Banks header question

The first bolt Banks wants you to tighten is on the lower side of the manifolds and the header tube blocks me from getting anything on there other than an open ended wrench. Any thoughts on how I torque this to spec?

I’m using the boostwerks studs, wondering if going back to the factory bolt on this one will make a difference.

I am doing this on the bench with the head off as part of a TUPY swap so I can get at it from just about any angle

How about a crow foot adapter on the torque wrench.

RCP Phx said:

How about a crow foot adapter on the torque wrench.

Click to expand...

Guess I can buy more tools for this project

Will it torque accurately with that?

You will need to add or deduct from your torque based on how it's positioned.

IslanderOffRoad said:

The first bolt Banks wants you to tighten is on the lower side of the manifolds and the header tube blocks me from getting anything on there other than an open ended wrench. Any thoughts on how I torque this to spec?

I’m using the boostwerks studs, wondering if going back to the factory bolt on this one will make a difference.

I am doing this on the bench with the head off as part of a TUPY swap so I can get at it from just about any angle

Click to expand...

I have the banks headers for my 2000 with dual pre cats and the boostwerks studs. I just got my arm in and used the open ended to tighten them down little by little as good as I could. There was no possible way to get a torque wrench in, so I just went with the goodntight measure.

bajabronco said:

I have the banks headers for my 2000 with dual pre cats and the boostwerks studs. I just got my arm in and used the open ended to tighten them down little by little as good as I could. There was no possible way to get a torque wrench in, so I just went with the goodntight measure.

Click to expand...

I was doing that... then heard a pop. Cracked the intake.

IslanderOffRoad said:

I was doing that... then heard a pop. Cracked the intake.

Click to expand...

Bummer. I feel for you.

You need to pay close attention to the flange height's on the Bank's. I'd have to go back and see what I did with mine but I recall some special radius washers being used.

RCP Phx said:

You need to pay close attention to the flange height's on the Bank's. I'd have to go back and see what I did with mine but I recall some special radius washers being used.

Click to expand...

Didn’t see any mention of that in the instructions. Just to use the cone washers. I’ve got new ones that came with the studs.

Ordered some crows foot sockets. Found this article on torque while using them:

https://www.tekton.com/how-to-accurately-use-a-torque-wrench-with-a-crowfoot-wrench

I’ve got a week and a half till a new manifold gets here so I’ve got time to figure out next steps. This head swap has just been one pain in the butt after another, and all of it on stuff I wasn’t worried about

IslanderOffRoad said:

Didn’t see any mention of that in the instructions. Just to use the cone washers. I’ve got new ones that came with the studs.

Ordered some crows foot sockets. Found this article on torque while using them:

https://www.tekton.com/how-to-accurately-use-a-torque-wrench-with-a-crowfoot-wrench

I’ve got a week and a half till a new manifold gets here so I’ve got time to figure out next steps. This head swap has just been one pain in the butt after another, and all of it on stuff I wasn’t worried about

Click to expand...

It wasn't something in the instructions just from experience.

Hooker's solution to the difference in flange thickness between the intake and the header was to weld half washers to the header flange so that it would be of a similar thickness as the intake. The cone washers can only make up for so much difference. The closer the thicknesses are the better the clamping force.

I just tightened hand tight with a wrench. Used a top lock nut for the stud you are talking about.

Remember it's fine thread now so you have more clamping force with less torque

Here is my experience with this:

Did this last month on my son's '97 XJ installing a banks header and doing the '99 intake manifold swap at the same time. Doing this with the engine in place. The first bolt was problematic. We got it finger tight but no way no how could we get a wrench on it to get it any tighter.

My proposed solution was to take the bolt out and weld a spare bolt to the head of the manifold bolt, thereby adding an extension to the bolt to get it sticking out past the tube that's in the way and allow a wrench to turn it.

The problem is, we were doing this at his house and I did not have my welder. Based on time we had to finish the install as it was (finger tight). I believe this idea would have worked enough to get 27 ft pounds (or whatever it was) or close enough.

So far no issues with that one bolt not tight.