Just put on OBX headers, midpipe, and axle-back. Now after revving it at all it makes a crazy fast iterationed ticking noise. It almost sounds like how the fuel injectors sound while idling. I only heard it with the hood closed, although it does it while parked in neutral or park revving it. It does it while driving, as well, obviously. I took off my engine covers and it changed the tone of the ticks, making them sound more metallic? I at first thought that I had exhaust leakage from the headers, so I rechecked to make sure that all of the bolts are tightened down well. The gaskets are all in right.. Am I missing something? The EGK stuff is all gasketed and tightened down well, although I doubt that a bad seal on that would cause a sound like that.

After driving the car for 20+ minutes, my check engine light comes on. When I pull the code, I get P1153 H02S insufficient switching bank2 sens1. When I looked it up, it says that it's a bad sensor or an overheating sensor. Since it takes a while for it to kick in, I would guess that it's the latter. I routed all of the wires for the o2 sensors away from the midpipe and headers, so I don't know why this would be though. Would it help to get header wrap and just wrap near where the sensors are? Or should I just get an o2 sensor simulator.. Would I be able to pass emissions using a simulator? I plan on getting a professional tune as soon as I get my TB and intake manifold on, can they tune out o2 sensors?

Another issue is.. I can't get my tips aligned right. The driver's side tips are completely horizontal, whereas my passenger's side tips are slightly angled. I've messed with aligning the whole exhaust and I can't seem to be able to fix it. As well, my resonators hang very low, maybe 6 inches of clearance off of the ground. Is all of this because of buying OBX? Has anyone else had any of these issues?

I've spent the last 4 nights working til 1 am after work trying to get all of this stuff done, so it's very disappointing to have issues with it all. I love the sound, but it's very stressing trying to diagnose what's going on with those problems. If anyone can help me, I'd appreciate it very much! Thanks in advance!

 

I'm desperate for tips if anyone has any.

 

bank 2 is the rear sensors, did you get hi flow or no cats? have them tuned out. you can turn off the rear sensors. they are not needed.

the ticking is sometimes just what headers do. although you may have a pipe bouncing against something metal under the car. as far as alignment goes. loosen everything from the header back. put a board under the tips and hold them with a jack securely. then tighten everything from the tips to the headers.

you may have to get out the old pry bar and make something move. lastly, it may very well be the OBX. There are a few reports that that the newest OBX headers have fitment issues. For comparison, I have been researching headers for months. I looked at XSpower, they are on back order for who knows how long. I looked at LG streets and they were back ordered for a few weeks. I then found a set of Texas Speed ones locally. They dropped right in and everything lined up exactly from the headers back to the tips.

 

I went with no cats, as it was the cheaper option. Is there anything that I can do about the sensors until I get a tune? It might be several months before I am able to get one. Am I going to need the rear sensors activated to be able to pass emissions? I think I will buy cats to swap in before the emissions test is needed.

I will definitely look to see if the headers are vibrating against something, that makes sense. I just can't believe that if that is not the case that the ticking would be so loud. It is pretty loud under acceleration.

I don't believe it is the headers, as they are asymmetrical at the collector. Everything going back to the end of the midpipe is asymmetrical as far as I am able to tell. Maybe I just have a defective axle back. Even the resonators hang fairly asymmetrically, albeit quite low. I wonder if I would be able to employ a local exhaust shop to correct it via corrections to the alignment or perhaps mandrel bending the tubing.

Thank you very much for taking the time to help me with my issues. I'm very thankful for all of the help that corvetteforum members give me with my issues. Too bad I'm not experienced enough to be able to help more people with issues myself.

 

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is the ticking a steady rhythm & sound like a sewing machine running? if so, that's just the valvetrain noise coming through the thinner walls of the headers whereas it used to be dampened by the thick iron walls of the stock manifolds. it's normal. now, if it's some clanging noise or something, check clearance all the way down the exhaust to make sure it ain't rubbing on anything.

i've always been under the impression Bank 2 was the passenger side meaning Bank 2, Sensor 2 is the passenger rear. Bank 1, Sensor 1 is the driver front.

 

[i've always been under the impression Bank 2 was the passenger side meaning Bank 2, Sensor 2 is the passenger rear. Bank 1, Sensor 1 is the driver front.[/QUOTE]

You are correct, bank 1=drivers side, bank 2=pass side. sensor 1= front O2, sensor 2= rear O2

By the way, I don't believe you can pass emissions w/o cats so tuning out your O2's isn't going to help the emission test anyway. You can tune out the rear O2's since they aren't needed for tuning. Can't really help much with the noise though

 

You are correct, bank 1=drivers side, bank 2=pass side. sensor 1= front O2, sensor 2= rear O2

By the way, I don't believe you can pass emissions w/o cats so tuning out your O2's isn't going to help the emission test anyway. You can tune out the rear O2's since they aren't needed for tuning. Can't really help much with the noise though[/QUOTE]

Tuning out the rear O2s will allow you to pass emissions, unless you live in a state that has a visual inspection. Visual can be passed if you put resonators in place of the cats. Passing emissions is just making the computer report what you want it to over OBDII.

 

Hot rodding just isn't what it used to be. People expect to just bolt on parts and drive away. I hate to tell ya, but a big part of hot rodding is making adjustments, modifying to achieve a goal, tuning to synch one item to another, etc etc...

You made changes and now you have a different car. Well, at least your car now has different characteristics.

Just keeping adjusting and tuning and everything will start to come together. It's challenging when all items aren't purchased/installed at the same time. You'll get it though.

 

I have the exact same obx setup i installed 3 months ago with borla stingers mine did the same thing, no probs yet-its just more engine noise. Ls motors are loud with headers!

 

It seems like really too much noise from the engine bay for it to be meant to be like that. I'm going to go through and recheck all of the bolts and clearance next time I get the chance. I've never heard any cars with headers with extreme vibrational noises coming from the engine bay. It's very easily heard over the roar of a full exhaust.

 

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