So, combine TPI TES headers with a 3" cat and a Magnaflow catback (4th gen version) on a TBI 305 with an open element, and the sound is simply awesome. As I said in another thread, when combined with my other bolt ons, it actually truly snapped my head back for the first time EVER.

Quick question: I have heard of this "ringing sound" headers can make. What is this exactly? AT idle, it sounds similar to stock, but deeper. At light throttle, it sound similar. Revving it at a stop, it sounds like a mellow stock car. But under load, under 3500 or so? It makes a ringing, pulsing noise that almost sounds like an exhaust leak...but it isn't. I remember the car making a slight ticking with the old manifolds at WOT, and I simply attributed it to hearing the injector pulse because of the open element.

This is my first car with headers. Is this normal? The install is only hours old, and was done at my work by our best tech. He checked it over and drove it, and said it was fine. I didn't notice this noise until several hours later, once the tops were on and the windows up. I've heard of nightmares people have with exhaust leaks after header installs, so I'm a little neurotic. I imagine that everything is fine...thanks for the help.

 

Well, you will probably need to tighten your header bolts once or twice again. I actually read that somebody tightened them once a day after the header install, and then never had to tighten them again after doing that for a week.

But headers do make a different type of sound. More like a click-pop type noise. Because you actually have the pressure waves popping out of primary tubes into a collector now, not just into a log manifold.

 

I'm running the TES headers. I noticed a noise like that for the first couple miles, eventually went away. Do you have a sound clip yet? I'm thinking of getting a magnaflow catback. Thanks