Ok guys, some questions for you D.I.Y. guys that have installed headers on your own cars.
1. I was thinking about installing headers on my own car. I read that ARH are the easiest to install and fit perfect without any mods. I heard with some fitment adjustments LG's are a close 2nd and Kooks are a pain in the ***. Don't know how much of it's true but that's what I've read. Bear in mind this would be in my garage and no access to a lift. How much of a pain in the *** is it to do this mod yourself? What are your thoughts on which brand header. Who has what and what increase in rwhp did you get?

2. I just bought my first two mods which I will install as soon as this f-ing snow melts (Yes my Vette is in the garage that is buried under all that snow). Lingenfelter CAI and B&B Bullets axle back exhaust. I want to put headers on but not sure what size to go with. I am saving for my ECS supercharger so that will be late in the year or next year. So with that thought in mind, 1 3/4" or 1 7/8"?

3. Do I go with a catted x-pipe or cats delete??

4. If I decide to have someone else install the headers, do you think it would be ok to drive the car home from the shop (about 15 miles to home) or will that throw a check engine light/code? Once the car is home, I am going to send my PCM out to ECS to have them throw a tune on it.

Thanks in advance on any answers!!!

 

Search is your friend, in a nutshell though, fi cars use the 1-7/8's, imho if on the street, catted x-pipe, and I don't know about driving without a tune other than the headers will lean out the fuel mixture automatically. I suppose if you had a shop do the install, you could also get a pre-tune from ECS for installation at the shop after the header install, then fine tune it later.

 

I dunno, I read somewhere on the forum that someone put a set of headers on and took it for a 1/2 hr. romp around town then he threw a code. I would just limp home from the shop if I decide to go that route and take the PCM out and FedEx it to ECS the next day. Just didn't want any codes to screw things up.

 

With LT's the best bet is to install them yourself, I know LT's are a more complicated to install than shorty's, but ARH are a good brand and from what I've seen on here they are a good choice to go with. HOWEVER, after you install them drive it to your tuner and get it tuned. A in box tune from what I've read is effective for a lot minor bolt ons, but I think with headers you'll need a dyno tune.

 

You need to tune it after the install, so a code isn't a big deal. I had a Diablo tune and got a code in about 1/2 hour, then did a real tune and the issue went away.

Not having cats is not legal, so do as you may. I would ask ECS what size headers to buy. I have 1 3/4" on my 416" stroker to get more torques, but a blown motor may let you run 1 7/8" with out sacrificing torque.

I have B&B headers and they fit fine.

 

1 7/8" headers with the FI coming .

You'll get very close to the same HP out of any header brand. Buy for availability and price.

Get cats, there's very little HP loss and with cats the pollution Cops won't shoot you without warning.

Drive it anywhere for as long as you want without worry except for noise. A CEL will happen with aftermarket cats anyway, once it's tuned the CEL will go away. A CEL (throw a code) is just the computer telling you there's something not right here, fix it.

 

Yes on high flow cats. The HP lose from them is minor, as well without them, going to have the unburnt fuel smell of old 60 muscle cars out the exhaust.

When you install the LT headers with high flow cats, do not install the rear O2 sensors (they will be turned off/tuned out with the tune).

Even with anti fouler's on rear O2's to get enough of a differantal reading between pre and post 02's, the rear O2's will still foul out over time. The High flow cats are moved down line of the stock location of the OEM cats, so this cause the high flow cats to be even less effective due to the new farther down range locations (over that of just being less effective since they are high flow cats to begin with). Again, your installing the high flow cats so the engine does at least smell clean out the exhaust (and helping to clean up the emissions as well)

As for installing the header system, just remember that the headers get installed from the bottom of the car up, so the car high enough on jack stands, or on a lift, is the key here.

 

Installed Kooks in my driveway on jackstands with no real issues. Can't comment on the other brands.

 

A code or CEL isn't exactly going to make your car burn to the ground or anything. At worst it would be for an O2 sensor or something, nothing major and nothing to worry about.

Fuel trims will take up the difference tuning wise in non-WOT areas anyways. Just take it easy and it'll be fine. You could put a supercharger on a car, leave the stock injectors in, and still drive the thing if you really really had to. Would you want to? Of course not. The point being they don't burst into flames if you start them after mods prior to tuning.

