Why do I insist on bigger headers?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,233
Likes: 3
From: Mukilteo Washington
Why do I insist on bigger headers?
I'm in the market for headers for my stock 01 Z. I don't plan on heavy mods for the motor, I have enough power for the track.
I asked the forum what size I should get. I got enough replies telling me 1 7/8 with 3" X pipe because I won't lose any power in the lower end, compared to 1 3/4 and I will actually gain more power in the top end. I liked that.
I want to bring my headers to the popular Washington tuner, Tom Wong. I asked if he agreed with the 1 7/8; he told me to get 1 3/4 because it will make better torque. I didn't want to be a newbie idiot to an expert and reply "Well I heard on CF that blah blah blah blah...."
Should I just get over it and realize I'll be fine with LG streets or maybe meet halfway and get the LG superpros?
It would be lame to have to switch sizes in the future because I changed my mind and wanted to slap more power in the motor.
What are your guy's thoughts?
Sometimes I just need somebody to set me straight
Thanks guys!
I asked the forum what size I should get. I got enough replies telling me 1 7/8 with 3" X pipe because I won't lose any power in the lower end, compared to 1 3/4 and I will actually gain more power in the top end. I liked that.
I want to bring my headers to the popular Washington tuner, Tom Wong. I asked if he agreed with the 1 7/8; he told me to get 1 3/4 because it will make better torque. I didn't want to be a newbie idiot to an expert and reply "Well I heard on CF that blah blah blah blah...."
Should I just get over it and realize I'll be fine with LG streets or maybe meet halfway and get the LG superpros?
It would be lame to have to switch sizes in the future because I changed my mind and wanted to slap more power in the motor.
What are your guy's thoughts?
Sometimes I just need somebody to set me straight
Thanks guys!
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 4,549
Likes: 30
From: Shenandoah Valley Virginia
You need to define what your ultimate goal is with engine mods and then buy the headers accordingly. 1 7/8" tubes on a stock engine are not going to give you a lot of added power. Had a friend that put these on and only gained 12 RWHP after a tune. Two years later he did the full heads, cam and cold air routine and was moving enough air that the larger size was necessary. If you are going to stay basically stock the 1 3/4" will deliver the most power. If added H & C mods are in the future - go with the 1 7/8"
Pro
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 568
Likes: 1
From: Fresno California
Get over it. Your tuner is the one you should trust. If you don't you shouldn't be using him.
If in fact you are going to keep your engine stock then you should be trying to improve power (torque) below the curve. That is where you will get the most out of a stock engine. If you decide later that you want a little more, there are several cams out there that add huge amounts of torque below the curve and will work quite well with 1 3/4 headers.. It seems to me that most people are more impressed with BIG sexy numbers than they are with what works best for a street driven near stock car. Don't get sucked into that "my dog is bigger than yours" game that is mostly played by non pros.
If in fact you are going to keep your engine stock then you should be trying to improve power (torque) below the curve. That is where you will get the most out of a stock engine. If you decide later that you want a little more, there are several cams out there that add huge amounts of torque below the curve and will work quite well with 1 3/4 headers.. It seems to me that most people are more impressed with BIG sexy numbers than they are with what works best for a street driven near stock car. Don't get sucked into that "my dog is bigger than yours" game that is mostly played by non pros.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,097
Likes: 111
From: Fredericksburg Virginia
Your not saying what mods you have now but you are saying you don't have plans for heavy mods in the future. Reading that I would think that 1 3/4's should be fine. It really depends on your current/future mods and how your using the car.
GL
Chris
GL
Chris
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4,449
Likes: 409
From: Portland OR
I'm in the market for headers for my stock 01 Z. I don't plan on heavy mods for the motor, I have enough power for the track.
I asked the forum what size I should get. I got enough replies telling me 1 7/8 with 3" X pipe because I won't lose any power in the lower end, compared to 1 3/4 and I will actually gain more power in the top end. I liked that.
