Issues with ARH header and vararam cai install
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Woodbridge
Issues with ARH header and vararam cai install
My mechanic finished installing my ARH Longtube headers and vararam on my '13 Grandsport. He ran into the following issues which I would like to know how you addressed them during your installs:
1. A line, which runs from the front of the car to the rear cooler (believe it is the transmission cooler line) is resting against the header.
2. Two oil lines that sits in front of the headers. mechanic suggested fabing an allumium cover or wrapping in exhaust wrap.
3. When he removed the air intake setup to install the vararam,, the buffles had oil inside them. He doesn't believe there should be oil in there, but since it's a dry slump system, he is not sure. Replaced the original tubing with the vararam setup. We are getting a lot of white smoke out the exhaust. Since he doesn't know if oil should be there, he doesn't want to vapor lock the engine; so we are looking for advice on this.
4. Any heat reduction recommendation you may have related to the heat generated by the headers and the components under the car.
Thank you,
Curtis
zzzasy
'13 GrandSport 60th anniversary addition
1. A line, which runs from the front of the car to the rear cooler (believe it is the transmission cooler line) is resting against the header.
2. Two oil lines that sits in front of the headers. mechanic suggested fabing an allumium cover or wrapping in exhaust wrap.
3. When he removed the air intake setup to install the vararam,, the buffles had oil inside them. He doesn't believe there should be oil in there, but since it's a dry slump system, he is not sure. Replaced the original tubing with the vararam setup. We are getting a lot of white smoke out the exhaust. Since he doesn't know if oil should be there, he doesn't want to vapor lock the engine; so we are looking for advice on this.
4. Any heat reduction recommendation you may have related to the heat generated by the headers and the components under the car.
Thank you,
Curtis
zzzasy
'13 GrandSport 60th anniversary addition
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,001
Likes: 243
From: Surprise, Az
Most header installs I've read about involved heat protection for the starter. Also sounds like you may benefit from a catch can if you have oil in the intake plenum. Not sure what baffles you are talking about. As far as the headers go, I would not let anything touch them especially in the area of the catalytic converters. There are insulating "blankets" for the tunnel area, some you can bolt right up and some that come with thicker tunnel plates.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Woodbridge
When I say baffles, I'm taking about the rubber accordian like pieces attached to the intake. So, it appears there should be no oil in that area. I have no idea what a catch can is but I will mention it to him.
thank you,
Curtis
thank you,
Curtis
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Woodbridge
He builds his own race cars, so I had faith in him installing headers. He's not a corvette specialist and evidently, this was his first c6 install. Everything looks nice; just the clearances are an issue.
Any other suggestions on the oil in the intake?
curtis
Any other suggestions on the oil in the intake?
curtis
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 3,326
Likes: 524
From: home
Here a few things I do when installing headers. Some may or not be needed on a street car,
1- wrap the starter housing and solenoid.
2- use metallic heat shield (i.e. DEI) on the primary tubes closest to the starter and oil cooler pipes, secure with metal self locking band straps. It comes in sheets, cut as needed with tin snips.
3- I cut the tunnel plate into 2 pieces right where there is a notch in the tunnel, between the 4th and 5th bolt, and notch one side of the plate then run the O2 wires up in between the tunnel plate and torque tube.
4- fires sleeve the O2 connectors and secure as far away from the headers as possible with wire ties.
5- fire sleeve the 2 trans cooler pipes where they go over the right side header collector.
6- wrap the right side header collector at the trans cooler pipe area, see #2.
7- fire sleeve the 2 heater hoses.
8- add additional fire sleeve to the wire harness behind #8 primary tube.
9- add a small piece of fire sleeve over the purple wire and connector on the starter solenoid.
10- rotate the knock sensors as needed for additional clearance and secure wiring with wire ties.
11- fire sleeve the clutch slave cylinder line.
12- depending on header brand, heat shield #7 primary tube if close to slave cylinder line.
