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A couple of questions about Thorleys


nige
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'm finally going to solve the manifold problem once and for all by throwing a new set of thorleys on. I'm just about to order them, i just have to figure out who I'm gonna ship them to. It is a bit of a pain to get parts in from the states without paying duty on them, but that's besides the point. Of all you owners of thorlies, do you recommend using the supplied gaskets or should I go with the paper-sandwiched-by-metal type? I think that it's also a good idea to replace all the old studs with the stronger 300zx parts. I'm still debating if I should get an oil filter relocation kit (i just spent a whack of cash on plugs, wires, cap, rotor, pcv valve, fuel filter and an antenna adapter for the Alpine) I know that these leaky manifolds are causing my $hitty milage and with gas as high as it is, it's almost stupid not to do this upgrade. I haven't decided if i'll order form summit or rocky-road (nobody in canada stocks the part) so if any of you guys have some tips on purchasing and installing these, i sure would like to know. i'm gonna place my order around next monday or tuesday (payday Very Happy )

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I will be doing the same when the cash flow stops hemmorhaging into the tow van project. Here's my thoughts after dealing with headers before and carefully planning my attack scheme:

 

Headers are one of those projects you only want to do once... You really do not want to have to pull them back off 'cuz you cut a corner or two... Trust me!

 

Definitely go with the Thorleys over Pacesetter. The Thorleys I received for my tow van are very nicely built. Cheap headers suck and cost you mondo time and bucks to constantly chase leaks.

 

Studs: Since the headers will be steel, they will apply less stress than the cast iron stockers and the risk of additional breakage is reduced. But then again, why risk it? Do you really want to go back and do it again? All pathy's with over 100K miles appear to be susceptible to breakage, which indicates the thermal cycling the engine has gone through has stressed the original studs to the breaking point. They are all weaker than when brand new - not just the ones that already broke. Replacing them now makes the risk of one ever breaking again very low. Even using stock but new Pathy studs will be 99% risk free of one ever breaking again... And using the Turbo studs? I'd estimate 99.99%. Never should have to touch - ever again.

(Note: We compromised when working on my nephews Cherokee and didn't replace studs. Guess what happened? Yep, literally the VERY LAST stud to be tightened snapped due to age and fatigue and an internal flaw. Had to pull the head to replace it. Afternoon project turned into full looong weekend. Soooo sucked...)

 

Gaskets: Dead soft (annealed) copper gaskets have proven to be most leak resistant on problem cars (like SBC's). But Pathy's do not appear to be problem cars... so I'm going to go with the ones Thorley provides. The ones that came with my Chevy headers are very nice gaskets.

 

Oil filter: I will DEFINITELY do the relocation. Based on Slick's write up in the past, the headers make filter access even worse. And it is pretty difficult already - especially if you like to warm the engine before changing (like you should).

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Oil filter: I will DEFINITELY do the relocation. Based on Slick's write up in the past, the headers make filter access even worse. And it is pretty difficult already - especially if you like to warm the engine before changing (like you should).

DITTO!! The oil filter won't pass between the headers and the frame rail easily. You'll have to twist and turn and force it through and by then you're driveway looks like an EPA violation.

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*rubs hands together in anticipation*

I just ordered them from www.rocky-road.com. A guy there named shawn was able to match summit's price of $329 --what a pal! so now there's really nothing to do except sit and wait...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*checks mailbox*

 

 

 

*goes back inside the house*

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lemmie know how that goes im going to order mine from carolina 4x4 down the road here in a couple days...but i heard off of a different board or maybe somewhere on here that most guys had leaks with the thorley gaskets (i think it was cuze they're thinner than the OE's) after a month or so and said go buy the ones from napa...

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I just did a Huge search on Thorley's cause I just recently replaced my Left and right Y-Pipe. Thinking it over now I should have just bought the headers. :angry: And by the Way, You can get Thorley's header in Canada through a shop in Alberta or B.C. theres 1 in Alberta I believe and 2 in B.C. In that way you can avoid the customs rigamaroll. :clap: Next, about the studs. Picked up 12 studs myself cause I was thinking of trying to do the Manafold fix at the same time as the Y-Pipe, but when it came down to the moment I chickened out for fear of having the Damn think in the shop all weekend. One, possibly more of my studs are broken and that is a LONG tedious Job from what I've been reading. Now the Studs I picked up at the Official NISSAN dealer and let me tell you... Prepare yourself for needless spending. The studs, Part # 14065-V5004 are 5 bucks a shot and you'll be needing 12 of em. Man... how ridiculous that some studs cost that much... pssd At any Rate, Congrats on the Headers.. and Thanks for the info on the Oil Filter. Thats something I never considered. -thnkboutit- If you pick up the conversion kit let me know from where and how much... Got to plan these things myself.

 

Dowser.

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Yes, yes and yes. Yes on the Thorley's, yes on the new studs; be sure to get the revised manifold studs, and yes, you have to on the filter. It would be imposible to change your filter without removing your starter if you didn't. I did a write up on the relocatio kit. I'll go dig it up.

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In hind sight now that I have changed oil a few times, is I wish I would have bought 90 degree elbows for the filter mount, and mounted it so the filter was vertical. As she sits right now, at an angle, it still drips and make a small mess, but no where near the old mess. I'm thinkin I'm gonna make a stand up bracket for it and redo it here as soon as I get back to some sttel and a welder in Cali.

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yeah that's what I was thingking about too. There's an old bracket attached to my fuel filter that i'd want to use for mounting. So what do you reckon your total oil capacity is after the install (minus the oil cooler)? about 4 quarts?

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Yea. I measured the oil in the filter on the last change, and it's about 1/2 a quart, plus a bit extra for the lines. Now the manual calls for somethin wierd like 3.4 quarts if I remember right, but with this setup, 4 quarts puts it just out of the cross etched portion of my wire dipstick. Thats warm, not running.

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good, because my dipstick is screwed. It always says it's full, even in the midst of an oil change after everything's been drained from the pan.

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