STS System and Headers?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 363
Likes: 0
From: Granville Illinois
STS System and Headers?
Hello guys,got a question about my 97 Vette. I found a local shop that is going to sell me the STS system off their showroom 2002 Z06 and it has all the upgrades, $5500 installed and tuned. They are in the process of doing a LSX 440 with twins and building it to 2500HP for a dyno car queen/promo car. Anyhow the Z06 has a set of ceramic coated headers,x pipe and high flow cats,says I can have them for a grand more. He said that with the turbo system I wouldn't really see a huge improvement with headers...just sounds cooler. I have never been a fan of hedders in the past...what do you think? He even led me to believe that the hedders could cost some performance. I am an old school SBC/BBC motor guy but am kind of clueless when it comes to forced induction.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,464
Likes: 7
Most of the people who have the STS system says to stick with the stock exhaust manifold is you have a stock cubic inch engine. Some say they did loose power with headers. Do a STS search here in this FI section and you find alot of information.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 2,851
Likes: 1
From: San Bruno Ca
I have a STS car and have used stock manifolds and headers...save your money and save the leak headaches and heat issues. Almost all other turbo kits make their own manifolds that look just like stock manifolds.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 2,851
Likes: 1
From: San Bruno Ca
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
From: Slidell La
I would say just stick to the stock manifolds. I have TPIS Long Tube headers with my STS kit and it does lag a bit. From what I hear the stock manifolds really do keep the lag time down a few hundred rpms. That being said if you like your car quite loud then get the headers. The car really does sound like a monster so just a heads up. I'm putting down 605 to the wheels at 9# and loving every second of it. Really either way you can't lose 
p.s. I wouldn't go with cats if that is an option for you. I already had a turbo get destroyed with something going through it. A cat could come apart pretty easily and then your turbo(s) are done. I haven't heard of it happening often tho.
p.s. I wouldn't go with cats if that is an option for you. I already had a turbo get destroyed with something going through it. A cat could come apart pretty easily and then your turbo(s) are done. I haven't heard of it happening often tho.
Last edited by akaspeedaddict; Oct 13, 2008 at 12:29 AM. Reason: advice
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 363
Likes: 0
From: Granville Illinois
I did some research and it looks as if headers would make it sound a little meaner but would offer no performance advantages. I am going to have them remove the cats though before they tune as I really do not want a converter coming apart and taking a turbo out. Do these cars really smell that bad inside without cats? I would think the heat from the turbos would burn the unspent fuel pretty well. Also what kind of numbers have people seen on an other wise stock LS1 six speed? How about 1/4 mile times?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 904
Likes: 36
From: Santa Cruz CA
Good question.
I am glad you asked this question, I have been getting ready to put a STS twin setup on my car. I already have LG Pro longtubes, their 3' X-pipe mid system and high flow Met Cats.
I just picked up a set of stock Z06 exhaust manifolds and cat H-pipe because I was led to belive the fully modded N/A exhaust system would screw with the spool up rate of the stock STS kit making if feel soggy.
Someone said no headers unless I get the displacement above 400ci or the horsepower level above 600rwhp for the STS kit. Does that sound right? Right now I am going to put the kit on a stock internals motor but am going to build a large displacement motor for it in the future so instead of selling the LG Pro's I can just shelf them until I put the big engine in. Sound correct? Thanks for any input.
I just picked up a set of stock Z06 exhaust manifolds and cat H-pipe because I was led to belive the fully modded N/A exhaust system would screw with the spool up rate of the stock STS kit making if feel soggy.
Someone said no headers unless I get the displacement above 400ci or the horsepower level above 600rwhp for the STS kit. Does that sound right? Right now I am going to put the kit on a stock internals motor but am going to build a large displacement motor for it in the future so instead of selling the LG Pro's I can just shelf them until I put the big engine in. Sound correct? Thanks for any input.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,015
Likes: 15
From: Loxahatchee Florida
Just got mine back from the Vette Doctors. 2000 STS FRC, stock engine, TPIS headers, Random Tech metal matrix high flow cats, Bassani X pipe, very conservative DD tune at 7 Lbs on boost. I am extremely satisfied with the performance, sound, lag?(what lag?), and mpg. It's perfect for me. Hope this helps with some info.
Last edited by 2000BC; Oct 18, 2008 at 09:31 AM.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 651
Likes: 0
From: Ashland Kentucky
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 904
Likes: 36
From: Santa Cruz CA
Nice numbers.
Wow, Hammer that is impressive. For stock heads, exhaust/cats that is stunning. I wonder if that cam would pass smog. It's all about the idle for smog, low overlap usually means it will pass. So if yours idles like stock it probably would. I've found lift to usually be a non issue smog wise except that you usually can't get high lift on cams that don't have insane N/A LSA's/durations that are smog death. That must be one stunner turbo cam. I heard the stock 02+ Z cam was a good turbo cam because of high lift, low LSA.
Btw, is that on pump gas? Just wondering what the boost was set at.
Btw, is that on pump gas? Just wondering what the boost was set at.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 651
Likes: 0
From: Ashland Kentucky
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 904
Likes: 36
From: Santa Cruz CA
I'm getting old.
I thought it was .555I/551E 118LSA for the '02, but thats splitting hairs close enough. I guess I am showing my age. It used to be a .550 to .600 lift cam meant frequent spring changes and lightweight valvetrain parts to keep it together. Funny now stock engines like the LS7 are pushing .590+ lift. Anything under .600 lift is now a 'low lift' cam. I remember when Pro Stock cams where in the .700's and got new springs every few passes. How times change. Thankfully for the better.
So assuming an LSA over 116 (?) how much lift does it take to make a good turbo cam? I am assuming on the LSA to keep the idle nice plus turbo motors seem to hate wild duration/LSA cams. Going to start making my shopping list. Displacement would be 427ci minimum, probably a 440ci, since I know larger displacements motors make cams act smaller. Plus the larger bore would allow larger valves, so same airflow with lower lift. Might be able to make a real sleeper sounding car.
So assuming an LSA over 116 (?) how much lift does it take to make a good turbo cam? I am assuming on the LSA to keep the idle nice plus turbo motors seem to hate wild duration/LSA cams. Going to start making my shopping list. Displacement would be 427ci minimum, probably a 440ci, since I know larger displacements motors make cams act smaller. Plus the larger bore would allow larger valves, so same airflow with lower lift. Might be able to make a real sleeper sounding car.
