headers: is exhaust a must?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 4,030
Likes: 6
From: Maryland
headers: is exhaust a must?
Has anyone ever changed to long tube headers and kept the stock
exhaust? Is keeping the cat back going to negate the gains of the new
headers to zero?
I was thinking that just a cam and headers might be the thing for me.
I don't like the exhaust mod due to resonance and expense.
exhaust? Is keeping the cat back going to negate the gains of the new
headers to zero?
I was thinking that just a cam and headers might be the thing for me.
I don't like the exhaust mod due to resonance and expense.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,261
Likes: 4
From: Middle River MD
Re: headers: is exhaust a must? (sothpaw2)
I'm running Hooker 2149's, no precats, gutted main cat and stock LT1 mufflers and it doesn't sound all that intimidating at idle, but when I stomp on it it sounds pretty stout. A good compromise IMO.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 62,160
Likes: 1,733
From: Athens AL
C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
C4 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
Re: headers: is exhaust a must? (HeeHaw89)
The LT1 exhaust isnt as restrictive as the L98s, you will still gain 10-15hp from the longtube headers and it wont be insanely loud with the stock exhaust. Adding a new catback will probably increase your gains to 20hp+ if you got a good one that flows better, but you should pick your catback on sound and not performance. Unless the engine is heavily modified you wouldnt notice much difference performance-wise between any of them.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,168
Likes: 16
From: Phoenix AZ
Re: headers: is exhaust a must? (sothpaw2)
I was wondering exactly the same thing. I want the headers but not the resonance of aftermarket exhaust. I had a B&B Triflo and didn't like the resonance. I took the brand new $900 B&B off, sold it for $500, and bought a stock '91 y-pipe and mufflers at a salvage yard. The '91 mufflers are larger and less restrictive than '84-'90 mufflers but have the stock sound and no resonance. The '91 exhaust is a direct bolt-on for '86-'90 Corvettes.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 4,030
Likes: 6
From: Maryland
Re: clarify
I meant is changing to long tube headers, but keeping the cats (maybe
after market) and stock cat back a reasonable thing?
Thanks Vader, sounds like I have one vote from you.
after market) and stock cat back a reasonable thing?
Thanks Vader, sounds like I have one vote from you.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 5,713
Likes: 105
From: Manassas VA
Re: clarify (sothpaw2)
I think it will work fine. No experience of my own, but I have noticed on the LT1 that most everyone who has posted results have said no performance gain from a cat back system. The stock LT1 exhaust is a very good system to begin with. Let us know how it works out.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Racer
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 471
Likes: 0
From: Queens NY
Re: clarify (93 ragtop)
I'm going a different route on my '86.
I have hedman headers, flowmater true-dual cat-back, and sometime in the next month or so I'm replacing the flowmaster mufflers with LT-1 mufflers.
Should I expect to lose any performance from replacing the flows with lt-1 mufflers?
I have hedman headers, flowmater true-dual cat-back, and sometime in the next month or so I'm replacing the flowmaster mufflers with LT-1 mufflers.
Should I expect to lose any performance from replacing the flows with lt-1 mufflers?
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 14,680
Likes: 752
From: NEwhere Ohio
Re: headers: is exhaust a must? (sothpaw2)
I concur with the consensus on this thread that long tube headers (minus cats) with a stock LT1 exhaust will give you good gains in HP without the loud sound of an aftermarket exhaust.
This is exactly what I did on my car and it is great. With my car being a convertible, I still wanted to be able to talk to the passenger at 65 MPH on the highway with the top down. Good roar (although some might expect better) at WOT. The extra noise associated with an aftermarket exhaust will just get the cops looking in your direction at least in my town.
I dumped off my cats in the process.
You do have to cut back (I used a hacksaw) the drivers side exhaust pipe, and also have to add an extension pipe (cut to the right length) to both the passenger and drivers side stock exhaust pipes. AFter getting the orientation correct, you weld one end of each extension pipe (Autozone has 3inch id extension pipes) to the stock exhaust, and use exhaust band clamps (Napa has them) to secure the other end to the long tube header collector.
All I know is my next mod is going to be some slicks or something because I cant get any traction in 1st after putting the headers onto my hotcam'd car.
Before the long tube headers, traction wasnt a problem.
This is exactly what I did on my car and it is great. With my car being a convertible, I still wanted to be able to talk to the passenger at 65 MPH on the highway with the top down. Good roar (although some might expect better) at WOT. The extra noise associated with an aftermarket exhaust will just get the cops looking in your direction at least in my town.
I dumped off my cats in the process.
You do have to cut back (I used a hacksaw) the drivers side exhaust pipe, and also have to add an extension pipe (cut to the right length) to both the passenger and drivers side stock exhaust pipes. AFter getting the orientation correct, you weld one end of each extension pipe (Autozone has 3inch id extension pipes) to the stock exhaust, and use exhaust band clamps (Napa has them) to secure the other end to the long tube header collector.
All I know is my next mod is going to be some slicks or something because I cant get any traction in 1st after putting the headers onto my hotcam'd car.
Before the long tube headers, traction wasnt a problem.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 4,030
Likes: 6
From: Maryland
Re: headers: is exhaust a must? (sothpaw2)
Dizwiz24,
Super! Exactly what I wanted to know! Did you use any cats? If yes,
can you pass emissions?
And did you dyno it or run the 1/4 before/after the headers? From your
sig, sounds like not yet.
...And you did the Hot cam first, correct? I bet the headers make the
car feel faster at low rpm (low torque). Spin'em baby!
Super! Exactly what I wanted to know! Did you use any cats? If yes,
can you pass emissions?
And did you dyno it or run the 1/4 before/after the headers? From your
sig, sounds like not yet.
...And you did the Hot cam first, correct? I bet the headers make the
car feel faster at low rpm (low torque). Spin'em baby!