hey ive searched and read all of the posts on this and it seems like a biotch to install
this is the new rksport 4-2-1 header for the 2.4L
i think i know what im gonna do with the cruise control but is the header itself really that big of a pain in the ass to install? do i have to worry about a shop messing up my header or something else when they install this?
Its a pain, don't let anyone tell you its not.
The bigger annoyance really though is you really have to get back in there and retorque things after a few K miles or so. Maybe even les than that.
Most of the problems come from that 4-2 section coming loose.
Then you'll hear all kinds of whistling and vaccum sounding leaks.
So the header does take some TLC in the early stages.
But it def. a head turner under the hood, and you'll get a lot more sound.
-M
Remember....syringes go in the RED waste basket.
you will enjoy the gains from it though!
I was a retard, and now I'm permanently banned.
Take it to a performance shop. A regular exhaust shop, even thought they should logically do it, they might not really try to do it correctly. Performance shops try their hardest cause they want you to come back.
www.kronosperformance.com / 732-742-8837
yeah ive been looking around for a good performance shop for a little while now... i wasnt planning on..and wont get it done untill i find a good performance shop to do it
The Other Matt wrote:yeah ive been looking around for a good performance shop for a little while now... i wasnt planning on..and wont get it done untill i find a good performance shop to do it
That's a smart idea. When you get performance work, it's best to take it to a performance shop. Regular shops will just either tell you no they can't do it or no they don't know how to do it which in either case is BS.
www.kronosperformance.com / 732-742-8837
Here is a suggestion:
Find people on the org that are in your area/county/state that have performance work done to their car and ask them who did what & even the prices. That should help you out a bit. Good luck.
www.kronosperformance.com / 732-742-8837
My header is a very similar design and I installed it myself I think the biggest pain is the fact you actually have to use a regular wrench and not a socket wrench to get the thing on.. I really did not think it was that hard though, annoying -- yes ,, a little more time consuming --- yes -- but the gains are really nice and it is something you could probably do yourself -- maybe with the help of a friend
It is a pain... but would be really easy if the instructions were any good.... here are the steps i did and it went in pretty easy....
1.pull old manifold out
2. get the front end up on Stands
3. loosen the top engine mount a fair bit
4. get a jack under the oil pan to hold up the weight of JUST the engine (make sure the top mounts are loose or you will be supporting the entire cars weight on the oil pan and it will crack)
5. undo one side of the lower mount so it is just hanging there and have one person pry the engine towards the front of the car and another person slide the first part of the header in.
if you do that you will have no problems putting it in... its still a tight fit but its not all that hard.
And as for the bolts coming loose... all i did was put some lock washers on all the bolts and they have not come loose on me in just over 1500kms... oh and i put some Anti seize (sp?) stuff on all the bolts except the ones that go into the engine block. Also for torquing the bolts i just used a torque wrench for the ones i could reach then grabbed a normal wrench and checked to see how tight the ones i could actually torque were and did the other ones as best as i could by just felling how tight it was... if you have the jack and car stands and some tools i would say just do it your self... oh and a little dremal to cut the stock exhaust pipe (don't use a hack saw, you will be there all day)
i would do it myself but im getting my whole exhaust done anyways.....from the header all the way back... i will have the header, muffler and cat and resonator so i was gonna just take it to a shop
ahh yea that makes sense then...
i think what im gonna do lol....which will sound insane...
is im gonna rip off my whole exhaust at my house myself...then install the header myself...then drive it to an exhaust shop ( my exhaust will be loud as hell) and have them weld up the rest
I've done that. Be preared to drive very slow, or have everyone look at you when you press the pedel in even the slightest. lol.
But its cheaper. thats always been my incentive to do things myself. plus you learn a few things.
actually i might have a little fun with it and go through a few parking lots and set off some alarms
The Other Matt wrote:i think what im gonna do lol....which will sound insane...
is im gonna rip off my whole exhaust at my house myself...then install the header myself...then drive it to an exhaust shop ( my exhaust will be loud as hell) and have them weld up the rest
i've done it, funniest thing ever.....felt like i was at the track with some of the open header guys, i was all over the gas the whole way to the shop to see how much noise i could make. Whats funny is once you get it fixed your exaust sounds so quiet cause ur used to it being so loud.
2007 GM Tuner Bash...HELL YEA
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I was also lookin at the RK Sport Header since i put the s/c on, I have the rk sport duals and kept the extra pipe they give you, that section is to eliminate the cat if you have the RKSPort exhaust AND header right?
<img src="http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/3/web/831000-831999/831395_11_full.jpg">
Ben Brown wrote:I was also lookin at the RK Sport Header since i put the s/c on, I have the rk sport duals and kept the extra pipe they give you, that section is to eliminate the cat if you have the RKSPort exhaust AND header right?
only if they throw in an o2 simulator.
I was a retard, and now I'm permanently banned.
I had a performance shop put in my headder. they had a hard time but got it done. I don't think you want to pay $320 ($70 an hour) for someone else to put it in for you. They relocated the cruze control for me, and put some heat wrap on some wires for me too. I made them do it cause i don't have the proper tools to do it all. I also had them install a high flow cat that i had purchased online previous to the install. My exhuast is very loud, but one of a kind with that 4-2-1 headder.
4-2-1 headder, Catco hi-flow cat, Apex-i N1muffler, 2 1/2" pipe strait threw.
Ben Brown wrote:I was also lookin at the RK Sport Header since i put the s/c on, I have the rk sport duals and kept the extra pipe they give you, that section is to eliminate the cat if you have the RKSPort exhaust AND header right?
the extra pipe is for the 95-98 2.2 ohv cat backs , LOL
its not a cat eliminator pipe
they have 1 part # to cover all years for the cavaliers and sunfires
CraZ-24 wrote:I had a performance shop put in my headder. they had a hard time but got it done. I don't think you want to pay $320 ($70 an hour) for someone else to put it in for you. They relocated the cruze control for me, and put some heat wrap on some wires for me too. I made them do it cause i don't have the proper tools to do it all. I also had them install a high flow cat that i had purchased online previous to the install. My exhuast is very loud, but one of a kind with that 4-2-1 headder.
4-2-1 headder, Catco hi-flow cat, Apex-i N1muffler, 2 1/2" pipe strait threw.
Personally, if I'm not a mechanic/automotively handy, I would rather pay $320 to have it done RIGHT and have no problems and if there were problems they will fix it for free instead of me breaking something or doing something incorrectly and I can't think of how to fix it. That's just opinion.
www.kronosperformance.com / 732-742-8837