I want to bring my headers to the popular Washington tuner, Tom Wong. I asked if he agreed with the 1 7/8; he told me to get 1 3/4 because it will make better torque. I didn't want to be a newbie idiot to an expert and reply "Well I heard on CF that blah blah blah blah...."
Should I just get over it and realize I'll be fine with LG streets or maybe meet halfway and get the LG superpros?
It would be lame to have to switch sizes in the future because I changed my mind and wanted to slap more power in the motor.
What are your guy's thoughts?
Sometimes I just need somebody to set me straight
Thanks guys!
I asked the forum what size I should get. I got enough replies telling me 1 7/8 with 3" X pipe because I won't lose any power in the lower end, compared to 1 3/4 and I will actually gain more power in the top end. I liked that.
I want to bring my headers to the popular Washington tuner, Tom Wong. I asked if he agreed with the 1 7/8; he told me to get 1 3/4 because it will make better torque. I didn't want to be a newbie idiot to an expert and reply "Well I heard on CF that blah blah blah blah...."
Should I just get over it and realize I'll be fine with LG streets or maybe meet halfway and get the LG superpros?
It would be lame to have to switch sizes in the future because I changed my mind and wanted to slap more power in the motor.
What are your guy's thoughts?
Sometimes I just need somebody to set me straight
Thanks guys!
BTW...the 1 7/8 make the extra hp at the top of the rev range, where you will likely spend very little time unless you are racing the car.
Ron
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,898
Likes: 9
From: Morrisville PA
Also keep in mind anything bigger than 1 3/4 might require you busting out the saw.
I had to cut a lip off my frame that the 1 7/8" Kooks were banging against.
Another good, cheap alternative is to get a C6Z manifold setup. You can get the manifolds, cats, and midpipes for $350 on this forum. I am running that setup now and I love it. They will make almost as much as headers.
I had to cut a lip off my frame that the 1 7/8" Kooks were banging against.
Another good, cheap alternative is to get a C6Z manifold setup. You can get the manifolds, cats, and midpipes for $350 on this forum. I am running that setup now and I love it. They will make almost as much as headers.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,163
Likes: 6
From: Oceanside California
I say 1 3/4" is the way to go too. Especially on a street car. Torque is the most important thing to keep up on theses cars. The 346 is hard enough to maintain torque on because it is a relatively small CID. The 1 7/8"are to large if you are not running a decently aggressive H/C or FI setup.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,375
Likes: 1,593
From: Western NY
Will that set up bolt on to a C5 w/o any modification?
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Drifting
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,898
Likes: 9
From: Morrisville PA
Almost. Dig through this thread
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...post1583123113
Basically you just have to take the end of your stock c5 midpipe and splice it into the c6 midpipe so it connects to your mufflers. You can do this with $20 3"->2.5" adapters. Easy peasy.
Then other little odds and ends. Like for me, I had to file a tiny edge off my bellhousing so the cat would clear. Not a big deal at all.
Everything you need is detailed in that thread. Just gotta dig through it.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...post1583123113
Basically you just have to take the end of your stock c5 midpipe and splice it into the c6 midpipe so it connects to your mufflers. You can do this with $20 3"->2.5" adapters. Easy peasy.
Then other little odds and ends. Like for me, I had to file a tiny edge off my bellhousing so the cat would clear. Not a big deal at all.
Everything you need is detailed in that thread. Just gotta dig through it.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,375
Likes: 1,593
From: Western NY
Almost. Dig through this thread
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...post1583123113
Basically you just have to take the end of your stock c5 midpipe and splice it into the c6 midpipe so it connects to your mufflers. You can do this with $20 3"->2.5" adapters. Easy peasy.
Then other little odds and ends. Like for me, I had to file a tiny edge off my bellhousing so the cat would clear. Not a big deal at all.
Everything you need is detailed in that thread. Just gotta dig through it.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...post1583123113
Basically you just have to take the end of your stock c5 midpipe and splice it into the c6 midpipe so it connects to your mufflers. You can do this with $20 3"->2.5" adapters. Easy peasy.
