So I got my nice hooker headers on that my girl bought me for my birthday. They are 1-5/8th primary to 3in collector, flanged down to 2-1/4 true duals with real cats and flowmasters.

Now the car does run pretty rich but it was running very well before this. I get the install done bring it to a shop and have the connecting pieces bent up.

The car is slower, significantly. I think I hear a little wisp of an exhaust leak but could that cause such devastating performance losses?

I'm going to pull the carb and fix the leaking plugs, and lower the float level a smidge. I gotta change the spark plugs out because I know they've gotta be fouled from running rich but my point is that everything is the same as pre headers. And now its slower...

 

Did they reinstall the o2 sensor. Do you have a check engine light?

 

Its in a monte. LG9 (305) with mechanical carb and vacuum/mech dizzy.

A good question would be. Say I shifted my exhaust to be way to top end and I'm not scavenging properly for torque in the low end. What can I do to remedy this? Is there any sort of venturi that I can install into the collector?

 

Thats not causing your problem.

 

So what the hell is it then?
Obviously I'm gonna go over everything. Check leaks, change the plugs. What the hell else should I look at?

 

If you say your exhaust may have a small leak, it could be giving the o2 a bad reading.

 

Wow for the last time its a mechanical car there are no 02 sensors believe it or not

 

Check for crossed spark plug wires.

 

Crossed as in the wires lay across each other or as in two wires on the wrong cylinder?

 

did you re-jet the carb after the headers were installed?
chances are you're a bit lean now.

exhaust leaks (on a mechanical car) don't cause any problems other then possibly poisoning you. Fix those just because they are annoying. No HP difference though.

if your plugs are fouled, you might have a miss under load. Swap plugs and check mixture at idle and under power.

 

Wires going to the wrong cylinder.

 

Thats what I figured you meant. I just wasnt sure if there was sort sort of weird interference thing I didnt know about maybe.

The answer to that would be no. I checked this morning to be sure and they are all good. I was smart thhis install around and marked my wires.

I'm gonna change th plugs when i get home and see if its just fouled plugs.

 

Whats red and hot and smells like **** all over?

 

burnt tranny fluid?
or burnt red plug wires?
or your hands burning?

 

Thank you for at least playing but that answer is a clogged cat. Hollowing them tomorrow.

 

Hrmm.

Sounds like the car needs a mechanic.

Get someone to fix your fuel/ignition problem and replace the cats.

-- Joe

 

I don't think you need a mechanic. When I had my motor rebuilt and after I reinstalled it, my motor guy told me that crossed wires, I realize this turned out not to be your problem, can actually jump spark under the right conditions. I'm talking about wires laying across each other. This was the first time I had heard this, but to keep my warranty in order I had to wrap fuel line around my wires that crossed or came near the headers. With my wires I ended up with quite a bit of extra wire by the distributer that actually had to be bundled up so I beleive that was part of the concern. Coiled up wires with electricity in them is always bad news. I need to pickup shorter ones soon.

 

If the car clogged brand new cats instantly (unless these are your old cats), there's something seriously wrong with the setup.

New cats aren't that expensive (especially universal style, which you're probably using) add that onto the fact that you can sell your cats for the precious metals inside of them for a pretty amount of coin....

Also, most aftermarket/universal cats have a metal honeycomb. You better have an air hammer to hollow them out, I don't think the piece of rebar will cut it.