Are there guys out there that had a cam install without long tube headers?? Do they have to be done at same time? Which one should be done first of really need headers. Just looking for that minimal gain with the loping tone and obviously budget...thanks

 

Do the headers and a tune first if you can't afford the cam right now, you will gain approx 30-40 hp. Do the cam down the road for another 30 or so hp. I'm planning headers and tune for my 10'GS with open NPP!

 

Maybe he is like me....headers are great for performance...but they produce quite a bit of noise and stink, even with hiflow cats. I speak from personal experience.

 

I can also speak from personal experience... no stink associated with my system... Kooks long tubes with a Kooks green catted x pipe & Corsa axle back, the green cats are worth the extra $$$

 

dirty little secret: my LS2 MN6 pre tune 347 RWHP after tune 379 RWHP. IMHO do the cam and a good tune you already have "factory shorty headers" and FIVE inches of pipe carrying the gases away, 1200 for headers and God knows what for install? but from what I've seen $2000-2500 for the whole job for what 10 HP? if your going to do anything CAM and tune gets my vote!

 

Trust me it is more than 10 HP. The LS2 & LS3 definitely don't have "factory shorty headers" they are just std cast steel exhaust manifolds.

 

Do the headers first along with a CAI to keep the car from pulling timing

There is a gain is from the tune on a LS2 , less on a LS3 but the DIRTY LITTLE secret is....... with headers the gain is across the whole power band not just a narrow range .

Your car will pull like a race horse from 2,000 up to the red line ( I have the 12 second time slips to prove it ....)

More air in = More air out ......

I also do not have any smell , with the correct tune and good cats ( I have LG hi flow cats ) my car does not smell any worse than stock .... only on startup as the cats are farther downstream and take longer to heat up . once hot no smell at all

Dave

 

I beg to differ, have you seen one from the underside?

 

yep , does not look like a shorty to me

 

I had similar questions a while ago and asked here for advice. The thread is pretty long but there is great information, advice and knowledge. My car is a low miles 2008 convertible, LS3, manual with the Z51 factory performance package and npp. After conducting extensive research I ended up going the bolt on route: CAI, Kooks LT Headers and X pipes, no cats, 160 degree thermostat, a professional "street tune" and a Vitesse electronic throttle controller. I didn't do a dyno so I'm not sure what I ended up (HP) but the difference in performance exceeded my expectations. The car runs very strong, crazy fast, great sound but well mannered and stock reliability. I have no cats and there is no issues with the smell at all. I figure that I can add cats later if the smell was too bad but haven't smell anything, no smell issues at all. The tuner did an amazing job, finding a great tuner makes a big difference and it is key to the whole equation. I spend about $2000 total on that package, including the headers installation. A Cam package cost a little more but the gains can be similar or better with just the cam. Most people here will tell you that you should do the headers and CAI first but that is not necessarily the best way. These LS engines respond amazingly well to a cam, with or without headers. GM performance sells crate LS3 engines with up to 525 HP with just a different cam and no headers!

http://www.chevrolet.com/performance...ines/ls376-525

I don't think you can go wrong either way, just do your research, only you can decide what is better for your personal desires and budget. Here is a good place to find more information:

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...r-for-ls3.html

Good luck and keep us posted on your project and the direction that you decide.

 

I mean I haven't gotten intimate with one but I have thrown hundreds in the scrap metal pile and tuned enough cars over the past 20+ years to know headers make horsepower & torque through the entire RPM range not just peak #s

 

I don't know about an LS2, but on a LS3, a set of headers and a tune alone will get you about an extra 35 RWHP.

A modest street cam alone will also get you about an extra 35 RWHP.

However, the combination of a set of headers and a cam will get you more than 70 RWHP

It's called synergy.
_______________________________

Synergy ... is the creation of a whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts.

 

That stink is how a man should smell.

 

I've often wondered why that engine makes 100hp more than the LS3 in the C6. Is it really just the cam making that much more power? It has a different ECU too isn't it?

 

I have no idea. The numbers seem extreme for just a different cam. I would like to learn more about this myself. That is the top tier cam from them, they do offer another LS3 with about 480 HP and the only difference appears to be the cam also. I imagine that the ECU/ECM is the same but with a different tune/mapping. I did the standard bolt ons on mine but a cam will be next. I know that those numbers are at the engine but still impressive for just a cam swap.

 

You can achieve 60 to 70 more HP with a very hot cam as is ....if you are willing to install ONE BAD MOTHER of a stick... If your tuner has the knowledge he or she can tune the car after install to idle pretty damn close to stock if not stock...

Cam =60
Headers= 20 with cam
Tune= 20
E-85= 20

There's your 120 hp package right there ... give or take a few ponies depending on environments tuners etc...

That's way to go IMO....that or dump twice the $$ on a blower

 

483 RWHP Cam, Headers and CAI ONLY

Add E-85 and Hello 10 second time slips...
E-85 Flex Fuel Sensor is only $60 and the ecm recognizes 91 octane vs E-85 at fill-up...piece o cake!!

 

The LS3 do not have shorty headers. The LS3 exhaust manifold have 2 "Y" pipes that join prior to the collector. The LS7/9 exhaust manifolds and shorty headers have four individual pipes that join at the collector. Look down into the collector of the LS3 and you will see an open hole. Look down into the collector of a shorty header or LS7/9 exhaust manifold and you will see 4 individual pipes at the collector.

To the OP: Have you considered the LS7/9 3" complete exhaust as an alternative to headers.

 

Nice, very nice.

 

Not sure where some of these figures are coming from. people saying only 35hp with a cam??? if anyone walked away from the dyno tune with only 35 more hp they should've asked for their money back or a better tuner. My LS3 Camaro stock dyno'd 385hp. With headers and tune it went up to 420 on the same dyno. When I installed the cam and took it back, it dyno'd 495 with a cheating blip at the end at 501 which I didn't count.

Heck...I took my LS2 C6 with no mods and got a street tune done and it was registering 437 at the crank according to the computer readings. I est 365-370whp but will have to put it on a dyno soon to find out.

Cam only with no headers will work and give less noise and a lot less smell (granted the smell depends on your headers and catt setup and tune). If you plan on doing the work yourself, Id say do the headers first since they are so easy to do. The cam job is a lot more involved.

If you want lope and some pwr upgrade, go cam. if you have an exhaust already, it'll give you the sound you want. if you have nothing, not even NPP, youll need cam and headers or cam and exhaust