New header install without pulling motor?

[bigmanjbmopar]

So I am down for awhile so I thought I would save up for a set of TTI headers, a new mini starter and a new steering box. How hard is it to cut out the old headers and install the tti's with motor in the car?

 

[Deleted member 214]

You might be able to get away with unbolting the motor mounts and jacking up the motor a few inches to gain some wiggle room, maybe loosening the column too. It is easier with manual steering than with power.

 

[khryslerkid]

I like doing the driver side first. It's the harder side to deal with.
Save the old headers if they are worth it. Start spraying the header bolts with penetrating lube to let it loosen them up. Disconnect the battery. Remove plug wires and plugs. Jack the car up as high as you can safely and secure with jack stands. Place a floor jack under the oil pan using a short piece of 2x6 between jack and pan. Remove the bolts on the driver's side motor mount only. Remove the starter wires. Remove starter if there is room. If not, remove header bolts to have the header loose. Jack up the engine enough to give you the room to maneuver header to get the starter out. Remove header from the bottom. Reverse procedure for installing new header. Install motor mount bolts on this side before moving on to the passenger side. Passenger side will be much easier.
Good luck!

Added note: keep an eye on the throttle cable, heater hoses and fan shroud when jacking the engine up.

 

[MarPar]

I like doing the driver side first. It's the harder side to deal with.
Save the old headers if they are worth it. Start spraying the header bolts with penetrating lube to let it loosen them up. Disconnect the battery. Remove plug wires and plugs. Jack the car up as high as you can safely and secure with jack stands. Place a floor jack under the oil pan using a short piece of 2x6 between jack and pan. Remove the bolts on the driver's side motor mount only. Remove the starter wires. Remove starter if there is room. If not, remove header bolts to have the header loose. Jack up the engine enough to give you the room to maneuver header to get the starter out. Remove header from the bottom. Reverse procedure for installing new header. Install motor mount bolts on this side before moving on to the passenger side. Passenger side will be much easier.
Good luck!

great explanation Kid!

 

[bigmanjbmopar]

Ok cool your read kid looks just like the TTI install doc lol.

On the subject, I blew out a freeze plug tonight, on the passenger side, was tossing around pulling the motor to replace it of cut out the old headers and see if it can be replaced in car. While doing that figured it wold be a good time to get the tti's in along with a High Torque Mini Starter. Wondering how hard it will be to replace the freeze plug in car no pipes in the way?

And no I have no idea why a freeze plug blew out under hard acceleration just went pop and all the coolant came out like a stream train, then temps shot up to 250, pulled over shut it down got towed home. first time it ever it's done this, never overheated. Only thing I can think of is brass plug got tapped in instead of one shot hit in and just backed out over time.

Just got done replacing oil pan and pick up and everything looked good then, so just think this is a fluke unless it happens on another one then I will pull the heads.

 

[khryslerkid]

Replacing a block frost plug without the headers in the way would be a lot easier. Find a socket that fits the plug and drive it back in. Not too far! I'll use some fine emory to rough up the inside of the hole, then a light smear of Permatex #2. (Not silicone)

I think she's liking all the attention you've been showing her!

 

[Ricky S Bee]

Installed the TTI headers 69 Dodge super bee - 383 auto = the headers are a work of art - I followed the instructions and - it is a tight fit but headers did go in = OK. I used the factory head studs and I did not have to cut down the second stud from the front - I had enough room to get the nut on the stud ( first nut ) and did not have to cut the stud - nice. The mini starter and drivers side headers are installed at the same time ( installed using a lift and a buddy helping as the drivers side header and starter where installed ). Very pleased with the headers and they look great. I did have a few items that I worked out.
Applications with a 3 section throttle rod required modification and the stock lower throttle rod required some heating and bending. Or course I thought I did not have to modify these items - until headers where installed - my wrong ( TTi internet site - I just missed it ). I also went with the TTi H-exhaust and flowmaster S-44 mufflers. The headers went in fine, but the wrong reducers where sent out ( not the correct angle ) TTi sent out the correct reducers the next day. But the drivers side exhaust would not line up - I had to take the vehicle to a muffler shop to have some heating and bending done - $ 200 later done.
The rear tail pipe and hangers - nice. Also went with the chrome Dodge tips - nice also. The headers are great - muffler hangers - heavy duty - just had the exhaust alignment problem from drivers side reducer back - other than that - I would go with TTi. Mopar Muscle has a nice article on installing TTi headers - it was a good read.

 

[hunt2elk]

I like doing the driver side first. It's the harder side to deal with.
Save the old headers if they are worth it. Start spraying the header bolts with penetrating lube to let it loosen them up. Disconnect the battery. Remove plug wires and plugs. Jack the car up as high as you can safely and secure with jack stands. Place a floor jack under the oil pan using a short piece of 2x6 between jack and pan. Remove the bolts on the driver's side motor mount only. Remove the starter wires. Remove starter if there is room. If not, remove header bolts to have the header loose. Jack up the engine enough to give you the room to maneuver header to get the starter out. Remove header from the bottom. Reverse procedure for installing new header. Install motor mount bolts on this side before moving on to the passenger side. Passenger side will be much easier.
Good luck!

Added note: keep an eye on the throttle cable, heater hoses and fan shroud when jacking the engine up.

Just like this, but I also found it was much easier to drop the steering link when putting TTi's on my 440.

 

[lewtot184]

putting the 2"tti's in my '65 coronet was easy, and i use studs. i raised the engine up and just slipped them in from the bottom. connecting the electrical stuff to the mini starter was a different issue.

