Considering headers on a daily driver
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Good luck with the header install. Should be an awesome mod for your car.
Pro
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 569
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From: Nashville TN
Put LG Streets on mine. It's not a DD, but at 3 years has 18,000 miles, so it's not a garage queen either. Only regret I have is just not getting a tune (yet) for an O2 sensor CEL that keeps coming on. That can be corrected and I haven't regretted it one minute.
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Thread Starter
Tech Contributor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,731
Likes: 82
From: New Market AL
I picked up these headers and x-pipe this afternoon. They are now installed in the car. All that I need tomorrow is to replace one spark plug wire that I broke, and buy a new serpentine belt. The install wasn't too bad. One the passenger side I removed the coils and the starter. On the driver side, I removed the coils, alternator, steering shaft, and raised the engine 2" or 3". But after getting them in position, they both aligned up nicely. I'll report on how loud they are with the Borla Stingers tomorrow.
Thread Starter
Tech Contributor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,731
Likes: 82
From: New Market AL
The Corvette is back on the road, with new long tubes and off-road x-pipes. I still have the Borla Stingers too. A couple of comments from the install:
1. The stock manifolds weigh 11 lbs each, and the h-pipe + cats weighs 36 lbs for a total of 58 lbs.
2. The headers weigh 9 lbs each (ceramic coated steel), and the x-pipe - cats weighs 18 lbs for a total of 36 lbs.
3. The check engine light comes on ~ 15 miles after driving w/o rear O2 sensors.
4. I reused the stock manifold gaskets and bolts (so far zero leaks).
5. The car now breaks traction when punching it from a 15 mph roll
It doesn't require a seat-of-the-pants meter to tell the improvement in bottom end torque.
6. It isn't too loud crusing at 1700 rpm (75 mph), but at 2500 rpm there is a nasty resonance. At WOT it is very loud. I'll have to dwell on the muffler selection for a bit. Maybe try out some Ti mufflers.
Back to my debate on purchasing HPTuners or getting a local tuner to tweak it for me...
1. The stock manifolds weigh 11 lbs each, and the h-pipe + cats weighs 36 lbs for a total of 58 lbs.
2. The headers weigh 9 lbs each (ceramic coated steel), and the x-pipe - cats weighs 18 lbs for a total of 36 lbs.
3. The check engine light comes on ~ 15 miles after driving w/o rear O2 sensors.
4. I reused the stock manifold gaskets and bolts (so far zero leaks).
5. The car now breaks traction when punching it from a 15 mph roll
It doesn't require a seat-of-the-pants meter to tell the improvement in bottom end torque.6. It isn't too loud crusing at 1700 rpm (75 mph), but at 2500 rpm there is a nasty resonance. At WOT it is very loud. I'll have to dwell on the muffler selection for a bit. Maybe try out some Ti mufflers.
Back to my debate on purchasing HPTuners or getting a local tuner to tweak it for me...
