C5 Z06 180 degree header build thread

[-Alex-]

Love seeing updates for this project. I'm not sure I can wrap my head around the noise your Z06 will be making lol

[Tinman]

:doh: Major fail #2. Got all the primaries tacked to the header flange and short of removing the cylinder head, there is no way it would come out in one piece. I broke loose the #4 tube and jacked up the passenger side of the engine to get it out.

 

Looking at it on the floor and remembering the sticking point when removing it, I figured it was actually the #8 primary interfering with the A/C line, not the #4. So I made a quick little jig to hold the primaries in position at the collector end to allow me to tack #4 back in place. Then I removed #8 from the equation and tried to slide the 3/4's of a header in place. No dice. It's just plain too wide in the area around the starter and A/C line.

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/IMG_2071.jpg

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/IMG_2072.jpg

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/IMG_2074.jpg

 

New plan of attack. I have more room directly under the flange, near the block between the motor mount and starter to snake the pipes around and take up the distance #4, #6, and #8 need to equal #2's length. So, I will run the four primaries from the collector tight to each other all the way past the starter and A/C line pinch point and then start throwing bends where they need to go to get my equal lengths. This will also allow me to build a good percentage of it on the bench which is far easier than under the car.

[Cordell]

The headers on my C5 required me to remove the stater, slide that one halfway in, and install the starter before putting it the rest of the way into place. The passenger side is not fun and I can certainly understand why it would give you trouble. I'm sure you'll get it worked out, thank you for continuing to post the progress it's cool to watch.

[Tinman]

The headers on my C5 required me to remove the stater, slide that one halfway in, and install the starter before putting it the rest of the way into place. The passenger side is not fun and I can certainly understand why it would give you trouble. I'm sure you'll get it worked out, thank you for continuing to post the progress it's cool to watch.

 

Good to know on the starter RnR required for other long tube headers. Thanks for the heads up!

 

Stay tuned for more minor victories and crushing defeats on the way to wonderful 180 degree music.

[spankis]

Somebody needs to donate some professional audio recording time to this when done. The work behind it alone warrants a recording better than GoPro or iPhone fidelity.

[Tinman]

Somebody needs to donate some professional audio recording time to this when done. The work behind it alone warrants a recording better than GoPro or iPhone fidelity.

 

That would be much appreciated if anyone has the equipment.

[Robochan]

Awesome work. Can't wait to see this thing rip. Love the progression shots.

[Tinman]

Passenger side, version 3.1. Got to this point and once again, no go.

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/IMG_2082.jpg

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/IMG_2083.jpg

 

Even with the starter removed and the motor jacked up on the passenger side, she wasn't going in.

 

Time for slightly drastic measures. I cut the first half of the #6 primary out to allow the #4 primary to take it's path. Then the #6 was directed to the outside of #2. Everything came in within 3/8" of the target length. As a huge bonus, as I was sliding into place for it's final test fit, it appeared it might slide by the starter. Bolted the starter in and the header slide right by! No jacking of the motor or starter removal required. Only the large positive wire to the starter and ground wire to the block need to be removed.

 

Version 3.2, the final version!

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/IMG_2086.jpg

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/IMG_2087.jpg

 

Only thing left on the passenger side is to weld it out. The driver side should go much smoother due to the larger area to work in, the favorable angle of the spark plugs and the lessons I have learned on this one.

[Jelloman4571647545499]

Matt those are awesome. Great job

[STEVE-O]

Out of curiosity, does anyone make a long tube you could have started with as a base and cut the end and modified as needs to make it fit your needs? Just thinking that if so that would have solved your clearance issue to start

[Tinman]

Out of curiosity, does anyone make a long tube you could have started with as a base and cut the end and modified as needs to make it fit your needs? Just thinking that if so that would have solved your clearance issue to start

 

I did look into that and could not find any headers with the primaries in the orientation needed to fire into flat collectors in a 180 degree fashion. Rearranging of the off the shelf headers would require something that looked worse than a bundle of snakes, more of a can of worms and the primary lengths would end up all over the place. No easy buttons yet to be found on this project.

[STEVE-O]

I did look into that and could not find any headers with the primaries in the orientation needed to fire into flat collectors in a 180 degree fashion. Rearranging of the off the shelf headers would require something that looked worse than a bundle of snakes, more of a can of worms and the primary lengths would end up all over the place. No easy buttons yet to be found on this project.

 

If it was easy everyone would do it right haha

Great work

[Tinman]

Passenger side header welded out and done except for the collector retaining tabs, still not sure what style I'm going with on those.

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/IMG_2122.jpg

 

I've been working on the driver side and it is not cooperating. So, I took a break from the stainless steel side of things and played with some aluminum.

 

New tunnel plate made from .100" thick 3003 aluminum.