 

Install it yourself and the tune could come in the mail no need to send your ECM out.

I had Kooks and were a bit of an issue but fit great and are great.

ARH are excellent as well.

All you need to do is send in the file and they will make the adjustments necessary to zero in on it.

 

Chokeu, I'm in the same boat. I've been ready to buy headers for the past two weeks but just trying to learn as much as possible before doing so. I read everything from "search" to "I have brand X and they're great" to "They're all about the same after a tune" that my head is spinning. Searching by Google brings up threads from 2002-2006 which I assume some things may have changed now that it's 2015.

Right now, I can't decide between Kooks, LG and American Racing. I'm really leaning toward LG Super Pro 1-7/8 headers (going FI soon) because I like the collector but the slip fitting throws me off for some reason. Kooks and AR both have the "spike" and ball-and-socket fittings but I don't know if that's any better than a race-inspired collector.

I'm also ready for a BB Fusion catback over my stock NPP but can't decide between 3" all the way or 2.5" and I'll have to decide at the time I buy my headers and X-pipe what size to go with.

I also plan to do the install in my garage using my Race Ramps because most agree the car has to be high enough to wrangle the headers in from below and one thread indicates that the passenger side should go in from above.

Then there's the consideration for the clutch line being too close to the header causing the fluid to boil and the while-I'm-there-anyway logic of replacing the tunnel plate with a thicker, ceramic coated one and installing insulating pads. To top it off, I want to change my fluids and install a clutch bleeder.

Sigh....... decisions decisions.

 

Obx!!

 

I installed Kooks 1 7/8" long tubes and 3" Catted X-Pipe myself. They were the easiest and nicest set of headers that I have ever installed. My car is ECS Supercharged with Cam and Meth Injection. My tuner has told me that the High Flow Cats are a liability now at 700 + RWHP. He said they can melt and clog causing a burnt piston or exhaust valve very quickly. So my brand new catted X-Pipe is being replaced as soon as the Off road X-Pipe gets here. Dont make the mistake I made and ditch the Cats NOW.

 

I think I saw a picture of your burnt out cat before and that was pretty scary. Curious to see how Nosferatu's is holding up. I kinda want to hold at 600-650HP so I don't have to worry about bottom end or tranny problems. I already know my clutch is going to be short-lived once the SC goes in.

 

Yes I've been searching everywhere for any answers to my questions and had the same thing come up, threads from like 5 yrs back. I am wondering if race ramps are going to be high enough? As far as cats or no cats, it seems like everyone is 50/50 on to keep them or not. I've been told if you go over 600-650 rwhp to no other with cats as they might fail but if I stay under 600 then it'll be fine. My old 93 had "punched out" cats and I don't recall any smell. Maybe cause I was always moving lol. So turn off the rear 02 sensors but leave the fronts on?

 

My cats didn't melt but they could at this power level. That is why I hope the Off Road X pipe gets delivered soon. Maryland Speed is slow. I put my car on Jackstands and had plenty of room to do the install. Nosferatu is still giving it Hell. He ran good at the Florida Half Mile event. I think he went 162 mph. Traction was at a minimum at Jumbolair.

 

Installed headers in 2011 at age 69 on jackstands. I did Z06 manifolds, etc a couple years before and it's not that tough. TC's are harder and I've done that 3 times. I wouldn't panic about the tune for everyday driving or the occasional quick romp. If your tips still get black, you're not too lean.

 

I installed OBX in my garage on jack stands. No problems at all.

If you want everything to run optimally, you will need a tune. Not having a tune will not hurt anything. You can do all the driving or WOT pulls you want.

 

I wasn'y going to not tune the car after the install. Guess what I meant was if I decided to have a shop install them, I wanted to be able to get the car home ok so I could take the PCM out and mail it to ECS for the tune. There really isn't anyone remotely close to me here in NH that can tune cars well. I just emailed the closest guy to me and he didn't seem interested (specialized in Mustangs), besides he tunes with an SCT. if thats the case couldn't I just do that myself rather than pay someone else to do the same thing? From what I've heard and seen come out of ECS, I can't see how I could go wrong.

 

You'll be fine to drive it home afterwards. If you get a light pop on just ignore it. Likely will be for rear O2 sensors

ECS is obviously a good choice.