I am in the process of installing MAC headers on a 95Z. Where the AIR bolts into the headers, there is a tube that comes up and is threaded inside, you are supposed to put the supplied half circle things in there and it tightens up against the factory AIR line and acts as a compression fitting. On the Z I am working on the AIR is different where it bolts to the header. On the factory exhaust manifold there is an adapter, one side has straight threads that go into the manifold, on the other side there is a male compression fitting, the AIR tube (which is female) bolts to it, which is basically a compression fitting. If the AIR tube was male instead of female, it would thread inside the tube coming off the header sealing against the half circle thing.
What do I need to make this work? I am going to call MAC in the morning, but I have delt with their customer service before and was not impressed.

Also, the O2 sensor wires are to short, I can get them to plug in but its stressing the wires and will eventually break, I looked at extensions but they are two feet long, I dont need that much. Tomorrow I am going to try and find some slack in the wiring harness somewhere. Anyone have this problem?

Thanks for your help guys.
Jason

 

i am not entirely sure what to do about your AIR fittings. Maybe go to a plumbing store and find some adapters.. i think ive heard of this problem before too so you arent the only one.

now the O2 extentions are what you will need. www.ls1speed.com makes some that are shorter.. maybe a 6" extention if i remember right. check it out.

EDIT: i just checked and its 12".. i bet though if you asked then nicely they would make you one of your specified length.

 

Thanks for the quick reply. I will look at ls1speed. Last time I put MAC headers on(on a 93 but the headers were for 94-95)and deleted the AIR, the parts store(I know them well, they weren't bsing me)said that its not a standard pipe thread, they said that GM made it like that so people couldn't do what I was trying to do easily. I know they wouldn't lie to me, but they might not just know what they are talking about.

I have been working on the this thing since about 7pm tonight, things were going well, this is the first snag. So far we've put on LT4 springs/retainers/locks sunday night, tonight I put the headers in and was hooking the o2's and AIr up when this happened. Oh well, nothing about this stuff is simple, if it was, we'd have kids doing it. Thats what my boss tells me.

Mods we are doing to the 96 Z 6speed

MAC 1 5/8 headers w/cat delete
Crank underdrive pulley
MSD coil
Taylor OVC wires w/ new plugs
LT4 rr's, springs/retainers/locks
TB bypass
Thermostat

and in a few weeks 4.10's

yeah i know that had no relevancy to my post, but its late and I had to tell someone what I am doing. lol
Thanks again.
J

 

ahhh ok that makes more sense now. the 96-97s have different sized AIR fittings then the 94-95s. actually they are somewhat smaller but i dont know the exact size but yeah its some strange thread and diameter.

 

If there is no other option, I was thinking about getting the AIR tubes from a different year, with the correct size threads. I don't know how expensive that would be or for what year. As I mentioned, I put the same headers on a 93. The thread size was correct for the headers, however in 93 the AIR is in different locations, atleast it is on the passenger side, I believe the driver side is the same.

 

I talked to MAC today then talked to GM. Apparetly in late 95 GM changed the AIR tubes. First design in 95(which had been used since 93)the AIR tube bolts inside the manifold 7/8 pipe thread, second design(which is the one I have)the AIR tube bolts to a male fitting that is bolted to the manifold 3/4 pipe thread. MAC said to call the dealer and order the 7/8 AIR tube. I called GM and they repeated everything MAC had said. So the first design AIR tubes should be here tomorrow.

I found some 12' O2 extensions from www.ls1speed.com, fast toys had some extensions but where 24' long