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/IMG_2114.jpg

 

I went with a hat channel style that gives me more clearance to the exhaust where it is stacked top and bottom. Went from 1/8" clearance in the tightest spot to a full 1/2"

 

Even though it was far stiffer than the factory plate, I went ahead and added two channels at locations where the exhaust clearance is not an issue, the merge point of the collectors and after the V-bands that the X-pipe will connect to.

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/IMG_2116.jpg

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/IMG_2120.jpg

[JaronsToy]

Looking great can't wait to hear it run

[LS_Sonoma]

Id add some of this for good measure. love the build

 

https://www.full-race.com/store/thermal-protection/gold-reflective-film.html/

[99StockGT]

That would be much appreciated if anyone has the equipment.

 

I happen to know someone with professional audio video recording equipment for this when it's time to make her fire I'm sure we can get you setup to get some awesome stuff together. Great work so far, keep up the artistry!

[Tinman]

I happen to know someone with professional audio video recording equipment for this when it's time to make her fire I'm sure we can get you setup to get some awesome stuff together. Great work so far, keep up the artistry!

 

Excellent. Hope to be in contact soon when all is done and ready to make music.

[Tinman]

Small update. Driver side is proving to be not as easy as expected. The angle of the spark plugs does make things easier but to make the primary lengths equal, the outer two must be established first as they have the shortest and longest distances to the collector. Once they are established, the inner two banks can do whatever is needed to match the outer banks in length. On the passenger side, the outer two banks entered the upper collector making the inner banks fairly easy to work with as they were under the previously established upper two primaries. On the driver side, it's the opposite situation. The established primaries are on the bottom and I'm now between a figuratively rock and a hard place with the inner two primaries being between the established outer primaries and the bellhousing/block.

 

#1 and #7 complete with the #3 and #5 being worked from the collector forward. It takes a lot of bends to make the #7 as long as #1.

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/IMG_2147.jpg

 

#1 and #7 as the make their way to the header flange.

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/IMG_2145.jpg

 

At least one detail is done. O2 sensor wiring routed and through the new tunnel plate.

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/IMG_2149.jpg

[Dammit Charlie]

can you run a primary that close to the oil filter without any adverse effects?

[Tinman]

can you run a primary that close to the oil filter without any adverse effects?

 

The picture might be a little misleading. There is a 3/4" gap between the filter and primary at the closest point. If I do see a rise in oil temperature, there is the option of wrapping the header at that point.

[STEVE-O]

Are you going to have them coated?

[Tinman]

Are you going to have them coated?

 

I considered it but due to the slip fit at the collectors, I didn't want any coating to cause an issue. If a coater is able to mask off the slip fit area, I might consider it again down the road.

[STEVE-O]

I considered it but due to the slip fit at the collectors, I didn't want any coating to cause an issue. If a coater is able to mask off the slip fit area, I might consider it again down the road.

 

Was wondering just for heat benefits,

 

I don't see why someone could not just mask off and not coat that end

[Tinman]

The new plan of attack. The primaries are held together on the collector end with a simple hose clamp and some steel plate shims tack welded in a cross pattern to hold them exactly as they slip into the collectors. To further lock them in position there are three pieces of scrap 16ga. stainless sheet tacked between the tubes just past the hose clamp. Now I can fiddle with the remaining two tubes on the bench instead of under the car. A few back and forths from bench to car will be required to check for clearance and ease of installation along the way but much easier than how I was doing things.

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/IMG_2160.jpg

 

A few other things going on in this picture. Yes, I'm aware of the fire hazard of the insulation facing near the weld bench. Relax, the hole is from various parts falling off the backside of the bench over all the years that I did not put up any drywall or other actual interior wall type finish, not from a previous fire.

 

Secondly, these 1 1/2" diameter pieces of ducting make great visual planners of the paths needed to get the lengths equal.

 

Thirdly, wish I could take credit for discovering this one, ping pong balls in the coffee can. The perfect easy way to measure centerline length. Drop them in, multiply by 1.5, done.

[Tinman]

The "easy side" turned out to be an absolute train wreck.

 

#5 was way too close to the plastic inspection cover that seals off the gap between the oil pan and bellhousing. So, a little piece of my favorite metal was whipped up to take it's place.

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/IMG_2162.jpg

 

First try and fail on the #3 primary.

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/IMG_2163.jpg

 

The new and final #3 tacked in and as it turned out, #5 pointed in the wrong direction.

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/IMG_2164.jpg

 

#5 on it's 38" long bendy route to the header flange.

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/IMG_2165.jpg

 

#5 finalized and tacked except for the last to joints.

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/IMG_2170.jpg

 

Primaries welded and tacked to the header flange for their last test fit.

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/IMG_2173.jpg

 

And the final product minus collector retaining tabs.

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/FullSizeRender.jpg

 

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/tinman_015/IMG_2177.jpg