How much harder is it to put long tubes on an LT1 than it is to put on lets say Mac Midlengths? I am thinking about getting Jet Hot LT1 Long Tubes and Y Pipe. Thanks

 

i've never done either. i'm about to install some LTs tommorrow....

but, if you're just worried about the install, and not the emmissions or ground clearance, go with the long tubes.

it's a one time thing that you'll regret, if you don't get the long tubes. may take you an extra 10 hours to do but it'll be worth it.

just my opinion.

 

I have pacesetter longtubes, and they are awesome...

Went on no problems, about 4 hour install...

 

4 hours? wow. i'm installing my pacesetter LTs tommorrow.

got any tips or tricks? or did you use a lift?

P.s. sorry for hijackin the thread

 

Don'/t let the install worry you at all. If you have any type of Mechanical ability, you can do this install. If you can change your oil, do a brake job or install suspension pieces, you should be capable to do it.

 

Do you have to jack the motor up? I was told by someone the motor had to be taken off the mounts and jacked upward.

 

I just finished my Hooker longtube & Hooker Y install this weekend.

Started at 11am..

Stock exhaust from manifolds to cat were out by 1pm.

Goofed off for the next hour.

Got the Hookers in place around 2:45 pm.

Kept callin the wrong dam autozone to see if my Percy's gaskets were in. ( Had to order )

Got the gaskets finally around 4:30 and resumed work around 5pm

Headers bolted up using 11 of the Stage 8 bolts and recycled 1 original for the bracket behind the alternator. 6pm

Had to run back to the store to buy one of those telescopic magnets because I dropped one of the Stage 8 bolts inside the 4 pipes and it slid all the way down to the collector. This was a bitch. Lost time = 1+ hours. 8pm

Dipstick wouldent fit very well and definitely would not go all the way down into the block. Removed, bent, sanded, finally fit.... 1+ hours lost time. Reinstalled everything else on motor, ate dinner....10:30pm

Installed the new Y pipe only to find out that the stock catback wasnt gonna fit very well, and the pipe came with the standoffs for the crossmember but didnt come with the longer bolts. UGH!
So now, everything was in place except for the catback and bracket. I decided to wake my neighbors up and let them know what the car sounded like. 11pm. (End day 1)

Next morning (10:00am)
Search the parts stores for something to couple the 3" OD to the stock 2 3/4? pipe..... Cannot be found. Got the longer bolts for the crossmember though. (Autozone)

End up fabricating something that was quite easy. Used 3" pipe about 16" long that fit like a dream into the Y pipe outlet and sleeved nicely over the stock pipe. Measured and cut the stocker to slide adleast 3" into the new pipe. I cut a 1/8 " slit vertically into the new piece about 1" to make a crush collar and had to run off and get a 3" exhaust clamp.

Finished the complete hookup and gave her a start around 12pm.

Found three problems:
Header on drivers side is hitting the side of the engine bay.
(pryed the header over slightly, bending the shield it was hitting)

#2 pipe of drivers side header is touching / melting the steering knuckle cover. (removed)

The Y pipe is sitting on the crossmember and vibrating. Used an old piece of radiator hose and wedged it under the pipe. Worked fine.

Finish time = 1pm. :-) finally!


Some side notes:

Only the alternator and starter had to be removed.
Get another spark plug socket and grind the lip down so it won't get stuck.
If you remove your egr like I did, have a blockoff plate
The O2 wires have to be extended. I made my own but buy them ahead of time.
A flexible dipstick tube would be nice to have beforehand.
Plan your entire exhaust ahead of time unlike me.

 

I just finished the installation on my Jet Hot LT's on my 97 Formula. Not bad, kind of a PITA when it comes to tightening the bolts because the tubes are round, not flat. Also the #5 and #6 spark plug wires seem to be right up against the header tubes, not sure about #2, it may be in the way.

BTW we didn't put back the old alternator bracket. It's already being held in by 3 or 4 other brackets and me and my dad didn't wanna deal with putting that back in. The 2nd steering column knuckle is comin out soon.

I had to jack the passenger side of the engine up to get the headers in...the drivers side slipped right in. The passenger side was a lot harder to get in.

 

I just got done with my header install on my 97 camaro 2 weeks ago.
It wasn't that bad the driver side header slipped right in the passenger header was a little difficult. The key to the passenger header is getting the vehicle up really high(the fender was up to my chin). The install shouldn't take any longer than two full days(with jackstands) and no more than one day with a lift.

 

The drivers side was cake man, very easy, slipped right in. I don't have access to a lift or jacks that will go up higher than 20 inches, so we just jacked up the motor and we were able to get it in there

It took me a week to do from last friday till yesterday. It took me that long because I didn't really have help working on it till about 5pm everyday. It really shouldn't take more than 2 full days of working on it, finding the time is sometimes difficult. The Jet Hots sound so nice on my car

 

With the pacesetters all you have to do is get the old stuff out of the way, then get the car up real high (3-4) feet and the headers slide right in from the bottom. No jacking of the motor is required for the pacesetters. You just have to get the angles right and they slide right into place. The only special tool i needed was 8x8x12 concrete blocks. I got those at the local hardware store. They were needed for extra height under jack and jackstands.


Tim

 

One thing im worried about when I start on mine next weekend is getting the car high enough. Im worried that concrete blocks might break. (They do have hollow parts in them)

 

I didn't use blocks and my headers are in. Just unbolt the passenger side motor mount and take off the valve cover as well and that header will go in there.

 

I haven't installed headers yet but when I replaced my cluth I put the front tires on ramps and the rear of the car on Blocks. (Just infront of the rear tires). For headers I'd do the same thing just the other way around put the back tires on the ramps and the from end jack mounts sitting on the blocks. The thing about concrete blocks is to lay them the way they are laid for building something. With the holes pointing towards the ground. Also place a 2x6 or something on top of the block to insure that it won't scratch the paint. I left mine on the blocks for a couple of days and no problems. I've also used this method working on my truck before with no problems.

 

I ramped my front tires and jackstanded my rear and I had more than enough room to work them. Kind of a pita working under the hood unless you're tall though.