I have an 86 305 LG4. I just had Edelbrock TES headers put on.

The heat stove pipe was missing after the install. The Edelbrock headers have the opening for the pipe off of one of the exhaust tubes, and the metal pipe usually connects that up to the air intake.

Questions:
1) Is it dangerous/bad to leave it open like that? Am I getting exhaust into the car?

2) How easy is it to find a replacement pipe?

3) Am I better off just sealing it off?

Thanks,
John

 

1. No. The exhaust pipe itself is completely sealed.

2. Very. They're at AutoZone and such, hanging on pegs back by the PCV valves, in yellow and green boxes.

3. No. But if you still have the stock air cleaner, your car will warm up faster in the winter with it installed, and probably go faster the rest of the time without it. It's a judgement call as far as that goes. It might be required by the visual inspection in your state; I don't know because I've never lived there; but I know it is in California.

 

1. Sealed? How do you mean? It looks like a wide open T-joint off the exhaust tube...

 

The header tube, where the exhaust is, is totally sealed.

The heat stove is merely an additional piece of sheet metal wrapped around the tube.

 

I've found the off-idle response when the engine is partially warmed to be pretty poor without the heat stove connected.