Hi all I just got flowtec headers installed on my 89 T/A.I have a couple of questions. First question is this. It cost me 600.00 bucks to have them put on cause of the emmission stuff on there.Ive seen lots of pics on this site of peoples cars with there headers on there cars. When they put my headers on they had to weld some skinny pipes that are air emmission pipes? into the headers.Because of all that work involved it cost me 600.00 instead 0f 400.00.On the other pictures ive seen of other peoples cars i havent seen this on there cars They told me i would need them for my emmissions.To top that off my car runs like crap now They told me i would need to take my car to get scoped by a mechanic because the headers makes the car run diffrent.Can anybody give me some advice on this?Anybody else have this problem?Any info would be apraciated thx.

 

i know that if you live in california that AIR is required on the headers. if you dont have them it is an automatic fail. as for your car running crappy...headers flow better, need some tuning.

 

.... Ok, let me get this strait. You got flowtech headers for your car why? You should have reasearched it A LOT before you got thoes. Where do you live? You spent 600 on a set of the crappiest headers, and then paid someone to frick it by welding air tubes to it, and have them put it in for ya? WOW... ya know, you could of gotten a set of SLP headers that came with the air tubes already, has better flow, and stainless steel?!?!?! Buddy, you made a bad move. Did you research before you got the headers? If you live in a state that has visual, you sorta need it. Most people at the DMV are dumbasses, and dont know air tubes from spark plug wires. Think about it. What person really wants to work at a DMV? Not die hard car guys that know about this, or have any knowlage. And if die hard car guys did work there, they would let it slide. the shop that did your work has to put them on, cause that would be against the law. Heres some advice, build a time machine and go back to before you go the headers and spent that money, and research before you get anything. I really have nothing else to say but you have a $700 mistake. I dont mean to flame... but dude... really $700....

 

you obvious know nothing of inspections...what state are you from? inspections are done by liscenced shops that usually if not always have ASE master mechanics working there. anyway...i would have to agree on the headers...should have gotten SLP headers with AIR. i live in california and know what a pain inspections are. you obviously dont or know a shop that will pass any car in which you need to tell me where they are located. hey actually you are from NJ the second dumbest place for inspections. why would you say that the people dont know what they are looking for. most inspectors in cali know what they are looking for.

 

Well, here in NJ, most of us get our inpection at the DMV. You have to pay someone to get it inspected at a shop. at the DMV, they are dumbasses.. trust me. Im here in NJ, your 3000 miles away, and your gunna tell me where i brought 6 cars to in the last 2 years to get inspected? My taruass failed for emmisions, NOx, and the lady said that i need a tune up or a o2 sensor... i looked at her as if she was serious. I took it to a shop, cause i dont wana wait on a 2 hr line again to fail, and paid $50 to get it done. It passed and i was off the hook. The camaro passed with flying colors. People here in NJ take it to there local friendly shot to get it "inspected" aka slip them some cash, and BLAM, on goes a sticker. Cali sucks, and NJ is right behind it. I will tell you, that they do not know what there looking for. At a shop, ok... there mechanics... they know wtf there looking at. at the DMV, there basily middle school drop outs that just look. Some guy asked me to pop the hood on the camaro so he could see what i had under there. Kid was about my age, probably drives a civic, and was checkin out my ride... Dont think he could even spell AIR. Inspections that are done by shops like the one i went to are all ASE 100% and all that happy stuff. They knew exactly why my car failed. the NOx gas was building up in my clogged cat after waiting on line for so frickin long. when they run it on the dyno, all that lovely stuff came runnin down the pipe. The shop ran it cold, first thing in the morning, and it passed.

 

ya sorry for the flame at the beginning. when i clicked post i realized what state you are from..."the second dumbest place for inspections." i think it is NJ that wants to adopt cali smog laws. anyway like i said i would have to agree with you on the headers. sst thats why these boards are here for. many people have made mistakes, but with a little reading you should have known that slp are one of the better choices for headers. also, dont let a shop tell you what they are going to do if you dont even know wtf they are talking about.

 

its ok... i share your pain on the inspections... Yea, they are doing crazy chit over here now. They might get rid of the dyno now... i like having a inpection every other year. and they just passed a law that says if your car is a 2001 and newwer, you have 4 years between inspections... Thats pretty sweet...
Anyway... SST.. even when you go the headers...why on gods earth did you not put them in yourself? Just get some friends, beer (if your of that age of course .. ) and get crackin man!! like someone said on another thread... headers is a "gateway mod" it gets you started on modding your cars.

