Open Headers, Why not?
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Launching!
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From: Odessa Tx. "oilfeild country"
Open Headers, Why not? Alright, does anyone have a clear answer to why the amount of backpressure from open headers shouldn't be enough for my LS1 to run properly. My personal mechanic (he's my boy so i trust the guy) has an 11 second Z and he tells me the LS1 (or large V8's) needs as little backpressure as possible. I love the deafening loudnes, my car runs fine and it seems faster than before so whats the problem. I had several guys tell me i shouldent run em open. Yea Yea backpressure but why? The only other reason any one else gave me was "so the valves dont crack in cold weather" btw i live in New Mexico so i forget what cold means.
Depends on your setup really. In most cases open headers will hurt low end torque, but at the drag strip most cars don't see anything less than 4000rpm durring a run so I just have bullets on the collectors, pretty much open headers.
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Launching!
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From: Odessa Tx. "oilfeild country"
That seems to make sense.The engines ability to run smoothly at lower rpms while at crusing speed seems to have been lessened. But i figured that any exhaust mod would expectedly move your power and torque curves up in the rpms. But my question still remains-what are the effects of different amounts of backpressure on the LS1 and why on earth would anybody strongly suggest i dont run that way for long? I had a post in the street race forum that inspired the question. Several guys were acting like it wasn't very smart runin poen headers but ive no clue why? If just for lack of driveability i couldnt care less, but please if anyone can lay this to rest i would be forever grateful. Also i hear road racers talk about open headers all the time.
You need around 12" worth of extension past the o2's to keep them happy. Otherwise the tune tends to go rich and you'll lose power. Depending on your method of tuning of course.....
Originally Posted by SSickLS1
Do you really think that air could get passed escaping exhaust?
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Launching!
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Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Odessa Tx. "oilfeild country"
I had bought a custom H pipe setup off ebay. It was supposed to be true duels that were 2 3/4 into flowmasters but when me and my mech looked at it it had been made with one of those not so mandrel - mandrel benders that pinch the diameter of the pipe so we decided that it would do more harm than good.
