PPE Long Tube Headers installed

Agent K

Well, I couldn't wait for my FI exhaust to arrive so I installed my PPE LTHs. The headers were delivered in good shape and excellent packaging. They're ceramic coated with powder black. I knew going in that these were a tough install per forum members...they were not wrong. Let me clarify, the passenger side is fairly easy to install, the driver side is a MAJOR PITA. I'm fortunate the Z isn't my daily driver.

The Start:
I put the Z on jack stands in my garage on a Saturday. I began by taking off the cross brace, engine cover, air boxes, etc. to see the stock headers. My cuz showed up and we started unbolting the heat shields...yeah we broke off a few of those flimsy bolts. We then unbolted the stock headers. And dropped them out with some heat shields still attached. We thought this was the hard part getting the stock headers out...WRONG!!!

We wanted to put the driver side PPE LTH knowing it would be the toughest. For those of you that want to install these headers without taking the motor out, you'll have to take all the driver side studs out before installing the PPE; you'll also have to disconnect the steering knuckle and tilt the motor as far as it can go. And that's the easy part. Anyway, it took us two days to get the driver side headers in place. We then put the studs back in. My cuz was spent after we set the driver side header so I finished the rest of the install by myself. Well not exactly, I had my youngest daughter give me a hand setting the passenger side header. I was actually able to torque the studs on the passenger side before I set the headers...everything else was tighten-the-s**t out of it torque. There was just not enough room to fit my torque wrench.

The End:
I finished the install on Friday night. I took the Z down off the jack stands and fired her up with fingers crossed because I had cross-threaded the bottom rear bolt hole on the driver side. So the flange nut isn't exactly flush on the header. Anyway, I fired up the Z. It started right up. A little burn off but no leaks at least not after 100 miles. No SES light and everything else works like before.

Conclusion:
I would not recommend doing this job if the Z is your daily driver, you lack time/patience, you have limited tools/skills. You're better off paying a shop to install them, and if they have any sense, they'll pull the motor. Mind you, the majority of my time was spent installing the driver side headers...around 16+ hours. The driver side took approximately 2 hours. I did the rest a little bit at a time during the week.

PPE Review:
Well there's the hiss and of course the rich exhaust smell. It brought back memories of the aftermarket exhaust I had on my Audi. The hiss is really no big deal because it is so fleeting; it's something you'll get used to. The car feels a little faster in the mid-range per butt dyno but I haven't really pushed it yet. Right now, I get what sounds like a backfire but I think this is due to the restriction of the stock exhaust; I suspect most if not all of this will go away after I install the FI exhaust. It happens on downshifts and not every gear and not all the time; it's really only occasionally. Again, I think most, if not all this will go away with the FI exhaust.

Eclipz

Holy cow. 16 hours. You must have felt like a champ after you finished the install. Post a video when you get the FI exhaust

Sent from my SGH-T999L using Tapatalk

BOLIO 671

After going through all that on this install, the install of ur FI exhaust when it arrives will be a breeze/walk in the park....Lol

__________________
2013 Nismo Z34 / FI TT #091 / IG: @lilzilla_z34

Agent K

Oh, did I fail to mention that we had to take the driver side PPE headers back out in order to tap the engine block holes. And obviously I didn't do a good job because one of studs didn't go in straight. Also, that 16+ hours included breaks and trips to the hardware store.

Megan370z

not too bad on your first time with the 370z..
I had the same issue on my first ever install with a cross threaded stud !
Then a rounded nut that took a few days to deal with ( jacked in a parking lot).

the steering knuckle has to be removed anyways and using shorter studs/nuts made this process quite a bit faster after ! 90mins for the whole process.

__________________
Megan Journal *Click Me* ....................One Man Team Motorsport *Click Me*

synolimit

Really? I left my steering knuckle. Just lifted the motor some and done.

__________________
13 370z-

Megan370z

ok

__________________
Megan Journal *Click Me* ....................One Man Team Motorsport *Click Me*

Rusty

My hardest problem was the damn heat shield on the drivers side. Trying to take it out in one piece. Left side - 45 minutes. Right side - 5 hrs.

__________________

浪人 - 殺し屋
"The Difficult Anytime, The Impossible By Appointment Only"
http://www.the370z.com/members-370z-...o-journal.html

synolimit

Ditto.

Maybe the design matters. Ppe have a odd shape.

__________________
13 370z-

Roddy1

Sounds like a PITA.

I've preached on here before about having the friend with an 09 370Z, every bolt on in the book, headers, test pipes, full exhaust, G3 intake's Uprev etc selling it and buying a 13' 370Z and running the exact same times at the track with just HFC's and drop ins. Lots of work and $$$

Thanks for your reveiw.

__________________
2011 370Z, 6-Speed Manual, Sport Package. - K&N Drop ins | Top Speed Axleback | H&R Spacers SOLD
2009 G8 GT, 6.0L LSX V8, Rotofab Intake, ARH Long tubes, SOLO exhaust, VMS Tune - SOLD

Megan370z

its all depend on your manual skill set.
I think the wrost is the factory torqued screws. other than that its a quite easy install.

__________________
Megan Journal *Click Me* ....................One Man Team Motorsport *Click Me*

Jordo!

The PPE's are one of the best N/A mods you can get -- match that to a nice H-pipe exhaust (say, take off Nismo) and you will be mightily pleased with sound and performance!

Also, see if you can get some VVEL tuning done -- OEM VVEL timing is not optimal (but acceptable) with these headers.

__________________
Enjoy it. Destroy it.

Riptide67

Took just about as long when my buddy and I did my FI LTH. That driver's side is a real pain the arse!

__________________

2009 Nismo 370Z and 1975 Datsun 280Z 2+2 - PNW_INC - Legacy_Ohana
Follow me on Instagam @s3zero_z3four

Jonez0508

i know its been awhile since you have all completed yours, but do you by chance remember having an issue with the driver side studs not lining up when trying to reinstall? i'm working that problem right now. i have 4 in straight & tight, but the 2nd top and the lower rear are giving me alignment issues. any help out be greatly appreciated.

Agent K

I know you don't won't to hear this but you probably have to take the other 4 out and start with the toughest 2. I ended up stripping the lower rear. And when I went to tap it, my tap wasn't completely straight in. So, the lower rear stud is slightly off. IIRC, I went to the dealership and bought a shorter stud for the lower rear as well. Also iirc, someone else used all shorter studs when they installed their PPE headers. All that being said, I had zero leaks after the install and still have zero leaks.

Good luck with your install. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times, PPE header install with the engine in the car is a major PITA.

__________________
'13 370Z Midnight Blue 6MT / Touring Sport w/nav / PPE Long Tube Racing Headers / FI TDX 10" Resonator w/CF mufflers / K&N Drop-Ins / ZSpeed Underbody Shroud v2 / DRL 'always on' Mod