mmr007

I have some aftermarket headers I want to put on my lifted expedition. There is a shop right by my house that will do it for $150...no cutting or welding or anything required...direct bolt on....anywho....I kind of want to do it myself, but myself doesn't really know what myself is doing. But I really want to get more hands on in regards to my cars (for example, I once called AAA for roadside assistance when I had a flat tire in my own driveway and yes they actually laughed)....what was I talking about?...oh yeah, well so I wanted to see if someone here in the club who knows what they are doing would be willing to assist and get paid to boot...you know, for your time, and putting up with me...well mostly putting up with me

anyway, hopefully I have some takers, if not, I'll know that I truly have no friends and I'll just go kill myself...maybe that's a bit much...perhaps I'll just lay on the couch with a beer listening to Eric Carmen's "All by myself" for an hour straight....or maybe Celine Dion's updated version...at least until Barret-Jackson reruns come on tv

BA Mustang

If they are a direct fit they shouldn't be that hard. Me and my dad are working on a 64 truck with a vette engine. We just put headers on it. Didn't take us long at all. Only thing it still no exhaust on it.

Rogue

if this is a 4.6 or 5.4 180.00 is a great price and i would let a shop do it to warranty any leaks !

mmr007

it's the 5.4 and actually it's $150 which is an awesome price I am sure......I'm just really interested in trying to do more for myself but I need to take baby steps.

kennyg

YOU CAN DO IT!!! Being a fairly new vehicle you shouldn't encounter the heavily rusted fasteners as we do on early models. Look over the header kit before you begin and make sure you have all the parts, both headers, gaskets, and any bolts that will be replaced. SAFETY FIRST! Chock the wheels to prevent the vehicle from rolling if you are leaving it on the ground, and if you have to jack it up, make sure you have jack stands that are rated to support the vehicle you are working on, and work on a level surface. Spray any fasteners you can see threads with a good penetrate like PB Blaster and allow to soak, the longer the better. And remember, lefty loosey-righty tighty. Take your time, and don't break anything since you don't have any spare parts. When reinstalling fasteners, make sure they are threading in properly, a cross threaded hole in a head is almost certainly going to mean removal of the head, and then you have opened a whole new can of worms (save them for fishing!). Even if the whole process takes you longer than you think it should have, being careful and thorough will give you the desired results. Just think how much gas you'll save while the Expedition is sitting in your driveway! Good luck, and don't be afraid to ask for help. kennyg

Extreme21

If you provide a nice shady area and beer, I'll bring a lawn chair and gladly watch you do the work. Okay, I'll pitch in for pizza too. Oh, dude, while your at it....why not add NOS!

Okay....Since the $150 mechanic is near you, is it possible to ask them if you can "lend a hand"? That way you get eyes- and hands-on experience while still getting the job done professionally with guarantee.

kennyg

Saw a sign in a shop once that read something like this:

Labor Rates:
$50 Hour
$75 Hour if you watch
$100 Hour if you help

Pizza and beer! Sounds like a club activity! Mber can give you references! kennyg

mmr007

well since no one wants to help, I'm gonna start small...maybe clean the old french fries out from underneath my car seat. If I can finish that without any problems I might try the headers

Rogue

all i know is on my 97 i cant even reach the header bolts, hope yours is easier

nos dude 4 president!

KEEP

Did you get those headers installed yet?

mmr007

not yet...still too scared to take on such a task by myself. I can pay the guy easily, I just wanna see if I can work up the courage to do this myself. Honestly, the hardest thing I've ever done is put offset steering rack bushings on a 90 GT by myself, replaced an alternator and swapped in some white face gauges....that is the sum total of my mechanical experience

Rogue

as long as you have plenty of room to access everything it is an easy task, i do haveto ask are you using shorty heraders, if not you will need a different cross over pipe, i am guessing since you said bolt on it must be shorty's

there are only a few bolts holding the manifold to the pipe, and i think 8 bolts holding the manifold to the engine, after removing the header just clean the surface of all old gasket and reinstall,

like i said if you have ample room it is a piece of cake and if you need help i can lend a hand!

mmr007

They are shorty headers and it seems there is enough room, again since the truck is lifted, there is room to play tag football under the truck, but looking at the set up is scary (for me) I can't see all the header bolts on the heads and any help is seriously, SERIOUSLY appreciated. Like I said, I'm willing to pay someone for their time, and yes it is easier just to pay someone at the shop to do it, but you know....you watch these shows Sunday morning on SPIKEtv about working on cars and I just start to feel like a lazy turd for not even changing my own oil

Mberglo

You're a lazy turd if you don't change your own oil!

mmr007

I can put stickers on my car all by myself

kennyg

Is that like a floater? kennyg

KEEP

Headers are a good first project. They are not hard at all to install just takes twice as much time as you would expect. There will ALLWAYS be some small issues that pop up but you can work them out. You will enjoy it much better if you do the work. Plus it will give you confidence to do more difficult projects. The main thing is just to be safe while you do the work.