3rd & 4th Generation (1992–1996 & 1997–2001)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 1992-1996 & 1997-2001
Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance all involving America's favorite family car, the Toyota Camry.
I bought the *expensive* headers for my car on fleabay . I don't have a lift or any means to install them myself and i've been calling a few exhaust shops. None of the 4 shops i've called has done any header work on Camry's...i wonder why?
Anyways, they go by some 'book' and i've been quoted ~11 hours of labor by 3 different places, and the fourth place said, bring it in so we can give you a quote. I couldn't find any info on this in the sticky's, so if anyone has any experience with installing these headers, I would like to know if it will really take that much time. In my opinion, that is way longer than it should take, but then again, i've never looked into this. I was quoted 8 hrs for the right side, and 3 hrs for the left side...i assume they mean the front and rear of engine respectively? ~800-$1000 in just labor is way more than I expected to pay for this kind of job. I wont get offended if someone tells me that I'm just being a cheap-a$$ either.
Also if their happens to be a DIY of sorts, and this does end up taking that long, I can see if my dad knows anyone with a shop and we'll have to work on that ourselves.
One final question, the headers replace/remove the factory cat, I also have my check engine light on for the downstream o2 sensor. Seeing as the headers are going to remove the cat, even if I replace the sensor, wouldn't the light still come on because of too much pollutants passing through the downstream sensor? Would getting a new downstream o2 sensor benefit me in any way?
8 hours and 3 hours sound about right. I have a 2000 Camry v6 and I've been looking around to get my headers installed as well.
It's an expensive and very labor intensive job. The rear header is a pain in the ass because it's hidden up in there and they will have to remove a lot of shit to get to it. When you bring your car into the shop and they raise it, the mechanic can show you why this is so. It's a very cramped engine bay. Every mechanic I've talked to groans about having to do it. For my 2000 camry i believe the quote was 8.9 hours for the rear header and 2.9 hours for the front.
Meineke quoted me the cheapest of the 4 or 5 shops I've visited. And they quoted me $850 and that includes a custom back pipe, dual exhaust, two mufflers, and a high flow catalytic converter. The most expensive quote I got was $1,400.
i'm assuming the headers you got come with a Y-pipe too? Cuz if I'm not mistaken your cat should be on the straight pipe and not on the headers. I got OBX headers + Y-pipe and the y-pipe replaces the cat with a resonator. I'm going to have them remove the resonator and replace it with a high flow cat and then put one or two resonators on after the cat.
I'd say do what I'm doing, pay a shop to install the headers, and have them put in a high flow cat. Unless you're okay with not being street legal and having a check engine light. I'm not.
Also if their happens to be a DIY of sorts, and this does end up taking that long, I can see if my dad knows anyone with a shop and we'll have to work on that ourselves.
Also I wouldn't suggest trying this yourself. It will take a trained mechanic an entire day just to do your back header alone. I read someone's post on TN who installed his own headers but he had the engine out when he did it. One mechanic I talked to mumbled to me "hopefully I wont have to remove the axle..."
wow, that sucks... thats alot longer then i'd thought it'll b... my exhaust guy told me 2.5-3 hrs... with a drink break. mayb we didn't take a good look at it when it was raised on the lift... or he's really fast... did my cat bck in 20 min. seen him do an exhaust the other day for a chevelle in 45min...
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wow, that sucks... thats alot longer then i'd thought it'll b... my exhaust guy told me 2.5-3 hrs... with a drink break. mayb we didn't take a good look at it when it was raised on the lift... or he's really fast... did my cat bck in 20 min. seen him do an exhaust the other day for a chevelle in 45min...
Hmm. I'm skeptical about that. I took a look under my car with the mechanic and I don't think thats even remotely possible. I'd be more inclined to believe that if you have 4 cylinder engine. but if you have a v6 i'd have to see it to believe it.
but he does sound impressive! If he pulls it off i'd like to know.
8 hours and 3 hours sound about right. I have a 2000 Camry v6 and I've been looking around to get my headers installed as well.
