So my M5 has the headers on it now finally! I ended up having the job done by my local BMW dealer. Between service tech vacations, waiting on gaskets & clamps & header bolts/nuts, and confusion & resulting discussion of how exactly the headers are to be installed it ended up being a little over 3 weeks. Now before anyone blasts me for having the dealer do this job, let me explain this choice:
My M5 had developed a dollar-bill-sized puddle of oil leak every time I parked it, so I brought it in to the dealer to diagnose. Turns out it was failure of parts they had fixed a year and a half ago, so it's completely covered both parts and labor. The repair required removal of the factory exhaust manifolds so they agreed to cut that time out of my header install. This alone was reason enough for me, but also do note:
1) I was given a 2011 335xi loaner car for the entire time that had EIGHT miles on it when I got it
2) My local dealer also gives a 20% discount on labor and 15% discount on parts for 10 year or older BMWs
3) They were EXCITED to do the job which was the exact opposite of the skittishness I'd dealt with discussing the install with local performance shops.
The final bill for the install minus gaskets, nuts etc was $1300.
So that's that -- headers are installed. Clearance is spot on and the parts went together perfectly without a hitch.
Here they are installed:
Evolve Automotive Equal Length Long Tube 4-1 Step Design Headers for S62 V8 (installed) by
kfanciu, on Flickr
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One issue remains in that one of my catalytic converters has a crack in the middle of it. This was OK before the headers were on because the stock exhaust has two layers thru the cats: an inner layer that channels all of the exhaust and an outer layer that is purely to contain heat. These headers are designed to only weld to the inner portion of the cats.
Please reference this photo -- this is the front of the cat depicting the two layers, inner & outer:
This is a photo of MY headers and cats.
Evolve Automotive Equal Length Long Tube 4-1 Step Design Headers for S62 V8 (installed) by
kfanciu, on Flickr
So normally this would be fine, but because one of my cats (drivers side) has a crack somewhere down the 2 foot portion of it it allows exhaust to leak out through the outer portion of the cat. Basically it sounds like an old pickup truck right now - gnarly V8 rasp sounding.
I will first attempt having an exhaust shop extrude a portion of steel tubing that will slip over the headers and weld to both them and the outer ring of the cat. If this doesn't work or isn't possible, my options are then limited to replacing the catalytic converters or removing them altogether. Neither of the latter 2 options are preferable due to new cats costing a ton of money and no cats would make the car smell like a 1950s $hitbox and give me a headache every time I drive the car.
Thoughts? Comments?
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