 

I have headers put on mine and my friend who helped me just said that we should just rip out all the emissions tubes. Didn't really make much of a difference until I hollowed out my cat. Now, I know I will fail NJ inspections, so I'm gonna have to put on a better cat before I take it to get inspected. Also wanted to point out that if you get your car done by the DMV it will only give you a one year sticker. If you get it done by a mechanic, it's a two year sticker. Just wanted to point that out. Would be worth paying the $60 to get it done at a shop so you don't have to keep changing it out every year. Also, to everyone in NJ, are there any third gen clubs here?? I live close to philly but would definitely drive to a club if it was out of the way. Thanks.

 

Ouch you guys be easy on me! Im in Denver Colo. I know that slp are better headers but i wanted to save a few bucks.I didnt relize that headers were diiffrent with air.There was nothing that said anything about it.Those things sticking in the headers are for emmissions?Hopefully i can get it running right again.

 

heres a pic of slp headers with a.i.r tubes.



basically they connect to a box which operates the opening and closing of valves that go the cat(s) and the black box also connects to the air pump..

i took all that stuff out and bought slp non air headers.


sounds like that place got you good for welding on the air tubes, i would be pissed also but what can you do, we all make misjudgements in buying performance parts at some time or another.

like said more indepth research is always good before lying down the dough.

 

Don't feel too bad, if you bought the SLP Headers at $499.95 plus $40.00 UPS ground shipping and had them installed for $400.00, you would've paid well over $900.00. After you have your car tuned properly you will still notice a nice performance gain.

 

Well, first welcome to the site, and Yes there is a car club in NJ. If ya wana hang with us, we have several meets. Checkout the Northeast board. About your comment i quoted... That is wrong. Like i said above, i drove 6 cars to the DMV in teh past 2 years, and i have gotten 2 year stickers for all of them. I dont know what kinda scam there running out west, but the rest of NJ has 2yr sticker when you go to the DMV or shop. Its the law. If they give you a one year sticker, you kick them in there nuts and peel out.
To get back to the post, your car is running like chit? Explain how its running. I never heard doing a major tune up after installing headers. You might be a little lean, but im not sure. You probably just have a massive exhaust leak from the welding and its making your car sound like crap from the ticking. Sorry for laying in to ya there before.

 

Hey apoligy accepted. I took my car back to the exhaust shop and come to find out they accidently switched 1 of the plug wires It runs alot better now. I noticed a little bit of diffrence in the power but not as much as i hoped, hopefully once i get it taken to my mecahnic and get it adjusted ill notice more of a diffrence

 

By the way thx gkk for the positive comments i feel a little better about getting them now

 

I musta gotten ripped off then about the 2 year sticker cause I just bought my third gen last year and went to the dmv and they only gave me a one year sticker. I guess I just got shafted.

 

that sux pat. You sure you didnt take it to your friendly shady neighborhood mechanic for inspection? My friend used to do that, and got the sticker for the next year. My brother took his 92 blazer for inspection last month, he got a 2 year, and my dad took his 98 taurus for inspection last week and has a 2005 on his. I would go back to the DMV and fix that.

 

Well the problem is the place that I went to has closed down until they get the new NJ upgrades for the inspection. It is a legitimate DMV place located in Woodbury, NJ next to Gateway High School. I've been there before and now that I think about it, they have given me a 2 year sticker for my old Lincoln that I used to have. I'll probably end up going back when they do open up again and tell them to fix it. I will not put my car up on their machines though cause I know it will fail. Maybe I can just walk up there and give them my VIN number and they can look it up in the computer. Thanks guys.

 

I swear, some mechanics...I had to get a new evaporater on a car I sold, so apparently they took the dist cap off for some reason or another....Car started running bad...couldn't figure it out....THEY LEFT #5 SPARK WIRE OFF!!!!! Idiots... I spent all this time running check on the Map sensor, and throttle position, etc.

ANYTIME YOU GET YOU CAR BACK FROM THE SHOP AFTER DOING SOMETHING THAT IS SUPPOSED TO GIVE MORE POWER AND YOU DRIVE IT AND IT HAS LESS, ODD ARE THEY MIS WIRED THE DIST. CAP!

I ahd it happen to my 91' also


LET me guess, they switched wires 5 and 7 didn't they... they always do.