running open headers...no power???
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
From: va beach, va
running open headers...no power??? i just installed my pacesetters the other night. iam running them open for now til i find a good set up. when i go to get on it hard, it seems to bog/sputter/hesitate, like it doesnt want to let out its power. is this just because of open headers, no back pressure, or is it cuz i havent had it tuned yet?
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,768
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From: Lexington, NC
Wow man, I'm guessing you dont have your 02s hooked up, this will defiantly make your A/F ratio take a ****, you should find a way to get your 02's in there, this is defiantly your problem.
Wes
Wes
Straight open headers = bad idea. I had to do this for a day until I was able to get to the exhaust shop and I had the same problems. I believe it has something to do with the 02 sensors being exposed to open air as well as exhaust gas. You can run open headers with extensions and not run into problems though.
Do you have a ypipe on the car or is it just the headers? If it's just the headers from what I heard I think you need at least 12 inches of pipe after the first o2 sensors and o2 sims for the back o2 sensors. Hope that helps.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 9,246
Likes: 3
From: Troy, AL
Right, you need extensions to run them open (at least 20" would be safe.) The outside air is making contact with the front O2 sensors and falsely throwing the Ltrims WAAAAAAAY positive thus making you run super rich. 
The rear O2 sensors have nothing to do with this, btw.
The rear O2 sensors have nothing to do with this, btw.
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TECH Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 9,246
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From: Troy, AL
"i have my front o2s hooked up with extensions,"
This statement makes it sound like you have O2 sensor extensions. If that's what you meant it's NOT what we're talking about. We're talking about having additional pipe that extends from the header collectors. If you have no extensions from the collectors then some outside air will go back up into the header collector at low RPMs (the exhaust traveles in pulses. It's not a constant velocity forward flow.) and it will give the O2 sensors a false lean reading.
This statement makes it sound like you have O2 sensor extensions. If that's what you meant it's NOT what we're talking about. We're talking about having additional pipe that extends from the header collectors. If you have no extensions from the collectors then some outside air will go back up into the header collector at low RPMs (the exhaust traveles in pulses. It's not a constant velocity forward flow.) and it will give the O2 sensors a false lean reading.
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Verdad Gallardo Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 34
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From: va beach, va
ok, gotcha. i also just found that one of my spark plug wires fell out kinda easy when i was just under the hood. im talking about the bottom side of the wire.....the end with the metal sleeve/canister looking thing with the spring that actually goes right over the actual spark plug. if this wasnt pushed in all the way, could this have been part of the problem too? what else could this have caused? how do u know when this is in all the way?
