[alfacupp]

I was putting back on my header. I was using a 1/4 " drive socket that I have used in the past. It gets in there well enough but the problem I had was when I finished tighting the nuts down the socket would stay on the nut. Happen three times on the bottom studs of cylinders 2,3 and4. Boy was 4 a *****.

Anyway do manifold wrenches make the job any easier. Also can any one tell me why the pedel linkage sticks up so far on the drivers side. It has that big round opening about three inches past the spring.

Is there suppost to be a second return spring or does a bolt go into it to connect a choke. What will happen if I just cut it off shorter, so I can get my fat hand down by cylinder 4.

 

[alfa_chan]

It helps a lot!
I took off my header within 10 minutes, couldn't imagine how it could be done without the manifold wrench.
Put back the intake manifold today, again, that $13 wrench (from IAP) makes the job so much easier.

Alfacupp, if you want to try out the wrench. PM me.
I'm putting my header back on Monday.

Anyway do manifold wrenches make the job any easier.

 

[JoeCab]

I like to use "shorty" wrenches in there. Since I am cheap, that usually means buying crappy combination wrenches and cutting/bending them to my liking.

 

[alvin moreno]

Heimeng, come by when you get the car running and bring the wrench!!! I'l buy it from you, I need to pull an engine out of a '69.

 

[alfa_chan]

Alvin, my GTV will come by as soon as it's running.
Hopefully this Wednesday or Thursday.

For the wrench, just keep it until I need it again

JoeCab, I want to be cheap too
But right now I have no access to any equipments, cannot fabricate anything at all. Miss the metal shop @ school

BTW, that wrench is just a bent 13 & 10 wrench (w/ really thin socket walls). However, I couldn't find it in pepboys, they only have the 10 & 10 bent wrench for $2.99.

Heimeng, come by when you get the car running and bring the wrench!!! I'l buy it from you, I need to pull an engine out of a '69.

 

[papajam]

Here's what I use. The halfmoon on top is the best. Although these are Snap-Ons, I think Craftsman and a few others make 'em too.
The linkage that sticks up on the drivers side with the round hole in it is for the manual throttle cable.

 

[gtwhimself]

Speaking of headers

Does anyone have experience with headers OTHER than from IAP? Their's don't appear to be equal length and would therefore sacrifice some HP.

I would like to hear about perceived or measured performance differences with IAP headers vs stock also.

 

[alfacupp]

I am using the Shankle header I got it from AR ricambi. I think this header is very the similar to the IAP header. My car has a mostly stock 2 liter engine euro cams fan removed and this header is much more than the engine needs. Until I ported the head, put in bigger valves or hotter cams I won't be starting to explore the limints of this header. I have seen Re-original and sperry adds for equal lenght 4-to-1 header for $850, but unless you have a serious race engine I would go with IAP or AR ricambi. I am happy with mine. The stock 74 or earlier 4-2-1 headers also work very well. I have seen many people running more powerful engines than mine using them.

 

[gtwhimself]

Thanks for the infor on the Shankle headers. Have you had any trouble passinb CA emission tests with the work you've had done?

 

[alfacupp]

Oh yes, this is a track only car now I have removed all the smog stuff. This last smog check it was to much work to pass and I went non-op. Shankle does make a header with the air injectors so you can run the smog pump with them and pass a smog test. Do you have a 75-81 spider. These are the ones with the smog pumps.

If you have a later spider with the boch fuel-injection I don't think the IAP or shankle headers will help you much. If you have a 75-81 spider and want some extra zip there are some easy things you can do that are cheapper than headers and will make a bigger differances to a stock engine. Plus these things you can still be undo at smog check time and still pass.

Simple things like removing the belt to the smog pump. Getting a stright pipe made with flanges like the cat. converters that is the same lenght as the cat. that can be bolted and unbolted as needed. If one does this the car feels alot peppier. It is also illegal for street use.

This is what I did when I started time trialing. I was still able to change the car back for street use and pass a smog check. I was able to run 1:51's at willow springs like this with street tires and stiffer springs I did very well in class E but had little to no compition.

 

[gtwhimself]

Thanks again Alfacupp

Mine is an '88. Since I can't do much to the engine, I figured I'd concentrate on handling. Got a set of 16x7.5 in wheels and put on Kumho 225/40s. I love the difference they make.

What kind of shocks (for street use) would you recommend? I used Konis on a Jag I used to slalom and liked them a lot. How about the thicker rear anti-sway bar...does it help much?

 

[Sniady]

If you liked them on you're jag, get some for the spider, they'll work even better.

A rear sway bar, might create too much oversteer.

 

[alfacupp]

I have the yellow adjustable konis on the car, but I have never adjusted them. They are more then I need for now at least. The red koni are more than enough for street use, have a set of them too. I have heared the Bilsteins are very good better in the rear than the Koni. I would like to try them and see but am not going to spend the money just to find out.

I have a stiffer rear sway bar. Sniady is right it does create alot of oversteer, And I took it off the car because I fishtailed to much on the track. The funny thing is I liked the stiffer bar for street driving with street tires. The backend of the car came around faster, not fishtailed, but responded faster out of the turns under throttle. It remined me of driving a rear engine car.

Springs, this is the best way to make the car handle better. Stiffer springs will stop the car from driving when brakeing, rocking back when accelerating and rocking from side to side when cornering. This is where I would start to improve the handling first. Then shocks and last anti-sway bars. That just me though. IAP sells springs as does A R ricambi.

Keep in mind the spider is a flexy framed car and you don't want to go to stiff or the frame will just flex and the stiffest spring, shocks and sway bars will be wasted, plus make the car unconvertable.

Your car being an 88 engine is aleady pretty well developed but there are a few easy thing you could do to get some more power Like the header would give you.

1. is if you bolted on a european down pipe on this would not have a cat. converter and make a felt differance.

2. if your car has a fan run off the engine by a belt you can install an electric fan. I think spiders got electric fans in 89 but yours may have one.

3. IAP sells hotter cams for your car this would really make the car go. But cost a lot.

I hope this is helpful.

If you got a picture of you car post it I like to see what it looks like with your wheels.

 

[gtwhimself]

Thanks for the ideas

Thanks again Alfacupp. Good ideas all of you. I'll check into the springs next...there's a pic of the car in the photo section under "New guy says hi."