Mustang ARH Stainless Long Tube Headers (1999-2004) Installation Instructions
2. Remove the negative
Mustang battery cable and loosen the lug nuts on the front wheels.
3. Raise the car as high as possible on all sides and support it using jack stands on the frame rails. You will need room to remove the
Mustang K-member and to install the headers.
7. Remove the
Mustang sway bar endlinks and make sure your steering wheel is locked. Then, disconnect the steering column from the rack. The easiest way to access this is from underneath the K-member on the engine side.
8. The steering rack will stay attached to the K-member, so the power steering lines must be disconnected. Remove the pressure line and the return line.
9. Plug any open lines.
10. Support the front lower control arms with a jack so you can remove the top
Mustang strut nut. Once the nut is removed, slowly let the jack down. Be careful, as the spring is under pressure.
12. Next, support the
Mustang engine. I used an engine support bar and put a jack stand under the transmission. You want to put the jack stand under the engine, but I didn’t have the car high enough. So, I got it as close to the front of the transmission as possible. There are very few places to bolt the engine support bar. I used two studs that come out of the timing cover.
13. Support the K-member with a jack.
14. Once everything is safely supported, you can remove the two nuts that mount the engine to the K-member. Then, remove all eight K-member bolts and drop it from the car. Two of the bolts are on the rear of the K-member, on either side. There is one in front of the
Mustang springs, and one behind the springs. The front four stick through the frame rail. Be sure not to lose the nuts.
15. Next, remove the
Mustang motor mounts from the engine. There are two nuts on the driver's side that hold the ground on, while the starter bracket is on the passenger side. Then, remove the three bolts holding the motor mounts to the engine.
16. Remove the bolt holding the oil dip stick tube to the engine.
17. Loosen the nut that holds the EGR tube to the exhaust manifold on the driver's side.
19. Now, you can take off the stock exhaust manifolds. Some studs may be stuck in the cylinder head, which can be removed once the exhaust manifold is taken off.
21. Remove the
Mustang oil dip stick tube. It’ll probably be a pain and require a pry bar and a hammer. I had to buy a new oil dip stick tube.
22. The
Mustang long tube headers are ready to be installed. I started with the passenger side. The
American Racing Headers come with grade eight bolts. You’ll need various tools to install these. Most of the bottom bolts can be reached with a 10mm socket, extension, and ratchet. All of the top bolts (except the front) must be reached with a wrench. A stubby wrench will make things much easier. I used blue Loctite. Start all of the top bolts and slide the headers into place. Then you can start the bottom bolts. Start all of the bolts before tightening any. Some of the header tubes may be in the way of the bolts.
23. Install the starter.
24. Install the
Mustang passenger's side motor mount. The starter wires tuck underneath the bottom of the motor mount, so set them in place before tightening the motor mount. Then install the starter wire bracket on the motor mount stud.
25. Before you install the driver’s side header, you will need to tighten the EGR tube to the headers. There is no room to tighten the nut with a wrench once the headers are installed. I had trouble lining up the EGR tube, so I unbolted the
Mustang EGR valve from the engine.
26. Install the driver's side headers just like the passenger side. After putting in the top bolts, first install the second bolt from the front. The primary tube really gets in the way of the bolt if you don’t install it first.
27. The oil dip stick tube can now be installed and should be spaced away from the header.
28. Install the oxygen sensors and zip tie them safely back from the
Mustang exhaust. Use anti-seize on the threads.
29. Now, you can re-install all of the front suspension. The rear K-member brace will not fit with the long tubes. Once the suspension is installed and the motor is tight, you can install the
Mustang X-pipe. You can coat the slip fittings with anti-seize in case you need to remove the exhaust at a later time.