Got my second set of MP headers on. Had to grind weld out of the
holes with a dremel - same problem as the first set, but I knew what
to do this time around. Till I could get to a shop to get everything
replaced with 3" from the y back, I used the 2 ½ female tip of the
Dynomax cat back to make a collar to put over the 2 ½ collector tip
and the 2 ½ pipe forward of the cat. I knew there would be a leak,
but it would be better than roar of an open y till I got the welding
done on Monday.
Lesson #1 - make sure that your chrome headers are sparkling clean
before firing the motor up for the first time.
I wiped them off with alcohol but didn't dry them thoroughly enough -
spot stains burned into chrome. Not show quality chrome and not a
show quality truck, but no spots would have been nice. The truck RAN
LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'M NOT KIDDING.
Just look at the gas pedal and you were gone!!!!!! There was an
intermittent leak/quiet rattle/ weird sound that I could not identify.
Monday, I got all the three inch stuff welded up by Trent at Extreme
Offroad in Frisco, Tx. He was recommended by an acquaintance who
works at a customizing shop. His beads almost look like caulk (mig) -
- really nice. I'd recommend the shop to anyone.
Back to the intermittent leak/quiet rattle/ weird sound that I could
not identify. You could only hear it if you had the windows up with
no air on. Monday night I finally found what it was. One of the
sheet metal screws that holds the heat shielding onto the floorboard
(forwardmost screw on the right side) was hitting one of the pipe
bends dead on. I immediately went into panic mode. Thinner metal on
the outside of a bend - sharp, evil sheetmetal screw intent on poking
a hole in my header...... hell no!!!!
I proceeded to tear the passenger side interior apart to lift the
carpet to see if I could get to the screw. I could barely get to it
without cutting the rubber firewall mat, but I did it. Pulled the
screw and cut it with a cutoff wheel at my friends customizing shop,
Visual Impact in Plano, Tx. This was at midnight - glad they hang out
there late! Got a good friend of mine to screw the nut on (smaller
hands and arms than me) AFTER going to my house and letting the motor
cool down and pulling the Y pipe - absolutely no other way to get to
it from the top or bottom - very tight in there.
Lesson #2 - Ceck all clearances very carefully before installing
headers... or any part for that matter.
The truck runs great! The only problem I have now is that it ran
NOTICEABLY better with the leak after the Y and the 2.5 sock pipe with
muffler removed (muffler's been off since the truck had 3,000 miles on
it) than it does with the 3" Y to tip setup. Was it more backpressure
or less? How was scavenging affected? Did the big leak mean that the
motor wants there to be atmosphere after the y? (some racers pute huge
compartments in between the collector and the rest of the exhaust -
makes the car think it's the open atmosphere, but much quieter.
I'll reiterate that it runs a heck of a lot better now than it did
stock - MUCH better, but I'm telling you, if you want to get
unbelievable performance out of your 5.2, pull the muffler and replace
it with pipe, install MP headers and Y, and make sure you have a
healthy leak between the Y collector and the tailpipe!
-----Original Message-----
From: Rhyner, Mark [SMTP:RhynerM@emh1.hqisec.army.mil]
Sent: Sunday, August 16, 1998 6:53 PM
To: dakota-truck@buffnet.net
Subject: RE: DML: attn all JBA recipients
I am glad I didn't get in on this deal. Even though this was a good
price you
shouldn't have to go through all the extra work to get them to fit.
You
guys
waited quite a while as well, but that probably is from all the extra
orders that
they got.
I think I will get the MP headers soon
-----------------
Well, I'm not sure how you can come to any conclusion either way
based
on a sample size of one. Although I know a lot of "scientific"
studies
are based on this size. <VBG>
Mark R
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