Headers with pre-welded cats

[ace402]

So my wife ran over a piece of road debris that was kicked up by the car in front of her. The debris damaged the passenger side cat and the rest of the exhaust system. Insurance is going to pay for the repairs. This is for a 2006 4.7l V8

Here's the catch. I think I was quoted extremely low on labor and the exhaust is so rusty that I think they will have to replace the drivers side manifold as well because they won't be able to unbolt it from the y-pipe.

Instead of having the dealership install the crappy manifolds again is it possible to buy the headers with cats already welded on?

Or are the instructions that come with them good enough that I could buy the headers and new aftermarket cats, have a muffler shop weld them up, and then have the dealership install them. The dealership can't weld at all.

The insurance company will work with the dealership for any additional cost that I'm sure will come up during the install. Headers and new aftermarket cats cost the same as new aftermarket manifolds.

Thanks for your help and support,

Ace402

 

[Bob J]

Instructions for the DT headers are pretty clear about cutting and rewelding the cats but its a huge PIA. Essentially you have to remove the manifolds, cut off the cats, put the manifolds back on so you can tack weld the cats in the correct orientation, remove again to fully weld them up and then reinstall. Finding a shop that has the welding expertise and is willing to go to the trouble is hard and even then will usually run up a significant bill for all the labor.

Headers with prewelded highflow cats are the way to go but AFIK are not currently available... Some folks are taking it as a two step process, using a pair of old manifolds to create a jig so they can get the orientation right, welding up the highflow cats and then having the shop just install them. I think this approach will save you significant money in the long run... If you go through the appropriate threads you can find the details...

Hopefully this helps..... Good luck!

 

[ace402]

Thanks Bob for the info! I really appreciate it!