I was thinking of getting some long tube headers sometime soon on my bolt on car.

Setup I was planning on going with:

Stock 2000 Motor/241 Heads
Stock 4L60E
LS6 Intake/Ported Stock TB
ASP Pulley
TCI 4XXX? Stall
3.73 Gears
Long Tube Headers/ORP/Catback

Right now it runs pretty well with just a pulley and a lid and shorties/cutout (90mph in the 1/8th).. raceweight is probably 3200 or so.

Just wondering if I should go with some stepped 1 3/4 to 1 7/8 headers or if I should go with some plain 1 3/4 headers or maybe even smaller 1 1/2 stepped to 1 5/8 headers? I don't really care about losing power on the street, just running better track times.

I might put a small nitrous shot or a pretty mild cam in it later but wanted to see what I can do with just bolt ons and don't know if the larger stepped headers would rob power with a stock longblock? Too many damn header choices.

 

do you plan to go with head/cam kit or a bigger motor in your future? if so maybe the stepped headers would be worthwhile. but the gains i have seen posted have only been marginal compared to a regular 1 3/4 LT from Hooker or Kook's etc.. I thought I remember reading that the Edelbrock LT's are pretty damn good. and i think those are stepped headers too.

Chris

 

Unless you plan on going to bigger cubes, I wouldn't bother with anythign more than 1 3/4 size headers. After an extensive researching session, I went with QTP longtubes... and am very happy with the results. Power in my sig is what it's making, with the mods I have done so far. About the only bolt on that I have left to do is a electric water pump, then the bolt on's are done. I don't expect to seea large gain from that, maybe 5 hp or so.

 

I'm not really planning on a head or cam kit in the future right now... but that might change in the future. I don't think I'll go with anything bigger than a 346 I may go with a large cam and try for some really good cam only results in the next year or so.

I think the biggest reason I'm having a hard time deciding is because if I go wit the edelbrock stepped long tubes it would only cost me about $150 or so more than a set of coated pacesetter headers (can get coating cheap locally on the edelbrocks).

Do you think I would actually lose power on a bolt on car with stepped headers over 1 3/4 headers?

 

you could lose a little bottom end... probably not much. If I were you, I'd give Barry @ QTP a call, see what he thinks for your application. They know their stuff when it comes to headers. If this is a max effort drag car... HV merge collectors could be somethign that you may wanna consider.

I also am a little biased, but headers rust, coated or not, so unless you weanna replace them in say 5 years.... go with stainless. At least if they end up being too small for your application down the road, you will be able to resell them. Rusted up mild steel, coated or not...good luck selling that. See what I mean?

 

I'll give him a call and see what he says then.. here in San Diego I've never had a problem with header rust though with steel headers. Shoot it barely ever rains down here.

 

I'm gonna try the Dynatech race headers 1 3/4". Gonna run the collector mufflers to try and save a tad bit of weight. Although my Mac's have worked AWESOME so far!

 

I just read a car craft article where they tested different size headers on a stock ls1 crate motor on an engine dyno. I believe they made the most power under the curve with 1 7/8 headers on the stock motor so I think I just might try out the edelbrocks and their y-pipe and just run a borla xr-1 muffler to a turn down right the Y.

Silent But Violent, that thing is flying stock internals.. have any suggestions or tips for me? I am going to pull more weight off the car and switch the suspension to some qa1's and some other aftermarket stuff.

 

Get as much out of the stock motor as you can before you drop that cam in. Faster you are stock internal, faster you are when the cam is installed. These motor's love to breathe. Get the air in the easiest way possible. Get the air out the easiest way possible. Weight reduction helps alot! Easier on drive train, ect. Set a goal and stick to it. Last year if someone asked me if I thought the car could run 7.15's in the 1/8th, I'd have laughed at them.....Good luck!!