Difference in headers.
Some have commented on CAI options being more expensive per dollar for the performance, and that is clearly true. That said, is you do homework with your brain, you'll find that many options are really useless, while those that do make a difference tend to have a couple of key characteristics. Minimizing air from the engine bay and/or grabbing actual ambient air as directly as possible. Cooler air does have more O2, which means more power - not that can be evaluated on a dyno, but especially those that have run 1/4 mile runs before and after have regular seen some of the options actually make a difference, while you never hear anything but general claims, or just meaningless marketing hype, from others.
I think the best prices for LGM headers come from Maryland Speed - you just have to allow extra time between ordering and shipping. It often takes more time than some other options, but if you have the time, then the savings are there. Mine shipped about one month after I placed the order.
Good luck!
Sure thing... The '08 was on a Dyna Pack dyno. The wheels were removed from what I can remember & it was bolted up to the machine. I guess that it reads the output directly from the hubs...The '13 was on a roller type dyno (Dynocom Industries) ? I will include both sheets in this post.
08
13
On a side note...On the ARH Longtube header design, the X in the X-pipe is before the catalytic converters. On most every other Longtube header/x-pipe combo the X in the X-pipe is after the catalytic converters. Can anyone chime in on the science behind this? My Grand Sport put down a bunch more torque than my 08 LS3 w/1 7/8" Kooks & the Kooks style of catted x-pipe into Corsa Xtreme mufflers. Different car, different engine, different dyno, different day, etc...
Last edited by dmoneychris; May 22, 2017 at 10:13 AM.
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3QlzkuivtM
It went pretty smoothly, Kooks supplied everything you need plus quality fasteners. Also put the Z-Cool tunnel insulation which DOES cool the tunnel/console down.

Tuning was done at Horsepower Connection here in Havasu by Brian Macy
You gonna go over to the dark side to ???
World of difference brother !!!Bobby
High priced sets don't do anything differently or better than the lower cost sets.
OBX, Texas Speed, Hinson, etc. all do the same as Kooks, ARH, etc. just at a much lower cost to where you can spend those dollars saved on some other mod.
Last edited by jbomx363; May 23, 2017 at 02:25 PM.
High priced sets don't do anything differently or better than the lower cost sets.
OBX, Texas Speed, Hinson, etc. all do the same as Kooks, ARH, etc. just at a much lower cost to where you can spend those dollars saved on some other mod.
I did a lot of research about this, I guess I just wasted my money cause I went with Kooks, glad I did now that I have them and read what others have said about the lesser priced brands. Maybe its the little things like the 02 extensions that ARE LONG ENOUGH, or the Stage 8 fasteners that they supply and don't break, or an actual X pipe instead of an H pipe, ect.
The old saying may come into play here *
*you get what you pay for*
Whatever floats your boat right

NSF
Last edited by Not So Fast; May 23, 2017 at 03:00 PM.
High priced sets don't do anything differently or better than the lower cost sets.
OBX, Texas Speed, Hinson, etc. all do the same as Kooks, ARH, etc. just at a much lower cost to where you can spend those dollars saved on some other mod.
Not all headers are designed with the same level of thought, nor do they all perform the same.
Glad you feel good about saving some bucks. I'm glad I made the investment to get into a product that is serving my interests. Always happy for a market with many options, but don't be so quick to pat yourself on the back for savings you seem not to understand.
The same holds true when shopping for parts at the local McParts stores. I'll buy OEM first unless its been demonstrated aftermarket is much better - and sometimes it is especially in the world of high performance parts. There is much more to the equation than price points.
High priced sets don't do anything differently or better than the lower cost sets.
OBX, Texas Speed, Hinson, etc. all do the same as Kooks, ARH, etc. just at a much lower cost to where you can spend those dollars saved on some other mod.

I've had LG's on mine that I picked up from Spinmonster back in'09, still working like a champ.
Last edited by HC Mechanic; May 24, 2017 at 12:38 AM.
Numbers: Baseline peak torque 358, Baseline peak HP 354
Headers + tune peak torque 394, Headers + tune peak HP 424
Graph (dotted lines are baseline, solid are after headers and tune):
We talked about how stock HP for the car is 436 (at the crank, from GM) and he had an option where crank HP could be estimated and it turned out to be 564. Won't make much of this estimation.
Two things stood out to me. As soon as we did the first run, other guys in the shop came over to see what was making so much noise*. Second thing was that the C6 owner running the dyno was really interested in my CAI and the header system. (We knew the CAI had little impact in these numbers, but would out on the track, relative to other things we talked about.) This is a very established shop in our area, involved with autocross, road course stuff, and likely some drag racing work, too. We talked about their next trip down to Miller Motorsports Park, a place with a 4.5 mile road coarse that can be run several different ways. My wife and I were there to see the American Le Mans and it's supporting races run there, many years back.
I post this info for your info. Conclude what you want. I was content that the choices I have made to date are doing what I hoped, increased torque and horsepower, with more useable power at lower RPM. Based on the graph, we succeeded. My butt had already confirmed this, but it's nice to have some numbers to confirm it.
*Based on the sound and numbers, the tech assumed I was running some kind of after market exhaust, which I am not. I have the NPP setup. That means that we go from 3-inch pipe down to 2.5-inch to get into the stock mufflers. I had talked with LGM about this and it actually creates a bit of back pressure which can yield a bit more torque, while putting a bit of a limit on peak HP. I wanted to keep the NPP, so I could use the flaps to quiet things down, when needed. It's music to my ears, but not always for others.
Last edited by Midnight08; May 25, 2017 at 07:19 PM. Reason: Added bits about stock exhaust.

I wish that some of the members lived close enough to one another to see just what a car that made what yours made do a side by side with one like mine that made dramatically lower numbers.
After much researching the subject of "Dynos" and the difference in the number they produce for almost identical car/mods it would be a great tool to maybe settle it somewhat.
Oh well good for you, you got the bragging rights bro
NSF















