Updates from The House of Hero

It’s been quite a while since I’ve really done any updates to this car. It’s been on the road in this configuration for 22 years now. It has been running well, but there are some maintenance items that I have been neglecting, due to working on other cars and deadlines and all that sort of “life” stuff. I’ve also had a pair of adjustable coilover shocks for the front for two years now that I haven’t been able to get on. So that started this whole operation.

The shocks will complement the rest of the TCP front suspension parts that I installed several years ago.

However, to install those, the one-piece export brace needs to mount on top of the upper assembly. It was scratched up due to the stock upper shock mounts and needed to be touched up. Done.

It’s easier to get the extra tall valve covers off with the export brace out, and one of the valve covers was leaking, so now would be a good time to fix that.

I also had a minor rear main seal leak. It’s a one piece, so the trans needs to come out. It’s easier to get to the bellhousing bolts with the headers out, and since the valve covers were off, getting to the header bolts was simple.

While the headers were off, last year, one of them bottomed out really bad on a speed bump and tore the wrap on the collector. So now would be a good time to rewrap that. Hence, also the reason why there are adjustable coilovers going in.

It’s also easier to get to the upper bellhousing bolts with the hood off. My original hinges were getting really worn out and sloppy. So, while the hood is off, I have a set of Ring Brothers billet hood hinges (Black Friday Christmas deal) to go back in.

With the stock hinges out of the way, I can also troubleshoot a brake fluid leak somewhere around the master cylinder area.

It’s a never-ending vicious cycle. :grinning:






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I’ll tell ya my experience with heat tape on headers. It doesn’t let the heat dissipate. I understand that is what it’s suppose to do. The problem is the corners or bends get red hot. This heat prematurely disintegrates the header from the inside in that area. In time a hole will punch through leaving hot gasses to escape. I will not use it again. I do wrap my starter with it to keep the header heat off of that motor. Cooler climates may have different results or the hole may take years. Also may depend on how the car is tuned and driven. Keep an eye on it. Best of luck. Looks like a nice ride.

I appreciate your input. These headers were Jet-Hot coated, inside and out, when they were brand new. They’ve been on the car since 1994. They’ve been wrapped since about 2010. I feel pretty confident that they’ll hold up.

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Thank you for the details. I may have to reevaluate my attitude toward heat tape. My headers were not coated.