Good shop near RI/Boston/Eastern CT to install header?
 

Been putting it off, now reality says there's no way I'ma install my ACE350 header between now and track days on May 8/9.

Looking for recommendations for a good preferably Subaru- even more preferably FT86-centric shop near RI, SEMass, eastern Connecticut.

TIA!

you can DIY

Workie all week this week, out of town with friends next weekend, workie all next week, track on Saturday. It's not happenin...

Realistically this isn't something that should require a specialist. It's just a header on a car that is put together like Lego.

Take off the heat shield
Remove O2 sensors
Remove factory manifold
Disconnect passenger side engine mount
Remove over pipe
Install new over pipe
Install header
Reconnect engine mount
Install O2 sensors

The only tricky part is going to be installing the tune. You'll be able to limp it home on the factory tune and then update the tune yourself in a few minutes. Unless you don't even have time for that I'd just take it to any exhaust shop.

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it's all about choice. take a day off or dont hang out with friends for that weekend. haha Joke

you can just go to local shop and install. this is not rocket science.

Yeah, just find any reputable shop. It took me 45 minutes when I did mine. Pretty sure I could do it in under 30 now, including jacking up the car. There’s no insider Subaru info that’s needed other than the fact that the header is on the bottom (and extremely easy to get to).

^The last 2 comments. I did the same some years ago on my dealer. Not a rocket science to change a header on our cars.

Yeah I'm gonna side with OP on this one. If you have all the necessary tools and your car is garage kept and your bolts aren't seized and you have some experience then ok maybe you could do this in 30 minutes? It took me several hours due to seized bolts, tight clearances, not having all tools to make it a smooth job and also doing a header change, lifting the engine, and changing engine and transmission mounts for the first time ever on a driveway. For the ACE header you have to lift the engine anyway if you want to fit the ace overpipe but doing the whole thing carefully for the first time will take you several times more what you guys say it took you.

Also he may just not have the chance to miss work and doesn't want to screw his friends over.

However you choose to have it installed, may be worth giving it another check following install before you're track day. I lost several ace overpipe studs/nuts ending my day at the track early, even after checking fasteners the day before. Others have had similar occurrences, just wanted to share a heads up :)

https://www.ft86club.com/forums/show...=140823&page=2

I could help you install it if you'd like. I live near westerly.

Thanks for kind offer! Not likely to be able to get down to Westerly in the next coupla weeks tho. I think I'ma put the car in the air this afternoon/evening and at least get the panels off and see how it goes from there. Days are long enough now, surely I can bust this out over a couple few days...

No problem!. It can go two ways, not raising the engine makes things a bit tricky because of the heat shield from the overpipe. You'd have to remove it which is a pain. After that, if you have an angle socket for the top left (Facing the header up) screw, makes matters easier.

Took panels off yesterday afternoon/evening and went for one of the overpipe-to-front-pipe nuts with a 14mm flare wrench, didn't budge, partly rounded the nut, doh! Gonna get some PB-Blaster and hit it again this evening...

Diagonal Pliers come in very handy in this situation, if you're upgrading the OP that is, just tear the heat shield off.