How hard to pull ebay 24V headers with engine in?

[Jand3rson]

Has anyone ever pulled their 24V ebay headers while the engine is still in the car, but not hooked up to the exhaust? I'm thinking about pulling mine to wrap them before I take the car in for exhaust week after next, and it looks like when they're not hooked up to anything down below, they would just come right out. What about going back in?

[M-technik-3]

Yes, I have installed them and removed them in the car both times. It is not fun. but with a good quality 72 pitch 1/4 drive it's possible.

[butters]

To save you the trouble, don't wrap them. I have eBay headers also, and considered a wrap until I did some research and google'd it. the wrap contains all the heat inside, which stresses the metal and can cause premature wear & cracks. especially with eBay headers, this worries me enough to not mess with wraps. if you're really concerned about underhood temps, get them ceramic coated.

[Jand3rson]

Hm, maybe I just won't bother with it then. I want to do the 4-piece Raceland ones eventually, so sounds like it's probably more trouble than it's worth.

[StereoInstaller1]

Generally SS tubing is never wrapped, as posted above.

[10Toes]

On my first engine I put them on after the engine was in the car, It was not fun at all. Second engine I put them on while the engine was out.

[nando]

Skip the wrap, get your new ones ceramic coated when the time comes.

[e30polak]

Skip the wrap, get your new ones ceramic coated when the time comes.

This. Swaine coat them or Jet hot coat them if you want the best protection.

However, I ran my motor HARD for almost 3years with the ebay headers and they never cracked.

The main advantage to wrapping/coating them IMO is to help get rid of the "tinny" sound caused by the thin material used.

[nando]

It makes a big difference in temps too. It sounds crazy, but I can touch my coated headers with my bare hands within minutes of shutting my car off.

There's a place in the pnw that does it, and its not all that expensive, if/when the time comes let me.know. :)

[mohamadr89]

Hm, maybe I just won't bother with it then. I want to do the 4-piece Raceland ones eventually, so sounds like it's probably more trouble than it's worth.

i bought the one piece long tube raceland headers and they aren't even bolting up to the head or clearing the motor mount. the reason i bought the one piece ones is because they have the oem exhaust flanges and i have oem e36 exhaust.. im thinking about getting the 4 piece ones now that these aren't working. i also considered ebay headers but there is a million different types of headers on ebay n idk which one everybody is buying....

[Chris916]

yea i had to put mine on after the engine was it.. not fun.. to fit them in i had to supported the engine and pull the engine mount arm off.

[etxxz]

bolt up, WRAP and install..

no problem. just take your time. I've done it about... shit 6 times already.

with the engine on (first time i did this) is a PITA.. it takes me less time to drop the transmission with the engine on than the headers just to give u an idea. F U BMW, my acura TL has 5x EASILY accessible bolts per every 3 cyl.