yo,
For posterity
Installation, Hedman Long Tube in an 88 5.0 Source: by 95F350XL (Chris)
Installation, Hedman in a 91 5.0 Source: by PaulT
"....My Headers are in!
Well, they’re installed. Thought I’d give you guys and gals a little write up on doing this for yourselves. Sorry there aren’t any pictures, I’m sure they would have added a lot to the write up.
5.0L Bronco header install
Gather tools. Pay special attention to the tool list & be sure to not forget any.
-3/8” ratchet
-3/8” socket set, metric and SAE. Both are needed as Ford perfected rusty bolts. What started out as a 14mm may now be ½” or 13mm
-3/8” extensions. Be sure to have both sizes, “too long” and “too short”. If you get bored with how easy things are going, you can combine them and have “way too long”. Here’s another tip, get your ½-3/8 and 3/8-1/2 adapters, put them together and have a “way too short” extension too!
-hammer. Device used to make sockets fit on rusty nuts and bolts. May also be referred to as “BFH”.
-Open end wrenches, metric and SAE. An opened end wrench is a tool designed to give the impression you may actually be able to get a handle on a nut or bolt. Do not fall for this.
-Bandages First thing that came to mind after open end wrenches
-18 pack of beer
-5 packs of cigarettes (If you’re a smoker, if not, 3 should be enough to get you through the header install)
-flat blade screwdriver set. Used to remove rusted nuts from sockets after some idiot (you) hammers the socket onto the nut.
-Phillips screwdrivers Used to strip Philips screws holding in the right side fender well. Can also be used as a punch to remove rusted nuts from sockets after some idiot hammers the socket onto the nut.
-Vise Grip pliers, too many uses to list
-duct tape, because no toolbox is complete without it. Handy addition to bandages that keep coming off too
-5 gallon bucket. Makes a great step. People over 7’ 3” tall won’t need this. Less painful to kick than the Bronco when you really get into the project.
-Jack Have both on hand. One to lift the vehicle and the other to lubricate the mechanic (you). I recommend a 4 ton jack, and 3 5ths of Jack.
Although not required, I strongly recommend using air tools whenever possible. Not only will the sound of them make your neighbors think you actually have a clue about what you’re doing, but they can be helpful in expediting the removal of all that pesky blood that’s taking up valuable beer space in your veins.
OK, now that you have your tools together, let’s get to work!!!
Prepare your work area.
Send wives, small children kitty cats and bunnies to Montana, that way they’ll be safe from hearing the language you’re about to be using.
Clear plenty of room around your Bronco. If you can do the job outside, all the better. It’s important to have 2 locations prepared prior to starting, “over here”, and “over there”. “Over here” is where you are at any given moment in time. “Over there” is where the tool, bolt, header and beer that you need “over here” are usually found. For example, if you’re working under the hood, standing on your bucket on the passenger side that’d be “over here” and the wrench you need to correctly slip off the nut you’re trying to get at to help with the blood loss is “over there”. In this example, “over there” would be behind the rear tire on the driver’s side; even if you hadn’t been there all day (trust me on this).
1. Remove your truck’s battery.
2. Dance around, shake off the shock you just got, and disconnect the negative terminal FIRST! (Idiot) Combine all of your 3/8” drive extensions so you have approximately 30” of reach; remove the 8mm bolt that holds the bottom of the battery in place. Drop bolt between headlight and fender well. Crack open your first beer (remember, the family is in Montana, they won’t care that you’re drinking at 8:00 AM).
3. Get the Jack, and the jack. Take off front right tire. Remove inner fender well. Held in by a series of Philips screws. Once all screws are sufficiently stripped, use a flat blade screwdriver to pry up one edge and pull as hard as you can. Repeat for as long as necessary to remove enough blood for another beer. Periodically check under the hood to see what you’ve forgot to disconnect that’s might still be holding the #)@*& fender well in (idiot).
4. Once the fender well is removed, have a beer (hey, you’ve been working hard! Besides, it’s almost noon) Examine the bolts holding the factory exhaust manifold on.
Remove bolts using a combination of 3/8” sockets, extensions, swears, cigarettes, wrenches and any other item lying around.
5. If any accessories have brackets attached to the studs on the factory exhaust, the stud will come out of the engine and you’ll be stuck with the bracket still attached between 2 nuts on the stud. I suggest destroying the bracket at this time by bending and cutting it at will. You’ll have to do it later to make it clear the header anyway.
6. Have a beer and a smoke. Talk on the white phone in the kitchen without washing your hands first. Wives look for these kinds of evidence that you’ve actually been working and not JUST drinking beer all day.