13- add heat boots to the plug wires and secure the coil end with wire ties.
14- if not already there, fire sleeve the engine mounts.
15- use high temp antisieze on all the bolts and the oxygen sensors.
16- no header wrap. I also have had high temp coatings peel off. may work ok for a street car.
17- check for clearance between the chassis flange and where the 4 tubes join the collectors on both sides. Depending on header brand, I have had to bend the chassis flanges with a hammer. Not required on aluminum frame cars.
1- wrap the starter housing and solenoid.
2- use metallic heat shield (i.e. DEI) on the primary tubes closest to the starter and oil cooler pipes, secure with metal self locking band straps. It comes in sheets, cut as needed with tin snips.
3- I cut the tunnel plate into 2 pieces right where there is a notch in the tunnel, between the 4th and 5th bolt, and notch one side of the plate then run the O2 wires up in between the tunnel plate and torque tube.
4- fires sleeve the O2 connectors and secure as far away from the headers as possible with wire ties.
5- fire sleeve the 2 trans cooler pipes where they go over the right side header collector.
6- wrap the right side header collector at the trans cooler pipe area, see #2.
7- fire sleeve the 2 heater hoses.
8- add additional fire sleeve to the wire harness behind #8 primary tube.
9- add a small piece of fire sleeve over the purple wire and connector on the starter solenoid.
10- rotate the knock sensors as needed for additional clearance and secure wiring with wire ties.
11- fire sleeve the clutch slave cylinder line.
12- depending on header brand, heat shield #7 primary tube if close to slave cylinder line.
13- add heat boots to the plug wires and secure the coil end with wire ties.
14- if not already there, fire sleeve the engine mounts.
15- use high temp antisieze on all the bolts and the oxygen sensors.
16- no header wrap. I also have had high temp coatings peel off. may work ok for a street car.
17- check for clearance between the chassis flange and where the 4 tubes join the collectors on both sides. Depending on header brand, I have had to bend the chassis flanges with a hammer. Not required on aluminum frame cars.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 7,002
Likes: 1,687
From: Southeast TX
Did your mechanic change the oil on your Grand Sport? There's a very specific way you check the oil level on a dry sump LS3. Easy to overfill if you or he isn't familiar with how it's done. Look in your OM. Don't run it until you figure out what's going on. I can see a little oil in the pleats of the accordian tube, but not a lot. Lots of white smoke tells me something's amiss.
Last edited by old motorhead; Oct 19, 2019 at 06:09 PM.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Woodbridge
thanks for the replies. 3X2 I will provide your list, mention the double check on oil and discuss the catch can. I have no idea what a catch can is, but i assume he would. I did a search for catch can didn't get anything. If I need more information after discussing with him, I'll be back.
thanks,
thanks,
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,001
Likes: 243
From: Surprise, Az
thanks for the replies. 3X2 I will provide your list, mention the double check on oil and discuss the catch can. I have no idea what a catch can is, but i assume he would. I did a search for catch can didn't get anything. If I need more information after discussing with him, I'll be back.
thanks,
thanks,
Incidentally, the catch can needs to be emptied on a periodic basis, though it is easy to do.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 4,672
Likes: 1,851
From: Erlanger, Kentucky
My mechanic finished installing my ARH Longtube headers and vararam on my '13 Grandsport. He ran into the following issues which I would like to know how you addressed them during your installs:
1. A line, which runs from the front of the car to the rear cooler (believe it is the transmission cooler line) is resting against the header.
2. Two oil lines that sits in front of the headers. mechanic suggested fabing an allumium cover or wrapping in exhaust wrap.
3. When he removed the air intake setup to install the vararam,, the buffles had oil inside them. He doesn't believe there should be oil in there, but since it's a dry slump system, he is not sure. Replaced the original tubing with the vararam setup. We are getting a lot of white smoke out the exhaust. Since he doesn't know if oil should be there, he doesn't want to vapor lock the engine; so we are looking for advice on this.
