shop, and like I said, is foolproof and will retain the original threads it is that exact.

Some day I'll do a blog post on the 996/boxster removal method, but here it is with a 911, same procedure.
http://rennsportkc.com/porsche-964-c...t-kansas-city/

Thanks! Where do I buy this kit please? Looking at the link you provided on rennsportkc.com, it looks really easy using this "drill guide". Considering I already drilled through the center of the 2 broken bolts, would it then be easier or is it an entirely new ball game when I use this tool? I tried searching for it on ebay and google but couldn't find a match. Are you selling one?

http://www.stomskiracing.com/products.php?id=61

I've never tried with a hole there already, but if it is even close to center, then it shouldn't be a problem. With a freshly broken stud, this is about as easy as it gets. Only hard part is the physical labor you have to exert to drill over your head ;)

These guys also advertise in Pano and Excellence, and are very good to deal with.

Hey, is that a kit on your Porsche or is it a GT2? I've been looking at kits for the front for mine.