I did my 91 4banger header and it was a snap. I`ve read so much about the V6 installation being a pain. How much of a pain is it? What is totally involved?

 

It's the 6-cyl install that's a pain....

On the V-6's, there's a crossover pipe that comes from the driver's side across the top of the tranny and down to the passenger side where the two headers meet to meld into a collector. It's that pipe that's impossible to get out.

The options are 1) if you want to safe the pipe, then you have to drop the rear of the engine to get it out in one piece, or 2) if you don't care about the pipe, then you have to finagle a Sawz-All up into there to cut it into pieces and rip it out.

If you're fitting TRD headers, then the new crossover pipe goes back in across the top of the tranny, and that's not as much fun to get in, but still "interesting". If you're putting on Downey or Edelbrock's, then the new crossover runs under the tranny and a lot of the "fun" factor is removed.

The one other interesting moment comes from the lack of clearance to get to all of the header bolts. You really need to replace the engine studs when you mount up headers, so you have to have pretty good access up, under and over the engine. That's a LOT more challenging on a 6-cyl versus a 4-cyl.

 

this kinda answered my question on a similar thread...
but brings up another:
if installing the Downey or Edelbrock's, and the cross-under (heh!) runs, well, UNDER the tranny, are ground clearance problems created? I'm not talking speed-bumps...but say offroading?

 

where does doug thorley's run? under or behind the motor?

 

I dunno...I am totally new to 4Runner header talk...as in, just today...so I am trying to find out as much as I can...the topic seems to have dropped off since 2003!

 

bump! I haven't been able to find info either.