4. Any heat reduction recommendation you may have related to the heat generated by the headers and the components under the car.
Thank you,
Curtis
zzzasy
'13 GrandSport 60th anniversary addition
1. A line, which runs from the front of the car to the rear cooler (believe it is the transmission cooler line) is resting against the header.
2. Two oil lines that sits in front of the headers. mechanic suggested fabing an allumium cover or wrapping in exhaust wrap.
3. When he removed the air intake setup to install the vararam,, the buffles had oil inside them. He doesn't believe there should be oil in there, but since it's a dry slump system, he is not sure. Replaced the original tubing with the vararam setup. We are getting a lot of white smoke out the exhaust. Since he doesn't know if oil should be there, he doesn't want to vapor lock the engine; so we are looking for advice on this.
4. Any heat reduction recommendation you may have related to the heat generated by the headers and the components under the car.
Thank you,
Curtis
zzzasy
'13 GrandSport 60th anniversary addition
2. That would be the dry sump lines and you can get some heat wrap to isolate those.
3. The oil in the intake is from the PCV system.
4. I would recommend wrapping the headers in an insulating wrap. But you will need to remove the headers to do this. It would be a nightmare trying to wrap them on the car.
Your mechanic may build race cars but that doesn't mean a thing if he doesn't take the time to do simple things like bend an oil line out the way so it doesn't touch the header.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Woodbridge
Installed the catch can, but still getting a lot of oil in intake and white smoke. He is going to drain the oil and refill. I don't believe the car has been off the rack since he began working on it. Are there any other suggestions on what may be causing the white smoke.
thanks,
zzzasy
thanks,
zzzasy
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 3,326
Likes: 524
From: home
Installed the catch can, but still getting a lot of oil in intake and white smoke. He is going to drain the oil and refill. I don't believe the car has been off the rack since he began working on it. Are there any other suggestions on what may be causing the white smoke.
thanks,
zzzasy
thanks,
zzzasy
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 16,557
Likes: 2,108
From: Peoria/Phoenix AZ
C6 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
I'm assuming you have the M6 trans in your GS Coupe, since you mentioned a dry sump oil system, rear cooler line, and that the mechanic is going to drain and refill the oil, which makes me think he already did it once before. The part that bothers me, is if the mechanic didn't follow the correct procedure for an oil change and now you have white smoke out the exhaust. If the smoke lasted longer than a few minutes (to burn out any remaining manufacturing crap in the headers) then it sounds like coolant is getting into combustion chambers and you need to find out where.
With white exhaust smoke I'd be pressure checking the coolant and then pulling/inspecting plugs before I fired the engine again. Crank the engine with the plugs out to see if anything spits out. If you find a strange color plug or coolant spitting out, do a leakdown test on that cylinder. Check the cylinder for cracks with a borescope. If you don't see cracks put all the plugs in and do the pressure check again. Recheck all cylinders with the borescope for coolant puddles. Pull the head on the bank with coolant in a cylinder and hope you find a bad head gasket, since that is a far easier fix than a cracked block. If it's a bad gasket, I'd replace both sides to be safe.
Good luck and report back.
With white exhaust smoke I'd be pressure checking the coolant and then pulling/inspecting plugs before I fired the engine again. Crank the engine with the plugs out to see if anything spits out. If you find a strange color plug or coolant spitting out, do a leakdown test on that cylinder. Check the cylinder for cracks with a borescope. If you don't see cracks put all the plugs in and do the pressure check again. Recheck all cylinders with the borescope for coolant puddles. Pull the head on the bank with coolant in a cylinder and hope you find a bad head gasket, since that is a far easier fix than a cracked block. If it's a bad gasket, I'd replace both sides to be safe.
Good luck and report back.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Woodbridge
Thanks everyone for your input and support. The problem was too much oil. He wasn't aware of the oil draining back into the pan as fast and ended up adding too much.
thanks again,
zzzasy
thanks again,
zzzasy