Then other little odds and ends. Like for me, I had to file a tiny edge off my bellhousing so the cat would clear. Not a big deal at all.
Everything you need is detailed in that thread. Just gotta dig through it.
Pro
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 518
Likes: 36
From: Indiana
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,699
Likes: 16
From: Sun City- Menifee Calif.
I can only speak from my own experiance. I have ARH. 1 7/8 " headers . I noticed the most gain above 4500 or so. Pulls hard all the way to rev limit of 6800. They work great with my 3.90 gears. Its easier to control wheel spin. In my case the bigger headers worked out great.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 36,836
Likes: 244
From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
I'm in the market for headers for my stock 01 Z. I don't plan on heavy mods for the motor, I have enough power for the track.
I asked the forum what size I should get. I got enough replies telling me 1 7/8 with 3" X pipe because I won't lose any power in the lower end, compared to 1 3/4 and I will actually gain more power in the top end. I liked that.
I want to bring my headers to the popular Washington tuner, Tom Wong. I asked if he agreed with the 1 7/8; he told me to get 1 3/4 because it will make better torque. I didn't want to be a newbie idiot to an expert and reply "Well I heard on CF that blah blah blah blah...."
Should I just get over it and realize I'll be fine with LG streets or maybe meet halfway and get the LG superpros?
It would be lame to have to switch sizes in the future because I changed my mind and wanted to slap more power in the motor.
What are your guy's thoughts?
Sometimes I just need somebody to set me straight
Thanks guys!
I asked the forum what size I should get. I got enough replies telling me 1 7/8 with 3" X pipe because I won't lose any power in the lower end, compared to 1 3/4 and I will actually gain more power in the top end. I liked that.
I want to bring my headers to the popular Washington tuner, Tom Wong. I asked if he agreed with the 1 7/8; he told me to get 1 3/4 because it will make better torque. I didn't want to be a newbie idiot to an expert and reply "Well I heard on CF that blah blah blah blah...."
Should I just get over it and realize I'll be fine with LG streets or maybe meet halfway and get the LG superpros?
It would be lame to have to switch sizes in the future because I changed my mind and wanted to slap more power in the motor.
What are your guy's thoughts?
Sometimes I just need somebody to set me straight
Thanks guys!
Btw, FWIW Kooks has recently done a redesign on their C5 headers to make them easier to install. Both they, and ARH are very high quality products.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 3,956
Likes: 520
From: Da U.P.
A lot of conventional wisdom in here. I've heard a few times, even spoke with a tuner about this, and he stated that even on a stock engine, the bigger headers lose nothing down low. Of course, the gains up top are negligible, on the order of ~8whp from 5000+, but it's 8 more than you get with 1 3/4" headers with no penalties elsewhere. Seems like a win/win scenario to me. For some reason, bigger is better in this scenario. In order of what he made the most power from least to most is LG Super Pros, then 1 7/8" Kooks, then 1 7/8" ARH. Some serious bang for the buck would be some el cheapo 1 3/4" headers, but if you're looking to blow 1500+ on them, just get the ARHs or wait for the Pfadts.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,233
Likes: 3
From: Mukilteo Washington
K guys I appreciate all the help! I am going with the tech's advice and buying ARH 1-3/4 with 2.5-3" x pipe (# C5L34WC).
I am looking forward to getting them in!!
Thanks again for the input and "settin' me straight!"
I am looking forward to getting them in!!
Thanks again for the input and "settin' me straight!"
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 7,373
Likes: 1,128
From: cold & windy
ARH are top-quality headers & fit/install the best 
i've got their 1 7/8 on my LS1... but then again, i'm also running 11psi off a TVS with a stroker coming later
1 3/4 will be great for you
i've got their 1 7/8 on my LS1... but then again, i'm also running 11psi off a TVS with a stroker coming later
1 3/4 will be great for you