7. Wonder why you didn’t disconnect the manifold from the rest of the exhaust first. Get under the truck to remove collector studs. Get out from under truck, go “over there” and get tools needed to remove collector studs. Get back under truck. Repeat as necessary.
8. Get rust, dirt and assorted shit in your eyes, wipe with greasy hand. Can’t be too clean when the wife gets home.
9. Congratulations!!! Have a beer before you remove the exhaust manifold from under the hood, you’ve earned it! Heck, have 2!
10. Remove the now free exhaust manifold, toss aside. Apologize to the dog for hitting him/her with the manifold. Give the manifold the ‘TTB Salute’, have a beer.
11. Install the header. A note about headers. A header is a series of tubes designed to efficiently expel spent gasses from the motor. Each tube is bent so as to not interfere with the other tubes. Every one of these bent tubes will get caught on something under the hood as you try to install it.
12. Once the header is roughly where it belongs, retrieve several header bolts from ‘over there’. Put 2 bolts approximately half way in to hold the header in place while you go ‘over there’ to collect the rest of the bolts.
13. Examine the connection between the header collector and Y pipe. Notice that they line up exactly with one another? Me either. They never do. Contemplate this connection while having a beer.
14. Decide to deal with the collector – Y pipe connection later, install the remaining 6 bolts finger tight.
15. Proper torque procedures should always be followed when installing headers. On Ford’s 5.0 and 5.8 liter engines the proper order to torque the header bolts is as follows:
Easiest to get to with no extension (1 bolt)
Easiest to get to with too short extension (2 bolts)
Easiest to get to with too long extension (2 bolts)
Easiest to get to with wrench (2 bolts)
Apply band aids, secure with duct tape
And finally the bolt in the location known as “*** were they thinking?!?!”
I got to that last one on my install, came to the end of my rope (and beer) and desperately needed some advice. Being a bronco owner, I went of course to FullsizeBronco.com and PM’d Pepe since I remembered him doing a write-up years ago, to which I owe the knowledge to take out the inner fender well on the right side.
“Pepe” I said, “I’ve come to my wits end, I don’t know what to do, I don’t have a leg to stand on and you….well… have a leg. You’ve done headers on a Bronco, what do I do with this bolt?!”
Pepe was kind enough to share his wisdom. “Ah Grasshopper, it’s been many moons since I’ve done headers on a Bronco, but maybe you should try crow’s foot wrenches”
So I added to my toolbox and your tool list
-Crow’s foot wrenches. Sneaky little wrench heads that go on the end of your ‘too long’ or ‘too short’ 3/8” drive extensions. Designed to give you the impression that you may actually be able to get a different angle on a bolt head, but also gives greater torque and therefore, more pain when your hand hits the back of the alternator.
16. Once all bolts are tightened securely, sit back and have a beer. Be careful not to set your beer on the header gasket you left out.
17. After 3 beers, decide you should really put the gasket in. Remove bolts in any order, just get the $@(^%ing things out.
18. Slide the gasket between the header and head.
19. Remove gasket, flip around, slide back in. Repeat as necessary.
20. Retrieve 2 bolts from “over there” (how’d they get over there?!?!). Put them through the header ****** AND GASKET, and ***** them into the head. Have a beer. Retrieve remainder of bolts from Over There, repeat step 15 with header gasket in place.
21. Once all bolts are properly torqued, have a beer and admire your work.
22. Remove bolts that should have had an accessory bracket attached. Put bolt through what’s left of the bracket and back in place through the header. Bend and twist bracket until it clears the header, or you’re out of bandages, whichever comes first. Re-torque these bolts & watch the bracket twist even more.
23. Make a general announcement to the sky that you’re ½ way there. Have a beer or Jack to celebrate
24. Re-install tire. Use hammer to tap socket off old rusted lug nuts. After tightening the last lug nut, leave the socket on it so you’ll know where it is later. Examine tire, make sure you put it right side out so you don’t rip your valve stem off when you test drive the truck (hmmm who could that be??) cough cough Jackhart cough cough
25. Gather up all your tools; move them to the other side of the truck in an area that you approximate to be “over here”.
26. The driver’s side is much easier, as you don’t have to remove the inner fender well. Decide that the bucket would serve you better if the truck wasn’t still jacked up. Remove jack from under truck. Mmmm, Jack….ok, have another.
27. Review header manufacturer’s directions for left side install of headers. They sound so easy, don’t they? Ah, something about the dipstick bracket and some other thing, I’ll figure it out when I get there.
