Ok, so my next mod (which argueably should have been my first mod) is headers and the Zoomers dual tip exhaust. Experts, fill us nubies in on the different header choices we have and if possible help us with a quality/performance breakdown with the different brands.

Thanks in advance...
Dinger

 

I suggest you use the search feature. There have been many threads about which headers are the best. Everyone has an opinion. I use American Racing headers and am quite satisfied with them. There are several quality brands to select from.

 

LG longtubes will give you as much HP through stock exhaust as the others will through aftermarket, maybe more.

 

I'm no expert but have been reading this Forum for over 2 years,I bought and installed my Dynatech Headers after reading threads here. IMHO there isn't a whole lot of HP difference between the manufacturers, they are all within a few HP of each other. Don't pay a lot of attention to the maufacturers or the retailers Dyno charts, look at the Dynojet SAE corrected figures from members with the same mods.

S.S. is more expensive but lasts much longer than mild steel, looks better too.

Coated looks good but causes problems when you have to disassemble.

High Flo cats don't cost much in HP and could save you on an inspection.

As long as you are dropping the exhaust for headers, do an X pipe too.

Do an aftermarket over axle/muffler swap to take full advantage of the headers.

 

If you want TOP END and power above stock through the entire power band i would go Kooks,if you want more LOW END torque go with Lgs.
Kooks you could say is a Drag Header and Lgs are a Road Course Header for whipping you out of the corners. Thats what i got from doing alot of research. And dont forget about AMR headers they are similar to the Kooks with an new approach. Good luck to you because they are all Great Headers,and you will get gains from all of them,just in different areas. Some live in the lower rpms and some live in the higher rpms.

 

This is news to me. I thought all headers gave similar power in similar areas in the powercurve. I am definitely more interested in a road course style header. How are LGs (???) designed to improve low end over high revs? Are there any other brands that perform similarly? Is there maintenance beyond keeping the bolts tight that I should know about?

Thanks for your help, all.

 

I have a used set of quad tip Zoomers, I set you a PM.

 

Maybe some guys on here could post some dyno graphs for you to look at, between the different brands of headers they have.

 

I sent you a pm

 

The LG Pros have longer primaries and a race style merge collector. This combination, the length of the primaries on the LGs, with that type merge collector, make them very effective at increasing low to mid range torque. Supposedly with minimal sacrifice at higher RPMs.

 

The primary length of the LGs give them a "tuned" effect at a particular RPM causing them to be more efficient at that RPM window. They are tuned to maximize torque. A longer primary tends to cost a little power at higher revs.

Either way you won't go wrong with a set of Kooks, LGs, or AR headers.
I would stick with a stainless steel header.

Do a search, this topic has been gone over quite a bit. There should be tons of info out there. I think recently someone posted a back to back comparison between Kooks(new style) headers and AR headers.

Max

 

Thanks all, this is great advice!!!

Dinger

 

Yes, if you want a road course header you want the LG`s. If you want a drag header you want American Racing(which I use and love) or Kooks.

 

I've used LG's on both my 2000 TA w/ 547 rwhp and my C6 w 422RWHP and both have seen dragstrip duty with excellent results from the LGs, so I don't understand the "drag header vs course header" comments. My cars have also seen lots of road/daily driver miles and all I can say is the LG longtubes provided nice, consistant power and improved sound.

 

My vote goes to American Racing. Haven't tried Kooks or Lg's but from the info on this forum you can't go wrong with any of those. Just get the best deal. I can say the Jet coated looks sweet, but is probly unnecessary.

Good Luck,

 

I have the DynaTech Super Maxx 1 7/8 headers. They are great and really woke up the sound of my Corsa Sports. I selected the larger size b/c I knew I was not done modding. Added heads, cam and supercharger, glad I went with the 1 7/8 and not the 1 3/4. There are lots of great headers out there. My only advice is to think about what you might do next to your engine and use that as one of the criteria in selecting your headers.

Good luck,

 

LG designed their C6 headers for the road course, max torque coming out of a turn at lower RPM`s very long primaries which can hurt high rpm hp slightly. AR`s and Kooks designed there`s for max peak hp and have shorter primaries than LG`s slightly hurting mid rpm torque. But in saying that all 3 seem to put down very comparable numbers. The LG`s generaly a few more torque, and the AR`s and Kooks a few more hp. Usually no more than 5 either way on a bolt on car. So in reality all 3 are practicly the same on a bolt on car. I`m sure at higher hp levels the differences in the headers would manifest themselves as a larger torue and hp difference.

I own AR headers because I`m not a road course guy. I would also choose Kooks but I got a great deal on AR`s... If I was going to road course the car I would go w/ the LG`s.

Max at CARTEK just posted about that a couple of posts above mine...

 

Good points.

When I was drag racing my C5 KOOKS were on it. I have since given up drag racing and have interest in autocrossing and road racing (read HPDEs) hence LGs are on my C6.

That having been said, the LGs are said to make more "power under the curve". Said to be a desirable attribute in either road are drag racing.

The KOOKS are on some of the quickest quarter mile C5 and C6 Vettes out there though and there is no arguing with that.

However the power of the LGs can definitely be felt during "normal" driving as opposed to the higher RPM benefits I saw with the KOOKS on my C5.

Driving my C5 around town with the KOOKS, I really didn't feel much. However putting it on the drag strip, well the proof that there were "all that", was in the time slips. They definitely improved my top end, and not by just a little bit either.

The LGs on the other hand, in my C6, even during normal 1,2,3 gear driving, you can definitely feel the increase in torque.

But I agree with you. I wouldn't suspect that LGs would be as effective as KOOKS on the dragstrip, and I also wouldn't think that KOOKS would be as effective as LGs on the road course or driving around town in the lower RPM ranges. The LGs you can feel every time you drive the car. The KOOKS I saw the most benefit at the drag strip.

 

I have the kooks 1 7/8 with high flow cats !

But i just did the lpe 403

Here are 2 dynos

One is just the kooks on my stock Ls2

and the final with the 403

 

I`d have to say we think alike. We even both bought z51`s...