Headers for a 1992 Hardbody

[D21_Destroyer]

I've tried searching but haven't been able to find what i'm looking for. It seems like I can get some headers for only a bit more than a regular manifold, and my current manifold is crapped out.

So what I'm wondering is does anyone have experience with putting headers on a hardbody, so far I'm looking at Pacesetters, but I found that http://www.4x4parts.com also sells headers for a bit cheaper.

If anyone has experience with either of these brands on the hardbody let me know, I'd like to go for the cheaper 4x4parts ones, but I'd like to know they'll actually work first. Either way, I'm too hard up to buy ceramic coated headers, and I have to fix this soon, the leak in my current manifold kills spark plug wires, leads to misfires, and crappy mileage that i can't afford.

[Desert Rat]

Installation on a 4 banger is pretty easy assuming everything isn't rusted on there solid. Pacesetter is probably your only alternative. I have one on my KA24DE in my Frontier. Installation took me about 2 hours.

[D21_Destroyer]

I'm gonna have to tap at least 2 new threads where exhaust bolts were beheaded (someone installed the old manifold way past torque specs), thus the leak. Mostly I was wondering if the 4x4parts.com headers were any better or worse than the pacesetters because they're a bit cheaper.

[Desert Rat]

The 4x4parts.com header probably IS the Pacesetter one.

[D21_Destroyer]

Thanks for the help, I'll let you know how the install goes, I've already broken one pipe, and found that the manifold was only attached by 2 bolts, oh well truck was free.

[Desert Rat]

Hard to complain about a free truck, that's for sure.

[D21_Destroyer]

anyone happen to know the proper size of the bolts to connect the manifold? I'm not sure i trust the two i found, and I need to get the bolts before I can finish installing headers.

[WWJD]

take a bolt or a nut with you to a hardwear store to match them up. I belive they might be 12mm/1.50

[D21_Destroyer]

i was trying to find something that wasn't what was already on there. I'm pretty sure the bolts I had weren't the proper mounting bolts, figure I should have studs for the exhaust manifold.

[D21_Destroyer]

next question, when removing the old exhaust manifold I broke a pipe leading from it, it was the top of the two pipes in the manifold. I believe this pipe is part of the EGR system so I was wondering what it was actually called as I'll need to replace it.

[WWJD]

most people go and get flex tube from home depo (hard wearstore) ment for water heaters (it's made of copper)

I think the name of the oem tube would be EGR tube?

[D21_Destroyer]

allright, got the install completed. FYI drive around with just the headers for a few minutes, preferably in a parking lot, it's really fun setting off alarms. (Don't worry I hooked everything else up in short order, without the cat and muffler it was obnoxiously loud).

If anyone else feels like pursuing the headers option in the future here's a couple things to look out for.

Cat-back, this was pretty bad on mine, the muffler actually disconnected from the resonator because it rusted all the way through the connection in the past 16 years of the trucks life. This caused the whole assembly to be out of place when i tried hooking up the headers and I thought the downpipe on the headers was too long for at least an hour before i finally realized that the exhaust brackets in back were just all whacked out.

When you get the headers installed let the engine idle for a few minutes, lots of smoke will start spewing out, I was freaking out for a second, thought i did something wrong and sprung a horrific leak. Once I realized it wasn't exhaust I was still confused, a friend was there with me and pointed out it was probably just the paint burning off, which it was.

Other than that though the install went pretty good. Everything fit fine and no real fabrication was necessary, i think i ended up removivng one original exhaust bracket right before the cat because it was in the way of the new routing, but with the way the headers are set up and where other brackets are it wasn't necessary to have a bracket there anyways. Truck sounds pretty good too, actually a bit quieter at low rpms, and a deeper sounds all through the rpms. Couldn't tell you if it made any more power since the truck wasn't running well before the switch, but at $30 ovver the price of an oem manifold I'd say if you need to replace the part, headers are probably a solid choice.