28. Standing on your bucket, try to remember what size the exhaust manifold bolts had rusted down to. Go Over There and collect those sockets and wrenches. Now, go back and get the right size. Have a beer.
29. With socket attached to the ‘too long’ extension, while standing on your bucket, lean over the fender and remove bolts.
30. Switch to ‘too short’ extension; start to remove remainder of exhaust bolts and studs. Accessory brackets follow the same pattern as those on the right side of the motor, treat accordingly. Have a beer
31. For the last 2 bolts, try the “way too short” extension trick. Once completely defeated, locate the box end wrench that best fits the rust.
32. As bolt looses, or wrench slips, expect to see not only blood this time, but the left side also has the added bonus of the brake cylinder. Fall off bucket, knock the reservoir off the main cylinder as the wrench slips, and experience the excitement of brake fluid running down your new cuts. Wrap cuts with paper towels and duct tape. Finish removing bolt. Have a beer.
33. Remember the Y pipe? Should have done that first again.
34. Go under the truck. Look at the studs; get out from under the truck.
35. ***** the beer. Head for the Jack. Trip over the jack going to the Jack. Have a chuckle at the irony of the jacks.
36. Collect tools, get back under the truck, tap socket on to stud nut. Wish you knew where your goggles were, wipe dirt out of your eyes, remove stud nut. Note the nut won’t come off, but the stud will come out of the exhaust manifold. Decide that’s good enough, it’s disconnected. Move to the next nut confident that it’ll be that easy.
37. Remove second stud. Find that it has 2 nuts, one on either side of the Y pipe ******.
38. Put a wrench on the nut on the top side of the ******, socket hammered onto the bottom & turn.
39. Paper towels, duct tape
40. Attach vise grip pliers to top side of stud, try to turn again as the vise grips loose their grip
41. Paper towels, duct tape
42. Locate map gas torch! Light torch, light cigarette off torch. Tighten vise grips on stud so tight that Superman would burst a vessel trying to get them off.
43. Heat nut until its red hot, then turn off torch.
44. Look for socket for nut, go Over There and get socket that was right next to you 30 seconds ago.
45. Holding socket in one hand so as to not loose it again, relight torch, reheat nut. Put socket on red hot nut. Look for ratchet.
46. After retrieving ratchet, extensions, beer and wrenches from Over There, try to remove nut again. Watch as stud turns in vise grips again.
47. Paper towels, duct tape. Beer and contemplate exhaust ****** stud. Decide on hacksaw.
48. Back under truck with hacksaw. Grasp stud with left hand to keep it steady while sawing.
49. Have a beer with left hand soaking in ice water in cooler (idiot). Decide you should have waited longer before touching stud that just had the torch applied to it. Be thankful for Jack’s efforts to preemptively make parts of you numb.
50. Remove blade from hacksaw since the whole saw won’t fit where you need to cut the stud. Give up on saw after 80 seconds.
51. Think…….Ah ha! New air chisel! Get air chisel, go under truck, exit from under truck, go Over There & retrieve air hose. Attach to air chisel.
52. Watch ****** spin around pipe as soon as you hit the trigger on air chisel.
53. Put air chisel away, decide you’ll get to really use it when you do your lift.
54. Remember in bottom of one of your toolboxes is a nut splitter. Retrieve nut splitter, find dog hiding from you in workshop, coax dog out of shop. Feeling guilty, give the dog a beer in his water dish.
55. Place nut splitter on nut and hand tighten. Grab impact gun & ¾” socket. Put socket on nut splitter, pull trigger.
56. Get out from under truck, retrieve air hose, attach to impact gun. Split nut. Remove stud. Congratulations!!!!
57. Another beer for you and the dog!
58. Remove factory exhaust manifold from engine bay. Throw in opposite direction of the dog, give salute.
59. Put new header in engine compartment & then remove.
60. Remove dipstick. With a twisting motion, loosen and remove dip stick tube.
Retrieve vise grips, attach to remainder of rusted & now broken dip stick tube, twist and remove remainder of dip stick tube. Make mental note to self to get new dip stick tube before firing up the truck.
61 Install header as before. Remember the gasket on the first try this time.
62. Use the same torque sequence as on the right side of the motor.
63. When torquing the “*** were they thinking” bolt, fall off bucket, knock main brake cylinder reservoir off again.
64. No more paper towels or duct tape…..left sock & zip tie.
65. You’re all done! Have a beer if you have any left. Clean up your tools, get a shower and when the wife and kids get back from Montana tell you how great it looks, just smile and say “it was nothing”.
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Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "Holy shit what a ride!"..."
