Headers Install and Tune. Help!!
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 286
Likes: 0
From: Madison MS
Headers Install and Tune. Help!!
I am going to install headers and catted x-pipe in a couple of weeks. I am going to drive my car about 5 hours to my father-in-laws shop so we can use his lift to put them on ourselves. Saves about $800 labor. My question is, will it be safe to drive back home 5 hours or so without having the car tuned after the headers install or must I have it tuned right away? Help!
Thanks
Neil
Thanks
Neil
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,017
Likes: 2
I'm not expert by any means, but pretty sure you should be safe.
Rule #1 on these cars is disconnect battery before any work. Pinching two wires together with power could be very bad. Headers is a pretty easy job with a lift. What kind are you getting? I would recommend a heat shield like Elite Engineering THERMAL ABS.
I'm sure RocknBlue installed his headers and drove around for a couple of weeks before he could get a tune. You may throw a couple of codes for the rear cats not getting to temp fast enough. PM him for details. You can also PM tjwong. He tuned my car and knows a lot about the software.
You are going to be amazed how much more responsive the car will be with headers and tune.
Rule #1 on these cars is disconnect battery before any work. Pinching two wires together with power could be very bad. Headers is a pretty easy job with a lift. What kind are you getting? I would recommend a heat shield like Elite Engineering THERMAL ABS.
I'm sure RocknBlue installed his headers and drove around for a couple of weeks before he could get a tune. You may throw a couple of codes for the rear cats not getting to temp fast enough. PM him for details. You can also PM tjwong. He tuned my car and knows a lot about the software.
You are going to be amazed how much more responsive the car will be with headers and tune.
Last edited by nwc6; Jan 25, 2009 at 12:10 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 4,912
Likes: 266
From: Charleston SC
I don't think you'll throw a code with cated mids.
You'll be fine without a tune. Usually our cars are made to run quite rich at WOT (I heard around 11.7 or so a/f) so you'll probably leaned it to 12.5 with headers, which is still fine.
You'll be fine without a tune. Usually our cars are made to run quite rich at WOT (I heard around 11.7 or so a/f) so you'll probably leaned it to 12.5 with headers, which is still fine.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14,950
Likes: 264
From: St. Louis, MO
St. Jude Donor '08
No problem at all. I drove for months without a tune. You will likely get a check engine light with a P0420 or P0430 cat inefficiency code but that's no big deal, it doesn't affect performance. You can buy a $69 code scanner from Wal Mart and reset it if it bothers you. But it'll come back most likely.
I would recommend, if you're handy with a computer and cars at all, that you buy HP Tuners and learn to tune yourself. I, and my buddies, have had countless hours of fun scanning and tuning our cars. There are plenty of resources including here and the HP Tuners forum to get your started and help you learn. You can either pay for a tune one time or buy HP Tuners and tune for any mods. You can also buy a mail order tune to get you started, that's what I did and I've tweaked from there.
Buy the enhanced version of HP Tuners, it's worth the difference in price as once you start tuning you will want a wide band. Trust me. I advise you of roads well traveled.
I would recommend, if you're handy with a computer and cars at all, that you buy HP Tuners and learn to tune yourself. I, and my buddies, have had countless hours of fun scanning and tuning our cars. There are plenty of resources including here and the HP Tuners forum to get your started and help you learn. You can either pay for a tune one time or buy HP Tuners and tune for any mods. You can also buy a mail order tune to get you started, that's what I did and I've tweaked from there.
Buy the enhanced version of HP Tuners, it's worth the difference in price as once you start tuning you will want a wide band. Trust me. I advise you of roads well traveled.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,762
Likes: 4
From: Chandler Arizona
I am going to install headers and catted x-pipe in a couple of weeks. I am going to drive my car about 5 hours to my father-in-laws shop so we can use his lift to put them on ourselves. Saves about $800 labor. My question is, will it be safe to drive back home 5 hours or so without having the car tuned after the headers install or must I have it tuned right away? Help!
Thanks
Neil
Thanks
Neil
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 6,149
Likes: 11
From: Greater Detroit Metro MI, when I'm not travelling.
I did the install myself, on jackstands, and it took less than 4 hours... You can see the step-by-step on this tread: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-t...cs-inside.html
I drove it like that for about 8,000 miles without ever throwing a code, but the tune did make a big difference on power.
I drove it like that for about 8,000 miles without ever throwing a code, but the tune did make a big difference on power.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 286
Likes: 0
From: Madison MS
I'm not expert by any means, but pretty sure you should be safe.
Rule #1 on these cars is disconnect battery before any work. Pinching two wires together with power could be very bad. Headers is a pretty easy job with a lift. What kind are you getting? I would recommend a heat shield like Elite Engineering THERMAL ABS.
I'm sure RocknBlue installed his headers and drove around for a couple of weeks before he could get a tune. You may throw a couple of codes for the rear cats not getting to temp fast enough. PM him for details. You can also PM tjwong. He tuned my car and knows a lot about the software.
You are going to be amazed how much more responsive the car will be with headers and tune.
Rule #1 on these cars is disconnect battery before any work. Pinching two wires together with power could be very bad. Headers is a pretty easy job with a lift. What kind are you getting? I would recommend a heat shield like Elite Engineering THERMAL ABS.
I'm sure RocknBlue installed his headers and drove around for a couple of weeks before he could get a tune. You may throw a couple of codes for the rear cats not getting to temp fast enough. PM him for details. You can also PM tjwong. He tuned my car and knows a lot about the software.
You are going to be amazed how much more responsive the car will be with headers and tune.
I am not sure which headers I will be using. I was going to buy kooks but I am not sure which headers are the best to use. Can anyone please give me their opinion on which headers to use??
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 6,149
Likes: 11
From: Greater Detroit Metro MI, when I'm not travelling.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,017
Likes: 2
Coated or uncoated, even more reading..I think all of us have chimed in on one of those threads..
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 14,080
Likes: 1,591
From: Edmond Oklahoma
Won' hurt the car a bit, providing you don't have any header flange to head leaks. That being said, the rear O2 sensors are the most common code that you will see. Still no harm done. Many here actually have the rear O2s turned off in the tune.
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,939
Likes: 448
From: CHOCOWINITY NC
I would recommend, if you're handy with a computer and cars at all, that you buy HP Tuners and learn to tune yourself. I, and my buddies, have had countless hours of fun scanning and tuning our cars. There are plenty of resources including here and the HP Tuners forum to get your started and help you learn. You can either pay for a tune one time or buy HP Tuners and tune for any mods. .
with Joe! This is a great way to go and you'll find folks here that will help you.. Just ask!
