Installing header
 

(I already searched)



Hey I'm trying to install an RB Header on my S5 and have found it to be a pain in the ass. The top two manifold studs it seems are right behind the 5-6 port actuators. Once I managed to worm my fingers in behind there and get a socket on the nut I only had about 5 degrees of rotation to try to get them off. Does this sound about right? Any advice?

Would taking the actuators off help? Only problem I had on my S4 was getting it to torque down right since it didn't seem to line up very well with my cat back.

I used to use a socket with a piece of tape in it to hold the nut.
I would then use a long extension to hand start the nut.
You can't see the stud, so you have to do it by feel.

Yeah, been there done that got the t-shirt. Its a pain just trying to change it.

So Just stick with trying to get at it from behind the actuators, or do I really need to go to the truble of removing the actuators first?

i did it without taking the actuators off. it was a bitch. i had the car on jack stands and got em from the bottom. use the tight space and be patient, they will come. the right tools help, i forget what size ratchet i used

I found it to be easier if you get at it from under the car...just my .02

yeah, I'm getting under that car, and I can feel the 2 bolts and I can get the socket on them, but it's just really tight. Like almost no room to turn the rachet

Guess I'll go at it again tomorrow

It's not that bad removing the actuators I've always had the gasket stay in one piece just two nuts and it comes off . That is how I did mine .Sometimes it's easier doing things the hard way .

I don't know what to say to that. I took mine's to a friend's shop and watch them do it. they didn't have to take the actuators off. they just easied it in. or did they drop it in from the top? I forget.

Well I have big hands so that will make a difference also . I took the old manifold off and put the header on from the bottom of the car .But I took the two top nuts off from the top .

anybody got anything else? It's gonna be really nice today so I'll just take the time after work and do it the hard way.

I did it all from in the hood. I HAD to jack the car up to remove the downpipe bolts, theres no way you can get them off without jacking up the car. I just used a really long assed extension, I felt for the bolts underneath the manifold, did the hard ones first. The ones on top of the manifold were easy with the actuators off.

I installed an RB collected header once, when I still had the whole 6PI system. I remember I had to remove the 5th and 6th port actuators to *barely* reach the top two header bolts. A real pain in the ass - made a 2-hour job go way longer (because I was just figuring this out as I went along...

If you want the installation to be easy, buy a Camden supercharger kit, makes putting on and taking off the header much easier :)