Just finished installing my headers this evening, after having them in the box all summer long.

When I finished I started the car and thought okay these don't really sound much different than the stock manifolds. Then I started going for a drive and really didn't notice too much of a difference in the seat of the pants dyno. It does have a really nice sound up above 3000 rpm though (kind of a raspier sound, it's really hard to explain).

Then finally I decide to do a full take off (Thinking at this time that I wasn't really impressed with these headers) when MAN did my car really wake up I mean she laid tire smoke like crazy
( unfortunately it was only the passenger side tire. looks like posi is next on the list.) And not only was the tire smoke impressive when I looked down at the tach she had climbed to 5500 pretty damn quick and still wanted to climb. Fortunately I had enough sense to slam it into second.This is when it finally started to hook up and get going leaving another single strip of tire patch.

Needless to say that I really like the headers now.:lala:

I was wondering do headers really make that much of a difference over the stock manifolds?
or
Did my passenger side manifold have the heat valve thing stuck closed and the reason for the lack of performance? (The vaccuum operated one on the passenger side just at the end of the manifold where it connects to the y-pipe. I know it had a little flap with holes in it. What it was for I have NO idea).

But anyways I am pretty happy with the results I just hope I don't burn any of my wires on the headers now

 

headers are a great mod. what kind did you get? yeah that flapper kind valve on the passenger side manifold is stupid, i think it has something to do with emissions, some kind of heat riser or something...i dont really know.

 

oh and by the way the stock manifolds are really that bad, especially LG4 manifolds.

 

I bought the flowtech shortys. Didn't really research the brands out there and bought the first ones that the parts guy showed me. However, I am pretty happy with my purchase.

 

i have the flowtechs
they are the best buy out there

 

did you just get the headers or did you get any other exaust...

i had the local exaust shop put on my purchase
*shorty hooker headers and a full hooker cat back system)

havent really heard it yet..maybe like2 mins then it shut off(positive cable was melted to the header thus having to reroute it under the chasis and that is where my problem was in the first place of it stalling and dieing..the wire was loose and kept rubbing on the manifolds..

i cant wait til i pick my baby up and let her fly..

iroc2nv

im not sure if this is for every header but i was told after about 800-1000 kms were put on the car re tighten the header bolts because the gasket moves and will cause warpage if not correctly tightened..

 

Thought it was every 1-2 weeks? But I guess it works on how much you drive the car.

 

it could be speed...my car is show only...ive only put 3000 kms on it since i bought it 3 years ago... it has 130,000(not even) on it..

so you could be correct

iroc2nv

 

I just bought the header kit, The car had dynomax super turbo system on it when I bought it years ago(Soon to be replaced - either with super turbo cat back again or the Flowmaster catback)
I also removed the cat years ago. so now its getting pretty loud.

 

Would I be able to get rid of my cats? My exhuast is a custom job. So if I can get rid of them and get more sound than I want to get rid of them It's just that I have the headers, than it goes into the cats, than into some resonators than stops. No mufflers or tail pipes. Stops at the axle with the resonators. If I remove the cats, is that legal? For emissions and certification.

 

Not if you ever want it to pass the visual inspection part of an Ontario emissions test...

 

Thought so. I just wanted more sound is all. Anyway to do that now that you all know what I have and MAYBE can suggest something? Thanks!

 

How about a cutout? I'm gonna do that with new headers and not bother replacing the cat back which is pretty much mint.

 

Cutout of the Cats? Doesn't that make the cats rattle big time? I know a guy that did it to his Cavalier RS model, and I know his was cutout, did it himself. Not too bad of a job, just was so *** damn noisy!

 

I'm not planning on gutting the cat, I'm keeping this thing emissions legal, but since the cat is a mjor restriction on the whole, I figure a cutout pipe just before the cat would be ideal.

Strickly at the track, open the cutout valve and voila freeflow exhaust, come time to be legal, close up the cutout valve and back to good old emissions legal driving...

 

Ah yes...nifty idea ya got there bud. I don't know if I will do that to my car but good aidea none the less.

 

Johnnyiroc got me hooked on the idea... I figured also why throw out a perfectly good cat-back? *** knows I spent on it just to get it fixed ok a year ago...