 

[bigmanjbmopar]

So have been checking to find out what are some of the potential causes of this plug blow out besides just poor fit when I first installed it 3 years ago. Water pump bad? radiator cap bad? radiator clogged? or worse yet cracked cylinder wall and excessive cylinder pressure mixing with the water building pressure at high rpm's?

 

[khryslerkid]

Normally if there is a leak from the combustion chamber into the cooling system, via cracked block, cracked head, head gasket failure ect, there is a over heating problem with the engine. Yes you will have a over pressurized cooling system too but normally you'll have coolant blowing past the 15 lb rated radiator cap. If that fails you might even have a hose to blow off or rupture.
You can install the frost plug and use a radiator pressure gauge to monitor the cooling system's pressure when you get it running.

What does the area around where the frost plug blew out look like? Is there signs of corrosion from coolant leaking? That would be a sign of a loose fitting frost plug. Worse case scenario, a crack in the frost plug hole.

 

[65 Coronet]

Do you have a 383 or 440 in your car? I'm making that purchase but have a 383 with Stage V heads, so I'm going with the 1 3/4" (383440-134) as that application works with my heads.

putting the 2"tti's in my '65 coronet was easy, and i use studs. i raised the engine up and just slipped them in from the bottom. connecting the electrical stuff to the mini starter was a different issue.

 

[bigmanjbmopar]

440. was thinking the 1-3/4" were the ones for me as well, just need the mini starter. Time to start saving up again lol

Never overheated ever. Thinking just bad install, as I try to remember I may have tapped it in with an over sized socket on the outer edges and did use black rtv on it. Have not seen it yet just got it home and shut the door. Will try to get the wheel off and fender inspection cover off and see if I can view through the headers. Never seen any leak before leading up to this.

The last thing I did before going out was tight the header bolts. Not factory heads no water ports on the bolts. So I think this is just something that was ready to blow, hoping I don't see big chunks of rust

 

[Garys1969RR]

Ok cool your read kid looks just like the TTI install doc lol.

On the subject, I blew out a freeze plug tonight, on the passenger side, was tossing around pulling the motor to replace it of cut out the old headers and see if it can be replaced in car. While doing that figured it wold be a good time to get the tti's in along with a High Torque Mini Starter. Wondering how hard it will be to replace the freeze plug in car no pipes in the way?

And no I have no idea why a freeze plug blew out under hard acceleration just went pop and all the coolant came out like a stream train, then temps shot up to 250, pulled over shut it down got towed home. first time it ever it's done this, never overheated. Only thing I can think of is brass plug got tapped in instead of one shot hit in and just backed out over time.

Just got done replacing oil pan and pick up and everything looked good then, so just think this is a fluke unless it happens on another one then I will pull the heads.

I had one blow out on a 68 RR years ago. Was a newly built 413. Blew under hard acceleration just like yours did. I replaced it with one that is made of rubber, and has a nut on it. When you tighten the nut, the rubber expands and seals real good. Easy to do. Never blew out again after that.

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When you raise the motor to change the headers, just remove the motor mount thru bolt, that s much easier than removing all 3 block to motor mount bolts. Good luck!

 

[lewtot184]

Do you have a 383 or 440 in your car? I'm making that purchase but have a 383 with Stage V heads, so I'm going with the 1 3/4" (383440-134) as that application works with my heads.

my 65 coronet has a 440 in it. i've used stage v's and edelbrocks and both were a very easy install. 1 3/4's with a low deck should be simple.

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Ok cool your read kid looks just like the TTI install doc lol.

On the subject, I blew out a freeze plug tonight, on the passenger side, was tossing around pulling the motor to replace it of cut out the old headers and see if it can be replaced in car. While doing that figured it wold be a good time to get the tti's in along with a High Torque Mini Starter. Wondering how hard it will be to replace the freeze plug in car no pipes in the way?

And no I have no idea why a freeze plug blew out under hard acceleration just went pop and all the coolant came out like a stream train, then temps shot up to 250, pulled over shut it down got towed home. first time it ever it's done this, never overheated. Only thing I can think of is brass plug got tapped in instead of one shot hit in and just backed out over time.

Just got done replacing oil pan and pick up and everything looked good then, so just think this is a fluke unless it happens on another one then I will pull the heads.

brass freeze plugs?

 

[bigmanjbmopar]

Here is the offending plug holes lol, notice the old rtv left behind? and a pic of the one in the back next to it for refference. Looks like I will be able to change it, but don't tell my wife as I am using this as an excuse to get me them tti's lol

Anyone see any thing out of the ordinary? Asking not saying.

 

[khryslerkid]

Mums the word!

JMHO, I don't like RTV. It doesn't stick to anything. Paint won't stick to it so I'm not going to use it.

It might just be the picture but those plugs don't look that tall. I know they make all different height plugs. The taller they are the more side wall you have for more surface grip. Not saying that shallow ones wouldn't work ok. Here is a pic of the ones in the engine that I have. The plugs are almost a half inch tall. Installed without any sealer. If the holes are pitted, I like useing Permatex #2. Are we having fun yet!

 

[bigmanjbmopar]

Yup, lessen learned. Neighbor has the install tool to lend so should be ok. Will know this weekend after fix. hoping noting else is wrong.

 

[65 Coronet]

That's good to know on an easy install! Thanks for the info!

my 65 coronet has a 440 in it. i've used stage v's and edelbrocks and both were a very easy install. 1 3/4's with a low deck should be simple.

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brass freeze plugs?

 

[miller]

Brass plugs are a go. For what it's worth, long time ago, learned to paint freeze plugs outer surface and inside (back) with Indianhead shellac. Seals the sides, and waterproofs the inside surface.