Header Removal

Another question for the VW knowledgable. I undid all the studs and nuts to remove the exhaust header on my 16V GTI, but the thing has no way out of the engine bay. Do I lower the subfrmae to take it out the bottom ,or take off the intake manifold to get it out the top? Or is there an easier way? Thanks

In reply to DeadSkunk:

Apples to pears, but it seemed easier to remove the entire head to get my 8V manifolds off. YMMV. Reading the OP again, I realized that headers are made little dif. than the stock pieces I was thinking about. So, this was a useless response. My bad. Per, can we get some help?

My 8V race headers come out the bottom of the car as long as it's high enough off the ground.

Sorry for the useless post.

I think you would take the intake off, but its been a long time since i have looked at one. The 2 people i knew that had them got rid of them years ago.

on a 16v scirocco you have to take out the k-member and drop it from the bottom but not sure if the GTI is the same.

Well, I'm getting a variety of answers from 4 different forums I've posted on. So, I'll try removing the intake manifold and see if it'll come out the top. At least that is easier on my back.

EvanB wrote: on a 16v scirocco you have to take out the k-member and drop it from the bottom but not sure if the GTI is the same.

That would be tricky, since the Scirocco doesn't have a removable k-member. It's part of the uni-body.

To the original poster: What kind of header? Most of them will come out the top.

It doesn't? What is that bar called that bolts to the lower control arms and two other points that you have to remove to get the axles out and drop the engine out the bottom?

That's the k-member, but the Scirocco doesn't really have one. There's one on the A2's(and newer), but on the A1 chassis the lower control arms bolt straight into the uni-body.

Hmm well there was one on my 16v rocco, is it just a 16v thing?

Here's a pic of a A1 engine bay, and you can see where the front bolt for the lower control arm is. Here are some crappy A2 chassis pics I found, the first one the K member is on the floor and the second one it's still bolted up. Another A1 shot: It's been a while since I've messed with an A1 header, but if it's a full race header that goes all the way back and replaces the cat, than it might be easier to drop it straight out the bottom. You will have to remove the sway bar though.

EvanB wrote: Hmm well there was one on my 16v rocco, is it just a 16v thing?

None of my 16v 'roccos ever had one.

Oh, it just dawned on me that you're probably talking about the lower control arm brace! Yes, that is a 16v 'rocco only part, but will fit on all the A1 chassis. Most VW tuner companies made aftermarket ones as well.

This thing? That's an ABD racing lower tie bar, but it's pretty much an exact copy of the stock 16v 'rocco unit.

Ah thats it, I guess I just figured it was the k-member because it roughly resembles the shape of a K

Are we talking the stock manifold and dual downpipe? If so, you'll need to unbolt the downpipe from the manifold and take them out separately.

BTDT, this week.

Per

Finally got it done and Per is right. Once I removed the top half of the intake manifold the old header came out easily. I bolted the downpipe and manifold together for a trial fit but it wouldn't go in. So I dropped the downpipe in from the top , then bolted in the manifold and fitted the downpipe from under the car. I chased all the nuts with a tap and ran a die over all the studs. I was able to snug the pipe to the manifold by hand and then tighten most of them with a torque wrench from below. One nut couldn't be reached except from above and only with a stubby 17mm wrench. Tightened that one as best I could with the stubby. Only skinned one knuckle !!! If I had realized how awkward this whole thing was going to be,I would have pulled the whole engine/trans out in the first place. By the time I've changed the trans, changed the manifold/downpipe and rebuilt the shift linkage in the car it would have been quicker to pull everything out. Live and learn ,I guess !!!

It took me about 6 hours to do the header and exhaust replacement on the Golf this past week. Quite a few skinned knuckles....

I never played with VW but I can remember the "hell" of removing the header from my 91 EGT. On those occasions where we needed to do a head change ie blown head gasket, I would have someone start disconnecting the various electrical connections and fuel lines and I would start on the header. Even with my experience in doing it, the other person was always done before me. I had 3 different headers and all were difficult to remove. Unfortunately all removals started with drain the radiator....... YMMV

just one more reason I love Honda's

even with my minimal skills the DC Sport header on my Integra was easy as pie