Drove the 97TA yesterday as the weather was in the 70's. Driving back from work, I hear that "flup flup" paperish flapping sound. From experience, I know what that is... header leak. I check it out and it's on the driver side. Double damn. The worse side. I finish driving the car home. Using the "paper wand" trick that Pampered-Z had taught me, I can't exactly locate the exhaust leak per se, but I feel it on my hand as all around. Slowly I figured out that the collector tube connection to the cat is the problem source. I'm kind of relieved that it wasn't the header gasket.

So I get the front end of the 97TA up on two jacks. The one bolt for the connection was ready to drop. I fingered tighten it up and then had to resort to using a "crows" foot socket for finally tightening. Figuring while the car is up and I am underneath it, might as well go around tightening the rest of the exhaust connections. Good thing.

Noticed a few "droplets" hanging from the transmission pan. Next thing I know, I am giving every transmission pan bolt a good 3/4 turn with a wrench. Jeez. And then one of the bolts on the K-member was loose. Goes to show you, that once underneath the car.... check everything!!!

And yes, I gave all the header bolts a good tweak!

I'm getting ready to go to E-town on April 8th for Pontiac Day... it'll be my first time back to the track for this year.

 

its a neverending battle Ron....Thats why i still have my Stock Manifolds
What Gaskets have you been using??
good luck at pontiac Day...I am so ready for the track, but i promised myself im not going til my N20 install is complete and ready to ROCK

 

The Mr Gasket on the driver side never had a problem. The passenger side blew out immediately after the header install and then two more times. Put in a Percy's aluminum gasket seal and that side has been solid since.

My problem today was where the header connects to the driver's side cat. Once the car was up on jacks, it was fairly easy using "crow" foot sockets from underneath.

I hacksawed an 1.5 off the exhaust end so that the SLP loudmouth exhaust tips fit more underneath the rear correctly.

Let me know when you're ready to go back to the track, Ryan. Always enjoy the company. Especially on the cruise to and from.

 

Ron, you should double check all exhaust bolts and nuts after the first few heat cycles and again every 500 miles till the first oil change. If anything comes loose it will do it then and you can catch it quickly. Its like cancer, if you catch it in time its not as big of a problem, if you dont it can really mess you up.


You want those parts yet? I'm going to have to unload them in about a month

 

Well I learned my lesson on the header bolts. I check them reguliarly now when the front is jacked up... doesn't take me too much time to remove the alternator anymore.

I didn't realize that it also pertained to the "big plumbing" too.

Anyway, all is tighten down, or up, depending on your position with the car.

I was going to post on your own thread if you were running into cash flow problems. Just told Carol I need some of my "play money" to buy some friends again for this year... bahahhahahha. She wants to know why it only cost $150 for friends two years ago, and now it's going to cost $350. I told "appreciation inflation".

Maybe in a couple of weeks we can have a meeting at hOOter's in Bensalem again?

 

yeah that sounds good to me bro. I'm down for Hooters. I'm not going to buy a T-shirt this time

 

Well.. I'd buy the shirt if the girl took her's off...

Let me see if Pampered-Z is game too. Maybe 99SS, bow94Z, myslowcamaro... I'm not starting anything. No, I don't do that!

 

well looks like $1000 is going to be needed for us to hang out with you Ron..i guess tell your wife to dig deeper in her pockets if u wanna hang out with us

 

Sounds familiar Ron. I blew out the passenger side FelPro header gasket in 2 spots. I bought the Percy carbon gaskets(kind of strange gaskets) but they seem to be holding fine now. But the driver's side cat has had a small leak since I installed it and I went to Meineke yesterday and had them weld it up. The guy did a great job and that leak is gone now. My passenger side cat is actually clamped directly on the header(the Pacesetter longtube headers are slip fit) so that side doesn't leak. I think my car is actually quieter now with the longtube headers and dual 3" cats than it was with the stock exhaust.

 

Based on the header install, you'll be drinking 5 times more beer when we start tearing your engine apart!

Yah right! You say that until one of those little ladies flashes their "Smiles" at you, then BANG, you'll be reaching in your pocket!

Oh just buy one, your only spending RON'S ( Carol's ) MONEY!

yuk yuk yuk

 

I wish you phrase that differently.

I'm having nightmares already. Especially since this weekend I came across the box of "extra parts" from the header install. An alternator bracket, some steering column shields, AIR plumbing....

 

hehe, I used to keep all those extra parts untill I figured out they were just piles of junk that I cant even give away.

No I think Rons money is going toward the new cam. I just got my cam recommendation back from Cam motion and I gotta say I belive this cam would be just insane, tell me what you think:

RECOMMENDATION
Grind Number R2645-2705-12+4
Duration (intake/exaust) 263/270
Lift (intake/exaust) 686/672
Lobe Center Separation 112
Intake Centerline 108
Comments Hot lash .024


and yes I looked up the grind numbers and those are specs for .050 with 1.6 rockers. Hows that for a nasty 355?


Ron, trust me you will have several surgens working with you on your next project. It wont be all that bad. We can swap cams in a weekend no problem. Uh, unless the beer gets to us first

 

Jeez, Bri, will your car hold an idle? I guess you'll be getting some definite air under that front tire now...

Bri... can you pack a bag for the weekend and stay at Pamered-Z's house for the weekend of July 14,15 and 16th? I'm going up later Friday and staying up there for a few days. In fact I'm padding the weekend with Monday and Tuesday just in case. Plus it'll take me some time to zaino all those parts before we put them back on...

 

Ron, I dont see why not. Let me check with the boss tomorrow to make sure there are no plans for that weekend.

 

If you can make it up Friday, then bring your car up too. I live exactly 1 mile from Numidia so we can all go play Friday night before we start the drinking, um I mean cam swap.

www.numidiadragway.net