Tomei UEL Header Installation Tips

[RobertPaulson]

Originally Posted by afohlin

I'll be installing my Tomei UEL headers in a few weeks hopefully. What are people's opinions about the Tomei gaskets? I wasn't sure if I should pick up a set of Grimmspeed gaskets just to be safe or if the Tomei supplied gaskets don't have any issues.

i'm curious about this as well.

[fantah]

Originally Posted by afohlin

I'll be installing my Tomei UEL headers in a few weeks hopefully. What are people's opinions about the Tomei gaskets? I wasn't sure if I should pick up a set of Grimmspeed gaskets just to be safe or if the Tomei supplied gaskets don't have any issues.

Tomei gaskets work great, mines holding up well. The only pain in the whole process was getting the bolt on the collector side tightened.

[fantah]

Originally Posted by winsometang

how did you guys remove the o2 sensor? did it require a sensor remover or can i just use a wrench?

Unplugged the sensor from the car then when I head the stock headers off the car I took it off the header with a wrench. Think it was like a 17mm or 18mm.

[fantah]

Originally Posted by mikalem

Sorry to bring this back to life, but for those than installed it did you loosen the spacers at all before bolting it up, or did it come pre-spaced and matched? Going to install this hopefully over the weekend, just wondering what other's have found.

Loosen the spacer, put on to test fit, take off header with adjusted space, tighten spacer, reinstall.

[Cop]

Originally Posted by afohlin

I'll be installing my Tomei UEL headers in a few weeks hopefully. What are people's opinions about the Tomei gaskets? I wasn't sure if I should pick up a set of Grimmspeed gaskets just to be safe or if the Tomei supplied gaskets don't have any issues.

They are fine.

[Raven_FR-S]

Originally Posted by aznatama

FIRST THING is to PB Blast the bolts connecting the header to the overpipe. More than one person has snapped a bolt taking it off as the nut may be seized

+1 On that one! I broke mine as well. Took a LONG LONG time to get it off.

[P_say86]

Van anyone tell me how to tighten The nuts? I can tightin two of them but the single last one is hard to get too. Wrench and socket won't work.

[Cop]

Originally Posted by P_say86

Van anyone tell me how to tighten The nuts? I can tightin two of them but the single last one is hard to get too. Wrench and socket won't work.

If you can find a smaller socket and extender it should work. That last nut was a huge PITA to tighten, I ended up going to my local garage so they could tighten it a bit more the next day.

[ramiram1984]

Originally Posted by Cop

If you can find a smaller socket and extender it should work. That last nut was a huge PITA to tighten, I ended up going to my local garage so they could tighten it a bit more the next day.

GET A U-JOINT AND AN EXTENSION

[BirdTRD]

Originally Posted by P_say86

Van anyone tell me how to tighten The nuts? I can tightin two of them but the single last one is hard to get too. Wrench and socket won't work.

Crows foot from Harbor Freight. See post#20

[eurominican]

I cant believe no one has posted anywhere in the entire forum all the torque specs in one place.. I still have not been able to find the torque specs for the header to overpipe. Heres what I have so far:

header to engine studs 22lbs
Overpipe to Front pipe - 31.3 FT LB
Front pipe to Exhaust Pipe - 14.3 FT LB

Im just going to wing it and torque it to 30 ft lb

[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by eurominican

I cant believe no one has posted anywhere in the entire forum all the torque specs in one place.. I still have not been able to find the torque specs for the header to overpipe. Heres what I have so far:

header to engine studs 22lbs
Overpipe to Front pipe - 31.3 FT LB
Front pipe to Exhaust Pipe - 14.3 FT LB

Im just going to wing it and torque it to 30 ft lb

Just a heads-up that if you're using a crows foot, make sure to adjust torque specs accordingly.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by eurominican

I cant believe no one has posted anywhere in the entire forum all the torque specs in one place.. I still have not been able to find the torque specs for the header to overpipe. Heres what I have so far:

header to engine studs 22lbs
Overpipe to Front pipe - 31.3 FT LB
Front pipe to Exhaust Pipe - 14.3 FT LB

Im just going to wing it and torque it to 30 ft lb

I wish I saw this a few days ago, I just tightened them down as tight as I could get them. Good luck trying to get a torque wrench in there, much less getting an accurate torque.

As for the over pipe to header, again, no room for a torque wrench. I tightened them up and turned on the car whilst having my dad cover up the exhaust tips (leak check). As it turned out, the to head to manifold joint was fine, but the manifold to over pipe was leaking, so I had to really tighten those bolts in order to get it not to leak.

Hope that helps someone.

[eurominican]

Originally Posted by mikalem

Sorry to bring this back to life, but for those than installed it did you loosen the spacers at all before bolting it up, or did it come pre-spaced and matched? Going to install this hopefully over the weekend, just wondering what other's have found.

Originally Posted by fantah

Loosen the spacer, put on to test fit, take off header with adjusted space, tighten spacer, reinstall.

I though I had to widen/space out the header because was not going in the studs (The lower o2 sensor was getting cought up in the plastic side cover..) so I did losen up the spacers but couldnt get the header to space out at all (thankfully).

It should always be propperly spaced out since it comes with a metal bar with a nut on each side bolted to the header. If I had to guess I'd say the purpose of this is to make sure the header doesnt shift during shipping etc.

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

I wish I saw this a few days ago, I just tightened them down as tight as I could get them. Good luck trying to get a torque wrench in there, much less getting an accurate torque.

As for the over pipe to header, again, no room for a torque wrench. I tightened them up and turned on the car whilst having my dad cover up the exhaust tips (leak check). As it turned out, the to head to manifold joint was fine, but the manifold to over pipe was leaking, so I had to really tighten those bolts in order to get it not to leak.

Hope that helps someone.

And here's a pic of the manual with torque specs but just like you stated, most of these have to be hand-tighten because its virtually impossible to do with a torque wrench, specially if doing the install in jack stands.