headers

Seahorse51 · 06-14-04, 10:49 PM

Just bought a set of headers made to fit 84 to 91 from "headers for less" on ebay for $139.00. Does anyone have any experience with these headers and their ease of installation. The come with everything needed for install. I think someone on here said that headers need to be installed from the underside. Any experience or advice?

**Mad-Mic** · 06-15-04, 11:14 PM

Originally Posted by Seahorse51

Just bought a set of headers made to fit 84 to 91 from "headers for less" on ebay for $139.00. Does anyone have any experience with these headers and their ease of installation. The come with everything needed for install. I think someone on here said that headers need to be installed from the underside. Any experience or advice?

i just added long tube headers on mine. i went from the bottom and it wasn't that difficult. you have to remove the starter to squeeze the passanger side up. it makes it alot easier. driver side slid right in. you can look at my cardomain site on page 6 or click the link below to see some of the pics of the install.

http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/428980/6

Seahorse51 · 06-15-04, 11:58 PM

what about the O2 sensors?

**Vettefan87** · 06-16-04, 01:24 AM

Ok well I am at the point where I want to do something with the exhaust on my car, and now is a good time to ask instead of a new thread. I want to free it up a little bit and I am not sure of getting long tube headers and a free flow cat and having custom pipes bent, or getting shorty headers and getting something like this http://www.madvet.com/shop?frame=3.928 . How much will a good set of headers run and a good free flow cat? And anybody who has a setup like this let me know what the pros and cons are. Thanks

Justin

**Mad-Mic** · 06-16-04, 10:02 PM

there should be a bung hole already to screw your new O2 sensor into on the driver side header.

i would go with a Long Tube header setup. shorties are basically what we have but if you want alot more HP and Torque go with Long Tubes. your already doing the work so go with the best you can buy.

i run the TPiS w/out the AIR tubes. you can always find deals from the forums. you just got to keep your eye open and maybe check Ebay. if not goto http://www.TPiS.com click on exhaust then C4 headers or LT1 Vette headers. new they are in the 650+ range but well worth it. our primaries on the L98 manifold is only 1 1/8" wide and on my TPiS Long tube headers they are 1 3/4" primaries. i dynoed over 240 rwhp and close to 360 rwtq with just tuning, exhaust, and cheap free mods. i picked up 3+ mph in the 1/4 mile and 1 tenth so far. only problem is, now i'm spinning on 18.5 psi F1 goodyears 285/40/17" tires and the DA was 2000' higher then my best run last year with out the headers so with the right DA i'm sure it will pull in the 107 mph range. best run with out the headers was a 1.81 60' 13.26 @ 103mph in -1500 DA and my best with the headers is 1.85 60' 13.18 @ 105.8 mph spinning a hair off the line in 500 DA.

**86PACER** · 06-19-04, 02:18 AM

I can't speak of any other brands but Hooker. The passanger side went in from the bottom with the starter removed, and the driver's side slid right in from the top with the oil filter and spark plugs removed. The starter and the passanger side header had to be installed at the same time. Mine did not come with AIR tubes or an O2 Sensor bung. I drilled a hole at the 9 O'clock position of the driver's side collector and welded on my own O2 sensor bung. You can get them with or without bungs and AIR tubes.

[QUOTE]
How much will a good set of headers run and a good free flow cat? And anybody who has a setup like this let me know what the pros and cons are. Thanks[QUOTE]

My exhaust consists of Hooker long tubes, Hooker front y-pipe(no pre-cats), Random Tech main cat, and Flowmaster catback. I have never failed emissions testing with this set up. The Random Tech cat improves performance and keeps me passing emissions all at the same time.

