[SupremeCorolla451]

*This thread is a resurrection of a DIY thread from another forum that appears to have shut down. The DIY was for installing the Weapon R header on the 2ZR-FE and since it was well written, I didn't want it to be lost. So, here it is but all credits goes to aircmry from TuneMyToyota for originally creating this DIY.*


Today I decided to install my Weapon R header and figured I would try and make a how to since I couldn't find one to save my life anywhere else.I would go about installing it from the top of the motor. Very little room under the car. Trust me I tried and had to go from the top of the motor.

First go about taking the windshield wiper arms and then the black plastic moldings around them.
Take the two nuts off with a 14mm socket

Next there are two plastic pop clips on the side

Then the rubber seal will pop off on the drives side then the plastic will separate but be careful the clips under the plastic will break if yanked and pulled the wrong ways

Once off you will see the wiper motor. You will need a 10mm if I remember correctly for the two bolts holding it on

Then once the bolts are out you will need to unplug the wiper motor and slide the motor to the left cause of a rubber piece that fits into a slot on the back of the motor.

The black tray under that will need to be removed its 12 bolts all 10mm then just picks up and lifts off.

If you have a strut bar on your car, best to take it off now cause it does get in the way. Not fun finding that out late as the car is jacked up in the air.
Once the tray is gone you will be able to look behind the motor and see the exhaust manifold right there. Take the top of the heat shield off now. 4 bolts 12mm socket. Then best bet is just disconnecting the O2 and take the sensor off once the manifold is off the car.

At this time I jacked my car up and put it on jack stands to go from under the car. Once set up get a bunch of extensions for your ratchet(unless you have some small hands that can fit in really tight places). The best way I found was once I had all 3 extensions on my ratchet, I found a hole perfectly over the front sway bar that gives you a great view to take the two bolts off that connect the header to midpipe. The two bolt are 14mm and has welded nuts on the back so no need for the wrench on the back.
These two bolts.

While your under the car there is a bracket that secures the header to the engine block, it best to separate the bracket from the header then from the block so it comes out in two separate pieces.(I rounded the bolt so I was stuck taking it off with the bracket still on the manifold)

Once that's off, you can get a 12mm deep socket and undo the 5 nuts holding the manifold to the block. With a little bit of twisting and turning just pull the manifold off from the top of the motor.
This is what the two look like.

At this time, I would start to prepare the new header for install.
I used this high temp. gasket maker on both sides of the manifold to block gasket

You can toss the old donut exhaust you had on the end of the header or replace it with a new one(My Weapon R header came with a new exhaust donut) but I used a dremel and ground down the inside until it fit over the header(header outlet is now bigger so OEM donut gasket is for a smaller pipe size) otherwise your gonna have to guess and be lucky that it slides on correctly when connecting midpipe to header.

I went to advance auto parts and rented a O2 sensor removal socket. Cost me $32 on a credit card but it gets put back the next day when I returned it. You are gonna need a sensor removal tool because the sensor had a lip coming up that wouldn't let me get a wrench in to take it off.

Now its time to install the header. When putting it on tighten each nut a little bit starting in the middle them moving to the outer nuts. Then reconnect the O2 sensor plug

Now once that is all tightened up and reconnected its time to go back under the car.
The header came with new bolts, springs, washers and nuts to retighten the midpipe to header. So go back to the long ratchet extensions and a 11/16 wrench to hold the nut on the back side of the connector. You may need to remove the rubber hangers on the midpipe to be able to shift the pipe to connect easier to the header. Then once all tightened up, I started my car on the jack stands so I could go under the car to feel for any exhaust leaks.

If you checked and no exhaust leaks are found, you're pretty much done. Just reverse the removal with replacing strut bar(if you have one), putting back the tray with 12 bolts, install wiper motor and re connect plugs, fit the plastic moldings that cover the wiper motor(Be careful to not break to many clips. They fit into holes on that tray under them),and install all the seals and wiper arms and you're all done.





Original Thread Link(dead): http://www.tunemytoyota.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10504

 

[Bravo818]

Damn dude you did 2x the work I did ...probably Cuzco I went to a shop a rented their lift ..but good on yeah I just need a performance cat and a mid pipe and my exhaust is done....doesn't it Souderton great assuming you have an aftermarket back

 

[ReyAri]

So with installing the headers, wouldn’t you have to tune it and for that don’t you need a stand alone ECU because the stock one can’t be tuned?

 

[SuperchargedMR2]

So with installing the headers, wouldn’t you have to tune it and for that don’t you need a stand alone ECU because the stock one can’t be tuned?

You can tune the OEM ECU from several companies that do it. You can also run a piggyback like I do on my 2009 Corolla S Turbo or do nothing at all. The OP actually had the early designed exhaust manifold that is pretty much the same as the header he installed. Pretty much a waste of time for him but later years had a cheaper, terribly designed exhaust manifold that switching to a header would help.

If you choose not to do anything additional for tuning just unplug the battery and allow the ECU to relearn seeing the better flow. It won't provide as much of a difference as additional tuning but it will help.

Here is my AEM FIC for my turbo build.

 

[Pauly1971]

what is the red bar across the engine from strut to strut for?

 

[SuperchargedMR2]

what is the red bar across the engine from strut to strut for?

It'a a front upper strut brace that helps stiffen up the front suspension. It helps eliminate the tower flex of the struts during corning. Many of use have them. Here is my 2009 Corolla S Turbo 5MT.

Here is my 2017 Corolla iM 6MT. I just installed this last week when I took this pic.

 

[RhInoSpOrt]

I finally had time to do this install. Wasn't too bad after removing the wipers, cowl, upper tray.
FYI, you do not have to remove the USB....

 

[SuperchargedMR2]

That's true as I didn't remove my FSB when I installed my header in my 17 Corolla iM 6MT either. Installing the header with my CAI and exhaust made a huge difference.