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Greetings all. I am planning CAI, headers and a tune for my 2010 GS M6.
Is there really much that differentiates the major brands:Kooks, LG, Stainless Works, ARH etc? They all seem to bolt right on, all are stainless steel, all claim approximately same power gains yet there is a pretty significant price differential. Second, for a street car with limited track time do I want high flow cats? And regarding size, 1 3/4, 1 7/8 ? Also, what is an X pipe? Sorry for all the questions but I want to get it right the first time.Best Regards, Peter
Hinson only offers 1-7/8 headers. I wanted to try them but wanted 1 3/4
And no cats.
If I understood correctly, you could stay with 1 3/4in tubing if your goal is to stay relatively stock, but improving overall performance and gain a bit of muscle car tone that you dont get while stock. You would move to 1 7/8in if you plan future mods either naturally aspirated or force induced.
I will use cats on mine since vehicles get a visual inspection here in Norfolk, VA. I heard they are useful to remove fuel smell from the cabin as well.
Seems like a buyer's market, cant go wrong in tnis deparment, I think. Some vendors even offer free installation.
Last edited by RicardoFors68; Jul 22, 2015 at 12:08 PM.
Don't let 1 7/8" headers scare you off. Mine has approx. 425 rwhp/rwtq with LG SuperPro 1 7/8" headers and their high flow cats, on a totally stock LS3 manual transmission dry sump 2011 Grand Sport. Look at how high the torque curve is. I've had them on it for about a year now, and they still make me smile every time I romp it.
Don't let 1 7/8" headers scare you off. Mine has approx. 425 rwhp/rwtq with LG SuperPro 1 7/8" headers and their high flow cats, on a totally stock LS3 manual transmission dry sump 2011 Grand Sport. Look at how high the torque curve is. I've had them on it for about a year now, and they still make me smile
Seadawg:
You think you would have made less sith 1 3/4"?
Can anyone explain the cold air mod? I would like that rather than getting a CAI
I believe the mod is referring to cutting a rectangular slot in your radiator shroud so that the filter gets fresh cooler outside air. There's also a shroud similar to the halltech super bee shroud you can buy on eBay that fits the stock air filter housing.
Greetings all. I am planning CAI, headers and a tune for my 2010 GS M6.
Is there really much that differentiates the major brands:Kooks, LG, Stainless Works, ARH etc? They all seem to bolt right on, all are stainless steel, all claim approximately same power gains yet there is a pretty significant price differential. Second, for a street car with limited track time do I want high flow cats? And regarding size, 1 3/4, 1 7/8 ? Also, what is an X pipe? Sorry for all the questions but I want to get it right the first time.Best Regards, Peter
American Racing Headers are made "here" in New York. If that means anything to you. It does to me. I know the quality is there.
I don't know if there is a comparison of each header on the same exact car, with dyno runs to prove which actually makes more power.
But i think either kooks, ARH or LG and you can't go wrong.
I went with kooks because i had them before on my LS2 GTO and i knew installation would be a breeze. I've "heard" stories about LG not fitting properly without denting the tubes to make clearance. Don't really want to dent brand new long tubes just to make it fit.
I have a 2012 dry sump GS and my smile automatically comes out when i stomp on that right pedal. I added a borla s-type axleback with no cats to go along with the long tubes and it SCREAMS when you get on it.
Cold start is pretty loud but literally 30 seconds later when the idle drops. It's actually only slightly louder than stock. I think if i would have went with the borla atak it would be loud 100% of the time. I didn't want that. My last car was like that and it was annoying to drive.
I like it for people to know my car isn't necessarily stock at idle but i don't want people to think i'm obnoxious.
But when i hit that throttle, omg it's a whole new world. lol
Can anyone explain the cold air mod? I would like that rather than getting a CAI
LG took some of the pins out of the shroud at the bottom on the front (closest to the front fascia). They did something to keep a gap there but I went and tied some parachute cord to the holes and opened it some more. Secured the cord to screws holding the air dam or fascia. This keeps the tension steady and a wider gap. Been this way since 08.
do they have ceramic coating? i don't recall A/H coming with the coating, though i could be mistaken.
I don't believe they do coating on site. I've been in their shop. Local guys , American steel & standing behind their work. They share a large building with JTM Motorsports.
Don't let 1 7/8" headers scare you off. Mine has approx. 425 rwhp/rwtq with LG SuperPro 1 7/8" headers and their high flow cats, on a totally stock LS3 manual transmission dry sump 2011 Grand Sport. Look at how high the torque curve is. I've had them on it for about a year now, and they still make me smile every time I romp it.
I don't know if there is a comparison of each header on the same exact car, with dyno runs to prove which actually makes more power.
But i think either kooks, ARH or LG and you can't go wrong.
I went with kooks because i had them before on my LS2 GTO and i knew installation would be a breeze. I've "heard" stories about LG not fitting properly without denting the tubes to make clearance. Don't really want to dent brand new long tubes just to make it fit.
I have a 2012 dry sump GS and my smile automatically comes out when i stomp on that right pedal. I added a borla s-type axleback with no cats to go along with the long tubes and it SCREAMS when you get on it.
Cold start is pretty loud but literally 30 seconds later when the idle drops. It's actually only slightly louder than stock. I think if i would have went with the borla atak it would be loud 100% of the time. I didn't want that. My last car was like that and it was annoying to drive.
I like it for people to know my car isn't necessarily stock at idle but i don't want people to think i'm obnoxious.
But when i hit that throttle, omg it's a whole new world. lol
Really wanna cam the car soo bad now lol
I have Kooks 1 7/8 with catag an the ATAK exhaust. It's not much louder than it was with just Corsa Sport at speed. Under full throttle it's amazing though to mention faster. I went with the 1 7/8 based off wanting to do heads and a cam next year. Wish I had an LS3 though as 384 was the most he could get out of the LS2. Tuner said 420+ was more the norm for the LS3