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D.I.Y. Shorty Header Install with pics

33K views 37 replies 19 participants last post by  boogaloot 
#1 ·
I searched and didnt see any DIYs on this other than:
"step 1-remove oem header
step 2- install new header."
So I thought I'd write it up for you.

It's not a difficult install, but some of the bolts may be a pain to get loose.
A good trick to use is locking one wrench onto another one essentially increasing the length of the wrench and giving you more torque.
(not my picture)


So, your old header looks like this:

So you say to yourself, "this sucks. I want a cool header that will make my car faster, sound cooler, and look sweet!"

So you order your new shorty header. (Mine's a Spooled Up Racing header)


a new header will have more smooth transitions in the bends, allowing better airflow through the exhaust. This is why its better than stock.

Start by jacking up the front of your car and putting it on jackstands.
(make sure its sturdy before getting under it.)

slide under your car and find where the downpipe meets the shorty header. There will be two spring-loaded bolts there. They are 12mm. Remove those two bolts.
(view of bolts from above)


optional: take out the two 10mm bolts holding the power steering tube and throttle cable to the valve cover. having these cables loose will allow you to move them around and make it easier to reach the bolts on the header.

Now, from the top, find the header (back of the engine [duh])
There are 5 bolts holding it on. The top two are just nuts, the bottom three are whole bolts. All 5 are 14mm.

Its tricky to get into the tight space, but if I can do it, you can too. once you get them all out, the header is loose.

Pull off the header and get it out of the engine bay.

pull off the metal gasket that was between the header and the engine.

Put the new gasket (that came with the header) where the old one was.

Put the new header in place. Line it up with the downpipe, and line it up with the engine.

Start with the two nuts, put them on loosely, then do the bolts. once all the bolts and nuts are on (excluding the ones under the car) tighten them all down. They've gotta be very tight in order to make a good seal and not make your engine smoke.
Once they're tight, get back under the car and reinstall the sprung bolts (no pun intended).
Once it's all tight, you're set.

Start it up. Then check your engine. If its a lot louder, you may not have a good seal and you're likely to have a lot of smoke in your engine bay.
Mine smoked a little bit, but after I drove it around the block, it stopped smoking and set in.

Its pretty straight forward. Go for it, you can have it done in an hour or two.
Great way to add a little power and make your rsx growl!

Thanks for reading. Good luck and enjoy!

before:

After:
 
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#3 ·
I know its an easy install, but any job can seem overwhelming until someone shows you how to do it.
I usually search for a diy before I do any job, just to see what it's going to take. Its easier than getting in there and pulling bolts until its fixed. ;)
 
#4 ·
exactly. thats why people need DIY's for brakes and oil changes! simple but if youve never done it before its frightening
 
#8 ·
I noticed a difference. It sounds better when you're on the throttle, it pulls harder, and looks cooler. Its definitely an upgrade from stock. the stock header had some sharp angles in the piping, but this header smooths out a lot of that. I'm sure a RH does it a little better, but I dont have the $$ for that right now. The one I got is $125 shipped from Spooled Up Racing, and I think that's a good deal. If you have the money to burn though, go for a race header.

Can a RH be installed the same way? I thought it'd be harder but I guess the really hard part is getting the old bolts loose. Did you have a lift or just jack up the car?
I did it the ghetto way with one scissor jack, and two small jackstands. The RH install would be a little more difficult because you have to remove hangers, O2 sensors, and the cat. Then you have to install defoulers and all that fun stuff... I haven't done it yet, so I can't say what all it intails. I'm pretty sure someone else wrote up a DIY for the RH though. check the Giant DIY List thread that's stickied.
 
#25 ·
I just finished installing mine. The only stupid thing is the base has a bracket with two arms instead of one. The arms didn't quite line up with the header, but when I tightened the bolts down it brought it up to it I guess this is ok cuz if anything bends it'll be the bracket arms right?

There doesn't seem to be any slack now so the rubber hangar is pretty useless since there is no wiggle hope I didn't tighten something down too tight.

Last but, not least, I was disappointed to find the vibrant performance donut gasket (smaller one) didn't fit my header, I guess I need to shave it around the inside a bit? Fpr now I'm rocking my stock one but, I wanna get the vibrant performance one on soon.
 
#27 ·
I just bought another OEM one.

I am a little worried about the way it all bolted down. There seems to be no slack now from the downpipe to the exhaust like there used to be. It looks as though the connection to the header holds more of the tension than the rubber hangar on the downpipe. Is this safe/ok?
 
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