I just read from an extremely old post that headers don't help until about 6,000 RPM.

Is this true at all?
Even if they don't help until 5,000 RPM, that would throw them straight out of my consideration.
My car is a daily driver in the city, its RARE that I ever go over 4,000 RPM, and even thats not 'normal' for me - thats fun.

So would someone like me really see no change at all after a header install?

V6 by the way...

 

No, it's not at all true.

 

Would installing headers on my car really be worth the effort since its a daily driver? I love to have fun in my car, but do you think just isntalling a better flowing Y-pipe and catback would be enough to make a noticeable difference? (My Y-pipe is horrible right now. Pretty much the driver side pipe meets the passenger side pipe at a 90* angle and the welds are horrible. Don't know who did it.) I'm looking at this one...

http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/in...OD&ProdID=1233

from Hawks. The only thing is that it looks like it doesn't have an 02 bung. I'll ask them about it. It seems to be the cheapest one I can find that will connect to the stock manifolds. I never thought Y-pipes cost so much.

Since I'm goin for the money savings, I'm also considering this cat-back...

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

These put together, and a gutted cat, think there would be a nice difference without the headers? It's just a V6, I think a 2.5" mandrel bent back seems fine. Once again, I'm going for the whole saving money thing.

 

GM did it...it's probably factory. They all look like that...even the V8 ones.

 

The mac y-pipe mentioned is for v8 cars only.

 

From the factory? Oh well...guess they just got lazy. I know something has been messed with on my exhaust, there are tiny holes in some of the welds.

Thanks Mike, I didn't notice that if its written on there. It did look a little big.

I think its weird that (for a V6) I can get headers and a Y-pipe for like $280 on Summit, but that Y-pipe was $170

Anyone know where I can buy just a Y-pipe to fit the stock V6 manifolds?

 

exhaust shoppes can make them, but be sure you see examples of thier work first, there was a thread on the v6 board a while back where the exhaust shope made one that looked WORSE then the factory one. i think the best thing to do would be to get a friend with headers (v8 or six) and have them look at the routing of his y-pipe first, then clone it on your car. the SLP y-pipe (v8 only, sorry) is AWESOME, and the basic design would work on a six, it would just have smaller tubes and be bent ever so slightly different.

 

For what its worth, I added headers to my 99 Grand Am, which is a 60*v6 like a 3rd gen, and it made a huge difference. Much more top end pull, I dropped five tenths in the quarter mile, and picked up 3mph. Defintely worth it, in my opinion, its a great bang for the buck mod with almost any engine.

 

They're a mod I'd love to do, but really would be hard for me to accomplish. I'm just about to be 18, starting my senior year in highschool, my car is my car and thats it. So especially during the school year, a sunday afternoon is about it for car time.

And dropping $300 at one time isn't too realistic for me, either. $170 at a time I can do sparingly, but I know this year comming up I'm gonna have alot of things to be buying as a senior plus money that needs to be saved.

I talk about doing so many things to my car that I know are a long way off but I can't help it, I get so into it.

A time will probably come though, with insurance and all that, that this car will turn into a garage project and I'll be driving a gas-saving insurance friendly little deal for a while. And when that happens.... this car is in for it.

Thanks for the replies guys.

 

Does not matter if your are 18, 33 or 60. You should always do it once and do it right, or just don't do it at all. I can't think of all the times I spend this for that part, then bought another part, and the cycle continues.

I guess you gain this in experience and you learn to reign in the ambition and temptations. You have the advantage of time because things are a long way off. THink about how you want your end product to look like, function, etc. then put together a comprehensive plan to achieve that over time. I guarantee that you will be much happier in the end.

 

Thanks.

It's definitly not something I would just rush into and try to throw them on there, I just mean that if something did go wrong like some broken bolts or not getting them to fit quick enough, this car is my only means of transportation, so I'd be pretty stuck.

 

Yep, do it once--or you'll end up spending twice or three or.... You get the idea.

JamesC

 

quick example... I helped put a set of longtubes on a cammed 3400V6.. before the headers when he hit PE mode it would go down to a 12.x AFR (which is dead right).

the ONLY change we made was installing the headers, first run we went into PE mode and the AFR's were in the high 14's.. they made a HUGE change in the VE of the engine.

Expect your exhaust tone to change, it'll smooth out alot.