Is it bad to run open headers?
09-09-2006, 07:29 PM
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Is it bad to run open headers? just wonderin cus i just did my L/T's and wont make it to the exhaust shop for a couple of days and have to drive my car, will it hurt anything. other than my ear drums. i already got pulled over and i turned my car off before the cop got out of his car. and he never said anything about that.
09-09-2006, 07:33 PM
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From what I've heard, yes, I wouldn't drive it more than a few miles, something to do with lack of backpressure and o2s I think, but I wouldn't be driving like that. Keep it parked. Could damage something for sure.
09-09-2006, 07:38 PM
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No, You'll be fine just try avoiding driving in cold weather, theres been cases were extremely hot valves get F***ed up when you run open headers and turn it off... i think its because air will travel back up when you turn it off, causing cold air on hot valves, Other than that you might burn up your o2 sensors, you may not since they are lt's. I drove my car for about a week and a half, never over 30 miles at a time, w/ open headers, no problems.
09-09-2006, 08:07 PM
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Originally Posted by Jroc99SS
No, You'll be fine just try avoiding driving in cold weather, theres been cases were extremely hot valves get F***ed up when you run open headers and turn it off... i think its because air will travel back up when you turn it off, causing cold air on hot valves, Other than that you might burn up your o2 sensors, you may not since they are lt's. I drove my car for about a week and a half, never over 30 miles at a time, w/ open headers, no problems.
Right on, exactly what I was told. Bottom line is: You take a chance, but you could be lucky and have nothing affected.
09-09-2006, 08:11 PM
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Originally Posted by Jroc99SS
No, You'll be fine just try avoiding driving in cold weather, theres been cases were extremely hot valves get F***ed up when you run open headers and turn it off... i think its because air will travel back up when you turn it off, causing cold air on hot valves, Other than that you might burn up your o2 sensors, you may not since they are lt's. I drove my car for about a week and a half, never over 30 miles at a time, w/ open headers, no problems.
Does anyone else agree with my theory on this? Or am I stupid.
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09-09-2006, 11:33 PM
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[QUOTE=Jroc99SS]No, You'll be fine just try avoiding driving in cold weather, theres been cases were extremely hot valves get F***ed up when you run open headers and turn it off... QUOTE]
Its September and he's in Texas. Cold weather?
Only probs your likely to have are getting pulled over for it, CO poisoning, and some hearing loss.
Its September and he's in Texas. Cold weather?
Only probs your likely to have are getting pulled over for it, CO poisoning, and some hearing loss.
09-10-2006, 01:33 PM
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Also heard that fresh air on the O2's will cause lean readings, tune will go way positive on the LTFT's, and the car will run like **** because it's waaaay rich. I've been told that the only way to run open headers is to make sure that you have at least 18" of pipe after the O2's.
09-10-2006, 06:43 PM
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I ran mine straight Y pipe this weekend and in 5th or 6th gear above 3000 EPMs the engine would shut on and off for like 1/10 of a second. the car would stutter. I think reversion could have been occuring?
09-10-2006, 07:56 PM
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cold air enters up the hot valves, and expands/contracts making your valves go bad i wouldnt do it, also car needs backpressure, put on a y pipe and cat if you wanna drive it.
09-11-2006, 10:52 AM
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So... lets start with this...people will say that your exhaust valves will expand and contract because the are so hot from the combustion process and then somehow cold air will travel up your open headers. I can see how some people may THINK that..even though I've never heard of ONE story about that happening. On the flip side...shouldn't the same thing happen to your intake valves? they're going through the same combustion process yet they are letting cold air in. The air going in your tb to the intake is gonna be the same air that is "going up your headers into the exhaust valves" Also, hot air rises, cold air doesn't. Also, some people may say, well the exhaust isn't running past the intake valve, so it doesn't get as hot. I would say the fact that one side is cold, and the other side of the valve is really hot from combustion..that puts more stress on the valve becasue it isn't all one temp. Thats all I can think of for right now.
09-12-2006, 02:04 PM
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no response from all the people who assume that you'll somehow expand and contrast your exhaust valve and kill your engine?
also..another point I thought up. What about n20, that going into a engine drops the air temp a lot inside the combustion chamber, just for and explosion to happen. making the exhaust valve cold and then really hot. Wouldn't the same thing that you guys claim happening to a valve because of running open headers happen then too? same princpal.
also..another point I thought up. What about n20, that going into a engine drops the air temp a lot inside the combustion chamber, just for and explosion to happen. making the exhaust valve cold and then really hot. Wouldn't the same thing that you guys claim happening to a valve because of running open headers happen then too? same princpal.
09-12-2006, 02:09 PM
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the valve thing sounds like bullshit to me.
the only real issue is possibly the o2 sensors getting borked from the fresh air.
I have electric cutouts on mine, and it doesn't seem to effect it that much.
I did some back to back dyno runs with open and closed cutouts and the AFR went about .5 richer everywhere (closed). whether that was due to backpressure or mixing air im not sure, but the graph up and downs are near identical so I think it was just backpressure.
the only real issue is possibly the o2 sensors getting borked from the fresh air.
I have electric cutouts on mine, and it doesn't seem to effect it that much.
I did some back to back dyno runs with open and closed cutouts and the AFR went about .5 richer everywhere (closed). whether that was due to backpressure or mixing air im not sure, but the graph up and downs are near identical so I think it was just backpressure.
