Hey guys, I'm having a hard time with these header bolts and I'm wondering if you fine folks have any solutions you can think of or if this is just something that we have to deal with.

Bolt 7/8 on the driver side header are quite possibly the biggest pains I've ever had on this truck. The pipe on 7 bends around just so that I can barely get a wrench in there, let alone a socket or anything else.

It doesn't help that I'm on 35's with a 12 inch lift so I'm already up on the ladder trying to reach to the back of this V-8. I tried to replace that bolt with one that has an allen wrench head, but the allen wrench won't even fit in there (I made a custom wrench about half the size of a normal one hoping it would work...no good).

Any tricks/tips for header replacements you guys have? I spent 3 hours last night just trying to get my driver side header back on and I need the truck for work tomorrow

 

thats what i had to do on my headers as well...use of a wrench, one small dinky step at a time. it was horrible, and i think i have to do it again! lol

 

Well, I've been sitting on my new headers for months because of that one stupid bolt. The best solution I found was a stubby wrench I bought at Sears. It's about half the size/width of a normal wrench and gave me about 1/2" turn before the thin wall of the wrench impacted the pipe.

I just finished that header and I'm sitting down for a beer before the second one. I ended up literally laying in my engine compartment with two zip ties chained to the wrench so I could catch it when I (inevitably) dropped it. It worked out pretty well, but I still think there's gotta be a better way to do it. Remove the fan shroud and the fan and stand up in there maybe?

Anyone else have warped bolts on their exhaust flanges? I replaced them brand new when I did the header gaskets less than six months ago and they're already crooked to one side. I'm thinking of just going with a stainless steel or something more heat resistant.

 

I did like x said. Tiny wrench little bit at a time. I have locking header bolts though so they don't come lose and have to go through that hell again

 

forgive my stupidity but what is a locking header bolt

 

Sorry. I've never had a problem with mine. They've always been pretty easy.

 

i believe that there are diff kinds, but i know one has a allen screw in the center and when you ge tthe bolt tight, you then tighten the allen and it presses against the threads locking it in


heres a diff kind

http://www.stage8.com/products_lhb.html

 

i bought a set of these for mine
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...?keyword=42990
its just a bonus that they are designed for rounded bolt removal.

these should also work for you
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...ty+Wrench+Sets

or maybe one of these
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...ot+Wrench+Sets
when i put mine on i baby stepped the bolts until they were tight. i got about 1/10th of a turn with that wrench then the same with a normal wrench and i had to switch wrenches with each 10th of a turn.

 

I have the stage 8 ones. Them other kind I don't see working in that spot where all the trouble is

 

well I guess I'll have to buy a set of those before my headers go on seems worth the money with all the trouble it sounds like it is to put one of those on