I found a great shop in my area to do a header install. Clean shop, nice people, and great reputation. Only thing is, I am "header inept." What would be the best setup for me with my bolt-ons and n2o? Also, what are ALL the little things I will have to make sure gets done? Bolt-on list is on my site. thanks!

 

a lot depends on the emission laws in your area... if they are strict, you will run into problems.

the best headers are called "long tube". These have 4, rather long, equal length tubes. The downside, they relocate the cats, so it causes emission related issues - if they do visual inspections.

as for brands... I am not well versed in selecting these...

 

Long tube headers mated to the factory exhaust will also eliminate the catalytic converters.

One person here did his with a high flow cat in place of the factory resonator and it looked really really sweet.

You may have an early ODB2 car with O2 sensors before and after the cats, if so, you will have to put an O2 sensor bung behind the cat (or if you eliminate the cat you will have to use an O2 sensor eliminator to fake out the signal for the second O2 sensor.

 

Sorry to sound stupid but what is a resonator? Also, where can I find the 02 Sensor eliminator. Also, do you know where I can find some long tube headers for my 93 LT1?
Thanks

 

The resonator is located under the tunnel. It is a rectangular muffler with dual inlets and outlets. In your Vette its construction is basically two straight through peforated 2.75" tubes through the body with a fiberglass internal muffler packing.

If you want headers for your car and if you want long tubes. The headers I suggest are available from Exotic Muscle. These are coated 1.75" tubes and are of very high quality. Fit and finish is great. However depending on your location these will either be smog legal or not. For instance if you live in the republic of California they are not legal. If you live where I live here in Oregon then they are legal as long as you retain the smog devices and install a set of convertors.

Going to long tubes necessitate removing the OEM CATs. You have to then install a set of aftermarket bullet style CATs, that is what I have under my car. There are pictures posted in the forum of many cars with long tubes and cats. Just do a search for them. For you 93 you will not need to install any O2 sensor eliminators. Your car has two sensors and both are retained and used. My car which is a 95 had three, the third sensor is not used for diagnostics so I just left it out. If you have a 96 car, then the rear sensors if you choose not to use them will either have to be programed out in the PCM or O2 sensor simulators be used.


[Modified by tjwong, 8:09 PM 1/31/2004]

 

Do the stock resonator and mufflers need to be replaced if I get headers? I was wondering if they can handle more flow after I add the headers? Also, I have heard that if I use mufflers only (removing the resonator) that the sound in the the car can get pretty loud??

 

You can use the stock system behind the headers but to get all the peformance from all that work it is suggested that you mate the system to a high flow exhaust system. There was a great deal on a nearly new Corsa system in the "items for sale" forum. It was I beleive $700 shipped, retail for this system is well over $900.

And yes, if you remove the resonator it will be louder. And it could cause the dreaded resonance in your car as well.