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New C4 Exhaust System - More Bark With Your Bite, Part 2 - Tech

Our Project '87 Gets A New Set Of Vocal Cords
By Dick Moritz
Photography by Dick Moritz
1987 Corvete Upgraded Exhaust System Exhaust System
Picking up where we left off... 
   
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1987 Corvete Upgraded Exhaust System Exhaust System
Picking up where we left off last month, we removed the heat shield on the passenger side to allow for installation of the right-side header. This shield keeps exhaust heat away from fuel lines and filters. It required a little cutting after the header was installed in order to allow a sufficient air gap between the header and the shield.
1987 Corvete Upgraded Exhaust System Manifold Nuts
Two of the three manifold... 
   
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1987 Corvete Upgraded Exhaust System Manifold Nuts
Two of the three manifold nuts were so heavily rusted that the studs broke off, even though we had sprayed them liberally with penetrant. if we were going to re-use these manifolds, we would have replaced the studs and also used extra-long brass nuts made specifically for use on exhaust manifold studs.
1987 Corvete Upgraded Exhaust System Underside Car
We marked the underside of... 
   
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1987 Corvete Upgraded Exhaust System Underside Car
We marked the underside of the car at the rear edge of the catalytic converter flange. This allowed us to be sure the new system was in the proper fore-and-aft position to ensure proper alignment and positioning. Here, barely visible, is the hose clamp that holds the A.I.R. tube in place on the passenger side as seen from below. We're not sure when this clamp might have been installed when the car was built, but there's surely no way to get any kind of screwdriver on it or even a 1/4-inch drive socket, so we used a small box wrench to loosen it.
DIFFICULTY INDEX ::: IIII
ANYONE'S PROJECT | no tools required I
BEGINNER | basic tools II
EXPERIENCED | special tools III
ACCOMPLISHED | special tools and outside help IIII
PROFESSIONALS ONLY | send this work out IIIII

1987 Corvete Upgraded Exhaust System Coolant Temp Sensor
On the driver side is a coolant... 
   
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1987 Corvete Upgraded Exhaust System Coolant Temp Sensor
On the driver side is a coolant temperature sensor located between the two front spark plugs. this must be disconnected very carefully since this-like all the other plastic connectors in the engine compartment-have grown brittle with age and break easily. Happily, ours did not, but we were very gentle with it. The left-side exhaust manifold lifted out easily without the need to remove the alternator, just the rear support bracket. The gasket surface needs to be perfectly clean to prevent leaks. We cleaned the last of the gasket material off with an abrasive pad, but we left the spark plugs in and also plugged the exhaust ports in order to keep abrasive particles out of the engine.
1987 Corvete Upgraded Exhaust System Air Tube
No, we're not trying out for... 
   
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1987 Corvete Upgraded Exhaust System Air Tube
No, we're not trying out for the Olympic pole-vaulting competition; this was the only way we were able to remove the A.I.R. tube that runs back to the catalytic converter. Reinstallation was similarly awkward.
1987 Corvete Upgraded Exhaust System Right Side Header
As shown in the previous photo,... 
   
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1987 Corvete Upgraded Exhaust System Right Side Header
As shown in the previous photo, we had to disconnect the ESC knock sensor in order to gain clearance to put the right-side header up into place.
1987 Corvete Upgraded Exhaust System Upper Bolt
We were surprised to find... 
   
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1987 Corvete Upgraded Exhaust System Upper Bolt
We were surprised to find that the right-side header was such a snug fit that we had to remove the torque converter inspection cover and just about everything else in sight to find enough room to squeeze the header up into place. Yes, the starter had to come out as well. Since we knew this was going to be a pretty ambitious project, we had disconnected the battery at the beginning of the job so sparks wouldn't fly when we were working around electrical connections.
1987 Corvete Upgraded Exhaust System Right Side Header
Trial and error taught us... 
   
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1987 Corvete Upgraded Exhaust System Right Side Header
Trial and error taught us that we would not be able to install the upper bolt of the starter support bracket once the header was in place. we left it in place, but loose, so we could pivot the bracket as needed when sliding the header into place.
1987 Corvete Upgraded Exhaust System Right Side Header
Here's something else we didn't... 
   
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1987 Corvete Upgraded Exhaust System Right Side Header
Here's something else we didn't expect. There's no way the right-side header would go in without removing the engine's oil dipstick tube. We tried a mechanic's trick of using hose clamps, a piece of coat hanger, and a slide hammer with gripping pliers to try to extract the tube from above without damaging it, but to no avail. After several tries, we ended up using locking pliers and a hammer, knowing we'd ruin the tube in the process. We ordered up a new dipstick tube from our local Chevy dealer for $37.

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