Flowtech longtubes?? need info>
 

I passed up a chance to buy some used longtube (mac) headers, and h-pipe for a 150$, i didnt wait for the guy to take them off, im stupid...:confused:

so, now I want some new ones, Flowtech has some for fairly cheap in summitt, has anyone had any problems with them? im sure installation isnt fun, but im willing to do it, also, would it match to another short h-pipe, such as mac, or bbk? or will i have to get the x-pipe flowtech offers for 199$ ?

Thnx for any info

In my case I went with Mac 1 5/8 long tubes

Regrets Yes,they aren't the best quality-wise,next time I install headers I will go with BBK long tube headers..

I have no experience with the Flowtech headers,but I can tell you that when I was lookin around at the various brands of headers,I noticed people were not very happy overall with their Flowtech headers,FWIW...

Ive got flowtech long tubes on my car and all i can tell you is they completely suck to install, even with engine out of the car. its a tight fit at first and you MUST remove the steering shaft in order for the driver side to go on at all. other than that ive had no problems.

p.s. i dont run an h-pipe of any kind.

I dont see why one set of Lt's can be harder to install than another 1-5/8 set? I had a mechanic tell me they didnt have to jack up the motor at all? and on a lift, they can be installed without too much hassle, is he wrong? if not, i will just buy some longtubes, and use someones lift.....sounds fun:(

Ya,I've known alotta mechanics who have said & done many things that were later proved wrong in their reasoning as well.

I'd like to see a mechanic install long tube headers from underneath the car without first having the motor mounts loosened up..

The bottom line is this,exhaust work is no fun,but take your time,dont tighten anything up til everything is situated underneath the car without rubbing on anything and when everything is fitted right,then tighten everything

When i was first putting everything in my car, i got a set of flowtech long tubes and after trying to fit them in for about an hour i simply gave up on them. I exchanged them for a set of flowtech shorties and they worked perfect. Make sure you hit whatever headers you get with some good high temp paint or they will look nasty after a month, or spend the extra $$ and get them ceramic coated.

I have a set of FlowTech's equal length long tube headers on my 89GT. There is a couple of things to say about them. For self-installation, they are far easier to install then any other long tube header. Yes, you do have to remove the steering shaft but that only takes 10 minutes. Keep in mind that my car does not have any A/C equipment or pollution control air pump and hoses have been removed. I installed the headers in about 4 hours in my parking lot, working from the top and bottom and only using a jack and a pair of jack-stands.
It's true that the runners are a pain to fit, but they fit. I never had to unbolt the engine mounts. If you are willing to spend the time then go with them, but don't do a halfass job once you start.

Some CON'S, the runners are to long and the collector neck is not bent early enough. If your car is lowered then they will scrape. The holes on the runners that bolt to the head are too close to the runner and this makes the bolts difficult to tighten but not impossible. Hope this helps.
Any more questions?

thanx alex, i plan on spending a whole day on this if necessary, what h-pipe are you running? is it a flowtech brand? i heard some wont mate up to others....btw you have some nice e.t#'s i would think your mph would be higher with longtubes and ported heads, what gear are you running?:)

I'm using a FlowTech H-pipe. You are right, some after market H or X pipes won't fit, but just find a good exhaust shop and you will be on your way. I'm installing side exhaust this summer and it's a custom job. I asked around and it shouldn't be more then $150, therefor I assume an h or x pipe should not be much more.