It's an expensive and very labor intensive job. The rear header is a pain in the ass because it's hidden up in there and they will have to remove a lot of shit to get to it. When you bring your car into the shop and they raise it, the mechanic can show you why this is so. It's a very cramped engine bay. Every mechanic I've talked to groans about having to do it. For my 2000 camry i believe the quote was 8.9 hours for the rear header and 2.9 hours for the front.
Meineke quoted me the cheapest of the 4 or 5 shops I've visited. And they quoted me $850 and that includes a custom back pipe, dual exhaust, two mufflers, and a high flow catalytic converter. The most expensive quote I got was $1,400.
i'm assuming the headers you got come with a Y-pipe too? Cuz if I'm not mistaken your cat should be on the straight pipe and not on the headers. I got OBX headers + Y-pipe and the y-pipe replaces the cat with a resonator. I'm going to have them remove the resonator and replace it with a high flow cat and then put one or two resonators on after the cat.
I'd say do what I'm doing, pay a shop to install the headers, and have them put in a high flow cat. Unless you're okay with not being street legal and having a check engine light. I'm not.
Yea, they came with a Y-pipe as well. Yea mine replaces the cat with a resonator as well, so I'll probably end up doing what you did. No check engine light for me! Its just slightly dissapointing finding out how labor intensive this is, but i guess all I can do is deal with it.
wow, that sucks... thats alot longer then i'd thought it'll b... my exhaust guy told me 2.5-3 hrs... with a drink break. mayb we didn't take a good look at it when it was raised on the lift... or he's really fast... did my cat bck in 20 min. seen him do an exhaust the other day for a chevelle in 45min...
hmm, looking at your profile pic, and the 1mz in your name, i believe you have the v6...you said he told you around 3 hrs, but has he actually gotten it done already? 20 minutes is crazy fast for the cat back, i believe the place i went to took an hour.
my headers took about 7 hrs but they had to do some modification because they were the original OBX ones. i guess i got lucky cuz they quoted me 4 hrs and it cost about 350. i wouldnt think many shops would have experence with camrys and they probably gave a very padded quote to account for potential problems, or they just dont want to do it.
Cool, thank you for that DIY! Yea, your right Bigbird, more than half the exhaust shops i've called didnt want anything to do with headers . and congrats on their misquote .
You just saved me big time. I'm in the process of replacing the headers of my '96 es300 with obx headers. I was about to remove the passenger axle to install the rear headers. Now I don't have to. Thanks
That was awsome until I saw the near factory Y-pipe turning the flow the wrong way! To me that just defeated the whole mission! Suck!!! Exclent write up though. Thanks to that dude! +5
OK - Personally with a floor jack and some real jack stands I'd say it can be done in less than 11 hours! Even if you had to loosen the motor mounts, pop the axels and lift the engine and trans, I know I'd have the in and out in 4 or less. Its the misaligned parts and broken studs that kill us back yarders.... then again with my wrench'in days, I have a nice selection of air tools and impact goodies too!
Do you have a floor jack, stands and dry place with lights and power?
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That was awsome until I saw the near factory Y-pipe turning the flow the wrong way! To me that just defeated the whole mission! Suck!!! Exclent write up though. Thanks to that dude! +5
near factory. 1. the direction makes NO differance at all...its presurized gas. 2. they do that to maintain space and to equalize the tube legnths...not to mention MUCH bigger and a better Y collector. 3. they are a VAST improvement over stock. i have OBX's origionals with a smaller and tighter configured Y collector and even thoes are better then stock.
So if i bought this on ebay couldn't i do this myself i think i know what your talking about I've seen the headers behind the valve cover but arnt these the ones in front that would replace the heat shield etc. cjchapar can you post an example of what you guys are talking or what you bought if possible i haven't seen anything on ebay or anywhere else just curious
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98 Camry v6 Header install?
. I don't have a lift or any means to install them myself and i've been calling a few exhaust shops. None of the 4 shops i've called has done any header work on Camry's...i wonder why? 
. and congrats on their misquote 
. 1. the direction makes NO differance at all...its presurized gas. 2. they do that to maintain space and to equalize the tube legnths...not to mention MUCH bigger and a better Y collector. 3. they are a VAST improvement over stock. i have OBX's origionals with a smaller and tighter configured Y collector and even thoes are better then stock.
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