C4 Tech/Performance L98 Corvette and LT1 Corvette Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine

Shorty headers or stock?

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Old Mar 17, 2015 | 11:40 AM
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Default Shorty headers or stock?

Yes I know long tubes are the best, but with my wife driving the car and my mechanic pointing out the heat in the cabin from LTs I'm going in a different direction.

1)will I notice a difference with shorties over the stock manifold?

2)what brand and where to get them for an '89 vette? I called Sanderson, they kind of chuckled when I told them it was for an '89 vette and said they'd have to make them...SLP out and out laughed at my request.

Now that the plan is in place, finding parts for this car is a bitch....if only it was a LS motor, parts galore
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Old Mar 17, 2015 | 11:51 AM
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Get some take-off LT1 manifolds. Cheap, as good or better than shorties, and OEM reliability. I doubt you'll notice a big difference unless you replace the exhaust from the manifolds back.

Or jus leave it alone since it's the wifes car.
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Old Mar 17, 2015 | 12:21 PM
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Shorties would just be a waste of money.
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Old Mar 17, 2015 | 04:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Tom400CFI
Get some take-off LT1 manifolds. Cheap, as good or better than shorties, and OEM reliability. I doubt you'll notice a big difference unless you replace the exhaust from the manifolds back.

Or jus leave it alone since it's the wifes car.
oh its my car, I can spend more money if she drives it once in awhile

I have a borla catback and hi flow cat, so I was hoping to complete the exhaust with headers, but LT are off the table.
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Old Mar 17, 2015 | 09:06 PM
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Hi

Shorties are a waste of money, go standard or go for HTC coated long tube headers. The HTC coating cuts down on the heat in engine bay and gives more performance= best of both worlds.
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Old Mar 18, 2015 | 01:17 PM
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Originally Posted by Hawk196
I was hoping to complete the exhaust with headers, but LT are off the table.
I paid less than $300 for my Melrose headers. Just watch for a good buy.


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Old Mar 18, 2015 | 06:16 PM
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If you wind up getting LT1 manifolds, spray them with this stuff:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...aphite5200.php

Keeps them looking good - they still look the same as they did when I took this pic almost 5 years ago (you can see just a smidgen of the passenger side manifold):


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Old Mar 18, 2015 | 06:25 PM
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Originally Posted by pianoguy
If you wind up getting LT1 manifolds, spray them with this stuff:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...aphite5200.php

Keeps them looking good - they still look the same as they did when I took this pic almost 5 years ago (you can see just a smidgen of the passenger side manifold):



some of these engines look GREAT guys.

Pianoguy where did you get those Corvette covers?
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Old Mar 18, 2015 | 06:43 PM
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I think I have researched this pretty good. I look and looked for test that only did one thing and that was to replace headers. They are out there just takes some looking. I doubt if I found them all but found about 15. All that was done was a run on the dyno with stock manifolds them slap on a set of headers and do another dyno run. There was not one test where they found any hp gains by doing this. In some cases the hp and tq curves were changed but that was about it. Do some reasearch you may be surprised.
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Old Mar 18, 2015 | 06:52 PM
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[QUOTE=pianoguy;1589213367]If you wind up getting LT1 manifolds, spray them with this stuff:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...aphite5200.php

Keeps them looking good - they still look the same as they did when I took this pic almost 5 years ago (you can see just a smidgen of the passenger side manifold):



I think that is the cleanest C4 engines I have seen !!
WOW Any tricks or suggestions to keeping the metal polished and rubber shinning ??? Thank you.
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Old Mar 18, 2015 | 08:35 PM
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[QUOTE=steve1657;1589213661]
Originally Posted by pianoguy
If you wind up getting LT1 manifolds, spray them with this stuff:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...aphite5200.php

Keeps them looking good - they still look the same as they did when I took this pic almost 5 years ago (you can see just a smidgen of the passenger side manifold):



I think that is the cleanest C4 engines I have seen !!
WOW Any tricks or suggestions to keeping the metal polished and rubber shinning ??? Thank you.
Thanks much! I use Blingmaster (see blingmaster.com) to polish up the aluminum, and Aerospace 303 on rubber and plastic.
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Old Mar 18, 2015 | 08:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Tom400CFI
Get some take-off LT1 manifolds. Cheap, as good or better than shorties, and OEM reliability. I doubt you'll notice a big difference unless you replace the exhaust from the manifolds back. .
Here are the manifolds for a L98 and a LT1.........they seem very similar, do you think it's worth switching? Are they interchangeable ?

L98

http://www.ebay.com/itm/84-91-C4-Corvette-L98-Exhaust-Manifolds-/121574961252?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_A ccessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item1c4e6eb064

LT1

http://www.ebay.com/itm/92-96-C4-Corvette-LT1-Exhaust-Manifolds-/111602973398?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_A ccessories&hash=item19fc0e3ad6&vxp=mtr
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Old Mar 18, 2015 | 08:45 PM
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[QUOTE=pianoguy;1589214616]
Originally Posted by steve1657

Thanks much! I use Blingmaster (see blingmaster.com) to polish up the aluminum, and Aerospace 303 on rubber and plastic.
thank you. awesome. I've saved those pics as what it should and can be.

95 convertible LT1 6m
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Old Mar 18, 2015 | 08:53 PM
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Originally Posted by Hawk196
Here are the manifolds for a L98 and a LT1.........they seem very similar, do you think it's worth switching? Are they interchangeable ?
They flow very differently. It it "worth it"? Personal decision. If *I* had an L98, it would be worth it to me.

They are interchangeable w/a little plumbing for the EGR and AIR.
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Old Mar 18, 2015 | 09:11 PM
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Originally Posted by Tom400CFI
They flow very differently. It it "worth it"? Personal decision. If *I* had an L98, it would be worth it to me.

They are interchangeable w/a little plumbing for the EGR and AIR.
Thanks Tom. What do you think of those in the eBay listing? They have a broken stud....what would be a fair offer for those?
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Old Mar 19, 2015 | 10:15 AM
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I wouldn't want to pay more than $100 for take-off manifolds, but I admit it....I'm CHEAP.
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Old Mar 19, 2015 | 10:45 AM
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Originally Posted by Tom400CFI
I wouldn't want to pay more than $100 for take-off manifolds, but I admit it....I'm CHEAP.
between the broken stud and a "make an offer" on ebay, what do you think I should offer(shipping is $40...might be the decider)

Tom

P.S. - I'm cheap too or I would make a road trip to TPiS and have them do all the work...LOL
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To Shorty headers or stock?

Old Mar 19, 2015 | 11:40 AM
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I mean, it's really up to you and your budget. Hard for me to say how to spend your money. I'd want it at my door for $100 probably.
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Old Mar 20, 2015 | 09:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Hawk196
Thanks Tom. What do you think of those in the eBay listing? They have a broken stud....what would be a fair offer for those?
Find out what the established recyclers like vette2vette and others are selling theirs for and check the For Sale forum here before going to the 'Bay. You also have individuals here breaking cars. Who knows, you may find someone close and save on shipping. At least you will develop a base line on how much to pay.

Good luck!
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Old Mar 21, 2015 | 12:14 AM
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Unless you add long tube headers don't bother. I don’t have long tube headers because Emissions regulations (EGR). That drives the price of headers above $700. If your state will let you slide on Emissions get the cheaper long tubes.
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