DIY: E46 Header Installation Guide

Mine runs a lil rich also. If you take it up to the rev limiter and let it bounce off in nuetral it almost sounds like it pops out of the exahust. I do not have o2 sims either. Need to get them last time I went to buy they were sold out.

Originally Posted by redlin'r

Got them installed! Great fitment and fairly easy to tackle. I still have to do the o2 sim.

I have no muffler or second resonator and boy is it loud. Seems to be running rich as it pops a lot on declaration.

I went for a test drive and I had the car turn off and throw a ses after going to redline then neutral...normal? I am thinking this will go away after o2 sim.

Sent from my ADR6300 using Bimmer

post vid or go home

Originally Posted by ///Mostarac

post vid or go home

Will do. I am babying it right now until I get the o2 sim wired in tonight. It sounds like a beast after 2500rpm. Video to follow by the end of the weekend.

As for updates I was thinking about the neutral stall-out. My belief is that with the back pressure reducing it cause the car to stall out after redlining and throwing it in neutral.

lol i dont even have 02 sims, in fact my 02 sensors arent even plugged in

installed my headers today, took me about 5 hours from start to finish. Nothing special about an xi.In fact I got all the bolts out without having to jack the engine up. I did however take off the motor mounts to get those enormous cats to fit up through the top. installed o2 simulator and I thought it wasn't working until I drove it for a mile and the service engine soon light turned off, so I'm pretty sure I'm good there as well. There was some initial smoke coming from my engine bay after I first started it up and gave it some gas, but it stopped after I played with the throttle for about 1 minute. I assumed this was simply the new gaskets? I didn't use threadlock or loctite so it couldnt have been that. I think I'm going to take it back into the shop tomorrow just to make sure that everything is tightened down when its hot. I think the hardest part was realizing that in order to get the front header to turn and fit onto the studs I had to bend a useless piece of metal that was attached to the subframe in order to turn it to match the face of the motor. I would also highly recommend air tools haha, there was no way I was going to be able to do this DIY without having some power to get the studs out of the engine. It was too dark to take a video today, I'll be installing a Magnaflow Catback later this week... Then ill video it up. Should be fun having to extend, bend, cut, weld the header to 1st resonator section to fit the xi, but I'll make it work.

Can somebody tell me if I have to unbolt the exhaust from the headers, when I only want to replace the gasket between the engine and the manifold? Is there any room to get the new gaskets out/in when I don't unbolt the exhaust?
My BMW is changing into a Harley Davidson.
Thanks

It is probably possible to do it without but its gunna be hard as hell. Trick with the exhaust is use your jack under the muffler. Makes taking it on and off a TON easier.

Sent from my MB865 using Bimmer

Thanks for the info, I think I'm taking my Bimmer to the shop (not the stealer) as it is becomming very cold these days and I can not risk braking off exhaust studs, the ones that are mounted to the engine.

Was I the only one having issues with the header hitting the AC lines?

A simple question. Often I see you guys have "SERVICEENGINE" light on after installation. Does it reset , or you just drive with all the errors?

Originally Posted by bwallace530

How did you get the top O2's off. I cant seem to get a wrench on them?

because there is a special tool to remove it due to the wire, have to unplug the sensor first and use the special socket after

I have a problem, HOW THE HELL DID YOU GUYS EXCESS THE nuts on the exhaust manifold? what tools should I be using I got the front 2 off the bottom cuz I was able 2 reach while laying on my back with a wrench and socket. I cant see what im working on all 8 tops but can feel but cant really work since the tin wrapped cords are in the way. Know what im talking about?

this was on another post."Step 5
Break off heat shields from manifolds by working up and down until the riviots let go.This will allow better acess to all the studs and is nessicary in my opinion."

but im just gonna remove all nuts and remove headers and

Originally Posted by driftingSOCALE46

because there is a special tool to remove it due to the wire, have to unplug the sensor first and use the special socket after

Or take out the original manifold with the O2's in them still. Then just use a closed end box wrench. Special socket isn't required that way.

sent from my ATARI sc1224

fast response please..... in need of thew answer by the end of the day
"I have a problem, HOW THE HELL DID YOU GUYS EXCESS THE nuts on the exhaust manifold? what tools should I be using I got the front 2 off the bottom cuz I was able 2 reach while laying on my back with a wrench and socket. I cant see what im working on all 8 tops but can feel but cant really work since the tin wrapped cords are in the way. Know what im talking about?"

Originally Posted by driftingSOCALE46

fast response please..... in need of thew answer by the end of the day
"I have a problem, HOW THE HELL DID YOU GUYS EXCESS THE nuts on the exhaust manifold? what tools should I be using I got the front 2 off the bottom cuz I was able 2 reach while laying on my back with a wrench and socket. I cant see what im working on all 8 tops but can feel but cant really work since the tin wrapped cords are in the way. Know what im talking about?"

You need a 11mm or 7/16 gear wrench,and a 1/4" drive ratchet with an 11mm swivel socket,also an 11mm deep socket with a short extension. You need to remove the large aluminum brace plate for access from underneath,and you need to break off the heat shields from the gaskets on the top.

sent from my ATARI sc1224

Or a small air ratchet with 11mm deep. That helped me a lot.


sent from my ATARI sc1224

will brake them off now then, but I bought gaskets with heat shields to be installed, can i get them installed or should I cut the shields off of the new gaskets

i have all the nuts off the 1st header, but thinking of leaving the studs in, is it possible to remove the manifolds without removing the studs? or is that just wishful thinking. can get the nuts on the second manifold till the 1st one is out

last problems Im having is NONE of the sensors fit in the headers.... DAMN CHINESE CRAP, sensors cant go through the floor or through the other header... damn Chinese crap. The other problem Im having is 1 of the tubes on the header hits the engine mount bracket when lower the engine in.... and prevents me from reaching the top nut from above the engine bay. My solution is just tighten the engine mount before installing so no need to tighten it once installed but the problem of hitting the brace/bracket is still an issue since once I hit a pot hole there is NO PLAY between the engine mount/bracket and headers so the engine will get a jolt and I am thinking that could brake off a stud. And I also cant attach the flanges to the stock exhaust THEY ARE NOT FLUSH. DAMN CHINESE ****!!!!