That depends on what brand you go with (Hooker, TPIS, Hedman, Lingenfelter, ect.) and if you get them ceramic coated or not. Some come with a y-pipe and some do not.I got my Hooker's with ceramin coating for about $500 from summitracing.com. They are part# hok-2151-1. TPIS are more expensive because they come with a front y-pipe. I agree with Mad-Mic. Don't waste your time with the shorties. They are basically performance manifolds.
The pros of long tubes are a better exhaust note (depending on the rest of your exhaust) and a noticeable gain in HP(depending on the rest of your set up). Depending on the brand, spark plug changing is a snap. On a stock height Vette (not lowered) ground clearance is not even an issue as some make it seem to be. The cons are that no long tube headers are emissions legal, and can be a long project if you have never installed long tubes before, expensive if you have a shop install them for you, and you will need a difference front y-pipe. That exhaust system you seen at MAD will only work if you keep your stock headers or buy shorties (not worth the time and money) becuase of the front y-pipe beeing the stock style.
Now about Catalytic converters. TPIS sells Random Technology high flow cats. The pros are that you can do away with the pre cats(more HP) because it will do a good job of cleaning up the exhast by itself before it leaves the tailpipes, they rob very little HP, they are emission legal in all 50 states, and will give a better exhaust note along with long tubes. The cons are that they run about $220 a piece.

The total cost of my entire exhaust was about $1000. I installed it myself and saved at least $550.

Seahorse51 · 06-21-04, 05:55 PM

what did you do with all the egr crap that appears to be welded to the exhaust manifold on the pass side?

**Hrtbeat1** · 06-21-04, 06:52 PM

With the Hookers that 86Pacer is using all that stuff is gone. If you want the emmissions stuff the part number is 2149. From Summit (and maybe others) the little -1 at the end of his part number is for the coated headers.

I've been trying to decide between a set up similar to 86Pacer's or maybe going with duals all the way back with an X pipe. One of the previous owners did a "Bubba engineered" exhaust job on mine ... I've got a Y where the cat used to be, with the stock pre cats, duals back to Dynomax mufflers. It sounds alright but I know that long tubes would be much better. I've also been contiplating a set up like MadMic's ... maybe I can decide after my next deployment. Either way I'm sure I'll have more HP than I've got now. I remember hearing MadMic's sound clip when he got his installed. One of the guys was right ... "Thats what a Vette is supposed to sound like!"

**Hrtbeat1** · 06-21-04, 06:55 PM

MadMic

Maybe I'm just a dummy, but what the heck is DA?

**Vettefan87** · 06-21-04, 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by Mad-Mic

...i run the TPiS w/out the AIR tubes....

What did you do with the air pump? Just leave it in or did you eliminate it?

**86PACER** · 06-21-04, 07:23 PM

If you get a set of headers with no AIR tubes, you can leave the AIR Pump and it's plumbing as it is. The AIR tube that feeds into either side exhaust manifold will sit there disconnected. If your state does not require emissions testing, the entire AIR system along with disconecting the 2 AIR solenoid connectors can be removed all together without throwing any codes or have any kind of driveablilty issues. This is more for cleaning up the engine bay that anything else.

**Vettefan87** · 06-21-04, 07:50 PM

If you leave the air pump in its place you wont throw any codes with the air tube not going into anything or do you disconnect that, and wont it make any noises when the air pump kicks on?

Justin

**86PACER** · 06-21-04, 07:56 PM

You will not trow any codes, not have any vaccum leaks, and not have any leaking sounds of any kind. The air is supplied by the rotation of the AIR pump driven by the serpentine belt. If you plan on doing this with your stock manifolds, the manifolds need to be plugged off with a brass cap or something. I've had my pump disconnected just blowin air into nothing with no problems, codes, or noises. This is with the entire AIR system in place and the 2 solenoid connectors connected.

**WhalePirot** · 06-21-04, 11:28 PM

I also run the TPIS head to tail exhaust. The 3" pipes are huge and do not fit the support near the tranny. I had to modify that bracket and I run a new factory CAT with no issues. I wrapped them afterwards, but would not do so again. However, smaller, non ceramic tubes were given a good boost with ThermoTech wrap and paint, with my mildly modded 350.

The header install was rather easy done from below. The driver's side MAY go in from the top, but both will go in from under. I run AIR and all SMOG gear (an '87 setup) on this 406.

I had to go to ceramic boots as the aluminum, straight plug, Dart Pro I heads put ANY spark plug too close. Boots burned quickly and shorted out.

I highly recommend ceramic coating, inside and out, for corrosion, smooth airflow, heat dissipation and appearance.

**Mad-Mic** · 06-22-04, 01:30 PM

sorry fella's i missed this post again

i still have my AIR pump for now but it's coming out soon. as for the EGR tube i took the tube apart and placed a nickel between the gasket and the tube then bolted it back together for now until i can finish getting all the AIR and EGR crap out of the car.