Long Tube Headers
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 322
Likes: 0
From: Liberty Township OH
Long Tube Headers
How does the rest of the exhaust system get affected when installing long tube headers? Do you not put in the cats? Can I still use the stock mufflers? Will a muffler shop make a pipe to connect between the headers & mufflers?
How will long tubes sound with stock mufflers? Will there be any performance gains or will I have to do head/cam/intake work to get any benefit from the long tubes?
BTW, this is for a 96 LT4.
How will long tubes sound with stock mufflers? Will there be any performance gains or will I have to do head/cam/intake work to get any benefit from the long tubes?
BTW, this is for a 96 LT4.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 8,683
Likes: 6
From: Phoenix AZ
Re: Long Tube Headers (Polar LT4)
You can use cats with long tubes, you just need the muffler shop to weld them up. The stock cats won't fit, but you can get smaller cats from lots of places. I got mine from Random Technology and they work great. They aren't cheap by any means, but they were the best quality I could find. Long tubes work best with heads/cam packages, but that's not to say that you won't see a gain by using them alone...you just won't get as much. If you plan on doing heads/cam later then long tubes are a good choice.
Pro
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 715
Likes: 0
From: NYC NY
Re: Long Tube Headers (Polar LT4)
When installing longtubes, the front y pipe will need to be modified, or just completely scrapped dependening on the application. On my '86, most of the front y pipe would have needed to be cut off to fit at all with longtubes, later models might not be so bad?
A muffler shop can make a pipe for you, but it probably won't be as nice as an after market mandrel bent type.
Also, you may run into some difficulties getting a descent shop to remove emissions equiptment (like precats etc.) And you can use stock mufflers, but they might negate some of the free flowing effects of the headers.
With a full aftermarket exhaust system, headers will make a significant power gain.
A muffler shop can make a pipe for you, but it probably won't be as nice as an after market mandrel bent type.
Also, you may run into some difficulties getting a descent shop to remove emissions equiptment (like precats etc.) And you can use stock mufflers, but they might negate some of the free flowing effects of the headers.
With a full aftermarket exhaust system, headers will make a significant power gain.
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 14,165
Likes: 9
Re: Long Tube Headers (Polar LT4)
If you don't need cats an exhaust shop can just remake from the resonator forward so it will bolt to your headers. I even had them replace the resonator and put an x-pipe in it's place when I had it done.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 322
Likes: 0
From: Liberty Township OH
Re: Long Tube Headers (Nathan Plemons)
Nathan, would you give me the details of your exhaust system? Sounds like what I want. You can post or email it to me. Thanks.
BTW, I'm in Ohio & will get collector plates (won't have to do e-check). Will it be legal for me to get rid of the cats?
BTW, I'm in Ohio & will get collector plates (won't have to do e-check). Will it be legal for me to get rid of the cats?
