EZ$
02-09-2020, 08:50 PM
OK, so I'm moving along at my normal glacial speed. Got a few items done that I needed to complete, and have reached the point that I need to attempt a first start. Picked up an Optima Red top 34, and placed it in the battery box under the floor in the trunk. Realized when I put it in that it better never go bad, because once the body is on there is no way it's coming out. But I digress.
Since the engine has sat for a while, and has never been started, I was going to remove the plugs, connect the battery, pray that I don't end up selecting a new pope (white smoke), and before putting any fuel in the tank, I was going to spin the engine to check for some oil pressure, and possibly get some PS fluid pumped into the system. Got the plugs pulled on the PS, and went to remove the plugs on the DS. Well that's a no go. Can't get a plug socket on the plug. The flanges on the shorty header encroach on the opening enough to not allow the plug socket to seat on the plug. Only option that I can see is to disassemble the side pipe, J pipe, and mark and remove the header. I'll have to grind off the offending flanges enough that the plugs will be accessible. Bad thing is the shorty headers are part#14333, ceramic coated. So now I guess I'm going to destroy the ceramic coating, as well as go through the PITA of removing the header which was a ***** when the engine was on a stand.
Has anyone run into this issue? I don't ever remember anyone talking about it. Why would shorty headers that are supposed to be made for this application, have this issue? Will I actually destroy the ceramic, requiring recoating, or can this be done without serious damage?
On a side note, does anyone know if the straight pipes, part #13861, are coated, or just plain metal?
Since the engine has sat for a while, and has never been started, I was going to remove the plugs, connect the battery, pray that I don't end up selecting a new pope (white smoke), and before putting any fuel in the tank, I was going to spin the engine to check for some oil pressure, and possibly get some PS fluid pumped into the system. Got the plugs pulled on the PS, and went to remove the plugs on the DS. Well that's a no go. Can't get a plug socket on the plug. The flanges on the shorty header encroach on the opening enough to not allow the plug socket to seat on the plug. Only option that I can see is to disassemble the side pipe, J pipe, and mark and remove the header. I'll have to grind off the offending flanges enough that the plugs will be accessible. Bad thing is the shorty headers are part#14333, ceramic coated. So now I guess I'm going to destroy the ceramic coating, as well as go through the PITA of removing the header which was a ***** when the engine was on a stand.
Has anyone run into this issue? I don't ever remember anyone talking about it. Why would shorty headers that are supposed to be made for this application, have this issue? Will I actually destroy the ceramic, requiring recoating, or can this be done without serious damage?
On a side note, does anyone know if the straight pipes, part #13861, are coated, or just plain metal?