Ok so

1 pb blaster the bolts the night before
remove exhaust manifolds (save bolts)
Clean off old gaskets
Cut factory y pipe off?
measure out new ypipe (and cut out if included) cut excess to fit.
bolt on headers (and new gasket)
bolt on ypipe
use clamp to clamp y pipe to cat back...

heres a question... if i have a 2.5" pipe now what do i do? lol

 

The Pacesetter hardware is crap. The gaskets don't hold and they only include crappy C-clamps. I'd toss all of it and order these:
- Felpro 1406 header gaskets
- ARP bolts (Ones with the 5/16" head)
- 3" band clamps (I used the $10 ones from Pep Boys and haven't had any problems... 4 total)
- Red high temp RTV (Follow the directions and let it cure for 24 hours before driving, no leaks)
- O2 extensions w/4 inline pigtail *
- EGR block off plates (There's a $20 set on eBay with gaskets that requires a bit of drilling to fit but seals well)

* When it comes to O2 extensions; You could save some cash and solder them yourself but make sure they are waterproof and the connections are clean. If you don't you car will start to surge and die after you hit the first puddle. Pacesetter includes an crappy extension kit but I tossed everything but the wire they included. Use lots of electrical tape and wire wrap.

A few things to remember for the install:
- There's a coolant temp sender on the driver side head that should be removed before you touch anything. The connector is very fragile and will break if hit by a heavy manifold or header during the swap.
- You can keep the AIR pump installed temporarily if you just pull the fuse.
- The steering knuckle will need to be removed to get the driver side header in place. Just pry at it with a screwdriver and hammer for an hour and it should come out. Don't turn the wheel once the knuckle is off. It has something to do with the clockspring + airbag and will only cause you problems.

I'd avoid Speed Engineering because they'll kill you with shipping. I saved $50 or so by ordering on eBay from Camarohawk. I'm guessing you also need an ORY pipe? What's your current exhaust setup look like?

 

1. Don't reuse gaskets. The Pacesetter flanges aren't perfect and need soft gaskets to seal unlike the stock cast manifolds w/metal gaskets.
2. Don't reuse header bolts unless you want them to shear next time.
3. Your current Y will probably need to be cut off. The bolts will shear if you attack them with a wrench or impact gun.
4. You're going to need a 3" to 2.5" converter from Pep Boys if you plan on keeping your current exhaust. It's only $5 or so.

 

Im going to get under her tonight and take some pictures. I will also start some prep work.

Why are the extensions they send so bad? I'm gonna need new o2 sensors and i know it. so suggestions on the most Cost effective solution there would be appreciated.

 

cost EFECTIVE does not mean the cheapest and i know this... I want ones that will last and will not make me scream when they twist my arm...

 

They don't send you extensions. It's a dinky little "solder-less" extension kit that's guaranteed to split. It includes a bundle of white wire and these dumb things that never hold:

 

Also... I remember hearing that a fresh ceramic coating will kill O2 sensors after some driving. It might be a good idea to unplug the O2s, cap the bungs, and drive around in open loop for a bit to burn off whatever it is that ruins the sensors. I never had this problem because my LTs were painted.

 

doing first mods is always exciting. i'm not that old that I still can't remember

it's all been typed in sticky. All of your questions including the ones you haven't asked have been answered

https://camaroforums.com/forum/lt1-l...4th-gen-58225/

FWIW, I'm not a fan of Felpro exhaust gaskets and only use dead soft aluminum ones now.

You also don't need to spend money on ARP bolts just to say you have ARP bolts. The hardware with the Pacesetters are fine

as for O2's you basically have 3 choices, NGK (NTK) , Bosch, and Delco. They all work fine and you'll hear anecdotal stories about all of them both good and bad.

 

For header gaskets: Percy's Seal-4-Good, end of discussion.
They're really the only brand that needs to be on the market.

 

^or GM OEM multi-layered steel.