Thinking of adding BBK 40040 01-04 shorty headers. Car has Borla X pipe and Borla system now. Will installing theses headers make enough of a HP difference to be worth while? I was planning on using the stock convertors.
Car is a 2002 automatic, just installed a 3.42 diff and a VaraRam. Car has run 13.70 at 104 with the 2.73 gear,a AFE air intake and the Borla exhaust.

 

I didn't notice (or expect) much difference in power or sound. But the cleaner look with the coated tubes (I also removed the AIR system) was worth it. Super easy install and no underhood heat issues either

 

I have a post on here somewhere with a discount code. It may be worth a search for a good price on them.

 

I did a thread on the BBK headers. The cleaner look, and maybe less weight are what you get from them. No difference in sound if you are running cats. I did an actual before and after dyno tune which yielded zero gains. I actually lost 2 whp up top, but gained slightly in the mid section. So a minuscule amount of movement of the power in the rpm range. It is too small a change to be completely accurate. Maybe a different tank of gas could have made the change.
Basically, they did absolutely nothing performance wise. They look good under the hood though. If you can get them for around $350 new, you can go for it. But they aren't really worth it as a bolt on mod. The surfaces need machined from the poor quality as well. Fitment was ok, but I had an exhaust leak and had to get the drivers side gasket surface machined flat to fix it.

Here is the upside though. Because the heads and cats are choke points, the headers most likely do have the potential to add power if the following is done:

First off: The primaries have a good design at 1 & 3/4" which are larger and flow more air then most other shorties offered at 1 & 3/8". Plus shorties have a true collector design. Both are good upgrades.

If you were to upgrade to 243 heads (preferably ported and polished), or an aftermarket set, and do high flow cats, or go catless. The headers would likely become a good piece to have in the system. As far as a bolt on though, they are jammed between two restrictions that do not allow them to be of any use.

I have not counted them out as a good mod in the grand scheme of things as I will be doing these upgrades with a cam swap. But If you only plan to do bolt on's, I would not go with them as my dyno results show: No power to be made on a stock setup.

 

Well between the replies from NukeC5 and hovcdog, I will go with a different bolt on. Thank you both.. How about the BBK upper intake? Any benefit over my stock LS1 intake..

 

You mentioned you have an AFE intake. It you already have an intake, it will make little difference to change to a different intake.

 

The AFE air intake I was referring to is the type of air filter assembly I had on it before installing the VaraRam. Not the upper plenum which I was referring as the BBK. sorry for the confutation.

 

Oh, well Vararam makes an air bridge too that will complete your setup.

 

I have the complete VaraRam set up. The air bridge your referring to is what VaraRam calls a power duct, I have that. What I'm asking about is the actual upper plenum, bolts to the intake manifold, the throttle body bolts to it. Original is black plastic or composite of some type. The BBK is aluminum has the runners leading to each intake port of the lower plenum.. Again sorry about the confutation..

 

I think he is talking about the BBK intake manifold

 

I think you are referring to the BBK aluminum intake manifold. many believe that the aluminum acts as a heat sink, dont know if that is true or not. The LS1 intake is a composite as is the LS6. The LS6 is touted as a very good flowing manifold and general consensus is that unless you are upgrading to a FAST manifold and also doing more add ons to improve intake and exhaust (headers, heads, cam, etc.) that the LS6 is sufficient.

I see you have a 2002 so you already have the LS6 intake manifold.

 

OK thanks, I think for now I'm just going to get to the track, see how much faster it is with the 3.42 and the VaraRam. Like I said before 13.70 at 104 with the 2.73's and the AFE air cleaner. Stock tune. Still have to get my shift points tuned after the gear change. Drives fine a part throttle blasts but I know it will hit the rev limiter at WOT.. With the MPH before and finishing the 1/4 in 2nd gear the car should pick up alot..

 

I would definitely get a tune at this point. Shift points will be a huge help. My car would flat out red line and wouldn't shift after changing to 3.42's. You will also pick up some power from the mods.

 

That is the plan. A friend of mine Cal Hartline (AKA Hartline Performance) from Melbourne FL. is going to do the tune for me and correct the trans shift points since the gear change.

 

I just got around to getting this on photo bucket finally. This is a before and after of the BBK shorties. The red numbers are the car "tuned" before, and the green numbers "tuned" after. As you can see, a minuscule difference in torque, but a loss of peak hp. But as I said, It gained in the mid-section ever so slightly. Admittedly that is more important. But not enough of a change to be worth the effort.

 

Wow, thanks for sharing that. Definitely no worth the money or the effort to install. I sure I can find another bolt on that will be money better spent..
Thanks again,
Don