New Shorty Headers and Exhaust
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 128
Likes: 7
From: Flordia
New Shorty Headers and Exhaust Hello All,
Just passed my 1st year with the 2001 WS6 Vert, and it was time to spend some coin, as the CATs and exhaust have been rusting in Florida.
I purchased a set of BBK Shorty Headers (Ceramic Coated) and Magnaflow Catback Exhaust System Stainless Steel.
Should be a fun weekend installing everything. Should I replace the Y pipe, Any real gains or looses there? If so, is there a recommended brand or type? Is Ceramic Coated worth it or go Stainless steel.
Another question, how often are people changing Spark Plug Wires now? Use to be 100k, is this still valid?
Just passed my 1st year with the 2001 WS6 Vert, and it was time to spend some coin, as the CATs and exhaust have been rusting in Florida.
I purchased a set of BBK Shorty Headers (Ceramic Coated) and Magnaflow Catback Exhaust System Stainless Steel.
Should be a fun weekend installing everything. Should I replace the Y pipe, Any real gains or looses there? If so, is there a recommended brand or type? Is Ceramic Coated worth it or go Stainless steel.
Another question, how often are people changing Spark Plug Wires now? Use to be 100k, is this still valid?
Last edited by MikadoWu; Oct 20, 2017 at 11:48 PM.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 128
Likes: 7
From: Flordia
Many reasons, my 68 Camaro has the long tubes, so been there done that. The WS6 is my daily driver, and I drive her a lot. I wanted to keep the CATS, for the smell purpose. Also, the shorty's to my understanding are quieter. I listen to a lot of audio books driving from Orlando to south Florida and the Florida Keys twice a month to dive.
I've been running Hooker shorty headers since '04 and my one regret is that I didn't get them coated. If I had it to do all over again, I would 've definitely gone with coated. Since coated will run a little cooler too, that helps with spark plug wires. I burn my #6 plug wire every few thousand miles even with aftermarket protectors. Stainless steel runs as hot as my non-coated I'm sure, so I'd recommend coated over stainless steel.
If the whole point of going with shorty headers was to keep the cats, then there's no point in going with an aftermarket Y-pipe in my opinion. Of course SLP makes one for shory headers, but it eliminates the cats. If you don't care about cats, then LT's are the way to go, but since you do, shorty headers and a cat-back exhaust will work well for you IMO.
If the whole point of going with shorty headers was to keep the cats, then there's no point in going with an aftermarket Y-pipe in my opinion. Of course SLP makes one for shory headers, but it eliminates the cats. If you don't care about cats, then LT's are the way to go, but since you do, shorty headers and a cat-back exhaust will work well for you IMO.
I've been running Hooker shorty headers since '04 and my one regret is that I didn't get them coated. If I had it to do all over again, I would 've definitely gone with coated. Since coated will run a little cooler too, that helps with spark plug wires. I burn my #6 plug wire every few thousand miles even with aftermarket protectors. Stainless steel runs as hot as my non-coated I'm sure, so I'd recommend coated over stainless steel.
If the whole point of going with shorty headers was to keep the cats, then there's no point in going with an aftermarket Y-pipe in my opinion. Of course SLP makes one for shory headers, but it eliminates the cats. If you don't care about cats, then LT's are the way to go, but since you do, shorty headers and a cat-back exhaust will work well for you IMO.
If the whole point of going with shorty headers was to keep the cats, then there's no point in going with an aftermarket Y-pipe in my opinion. Of course SLP makes one for shory headers, but it eliminates the cats. If you don't care about cats, then LT's are the way to go, but since you do, shorty headers and a cat-back exhaust will work well for you IMO.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,798
Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
Many reasons, my 68 Camaro has the long tubes, so been there done that. The WS6 is my daily driver, and I drive her a lot. I wanted to keep the CATS, for the smell purpose. Also, the shorty's to my understanding are quieter. I listen to a lot of audio books driving from Orlando to south Florida and the Florida Keys twice a month to dive.
You can also run cats with LT headers and your choice of muffler(s) to quite the car down to whatever level you deem acceptable. A tune can also effect the gas smell as well. My heads/cam LS1 with LTs, high flow cats and hooker catback at the time was actually pretty quiet at highway speeds, you would have never guessed it was a cammed car, sounded like it was just a catback. The type of muffler and cats make a huge difference. I have since went to a corsa catback to replace the hooker catback and its all around much louder than my car was without cats and through a hooker catback.
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I wouldn't want to give opinion on something not asked but LT offer better performance than shorty and you can still keep your high flow cats. Combine that with magnaflow catback you would have a very tame sounding car while having good clearance.
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I don't see the correlation with the 68 camaro and your 01 WS6 having LTs. The 68 camaro is a completely different car with a different engine than the 4th gen fbody. On top of that there are a ton of different LT headers that all fit differently, and some tuck up near as good as stock while giving you all the big gains that LT headers provide that shorties cannot.
You can also run cats with LT headers and your choice of muffler(s) to quite the car down to whatever level you deem acceptable. A tune can also effect the gas smell as well. My heads/cam LS1 with LTs, high flow cats and hooker catback at the time was actually pretty quiet at highway speeds, you would have never guessed it was a cammed car, sounded like it was just a catback. The type of muffler and cats make a huge difference. I have since went to a corsa catback to replace the hooker catback and its all around much louder than my car was without cats and through a hooker catback.
You can also run cats with LT headers and your choice of muffler(s) to quite the car down to whatever level you deem acceptable. A tune can also effect the gas smell as well. My heads/cam LS1 with LTs, high flow cats and hooker catback at the time was actually pretty quiet at highway speeds, you would have never guessed it was a cammed car, sounded like it was just a catback. The type of muffler and cats make a huge difference. I have since went to a corsa catback to replace the hooker catback and its all around much louder than my car was without cats and through a hooker catback.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 128
Likes: 7
From: Flordia
I've been running Hooker shorty headers since '04 and my one regret is that I didn't get them coated. If I had it to do all over again, I would 've definitely gone with coated. Since coated will run a little cooler too, that helps with spark plug wires. I burn my #6 plug wire every few thousand miles even with aftermarket protectors. Stainless steel runs as hot as my non-coated I'm sure, so I'd recommend coated over stainless steel.
If the whole point of going with shorty headers was to keep the cats, then there's no point in going with an aftermarket Y-pipe in my opinion. Of course SLP makes one for shory headers, but it eliminates the cats. If you don't care about cats, then LT's are the way to go, but since you do, shorty headers and a cat-back exhaust will work well for you IMO.
If the whole point of going with shorty headers was to keep the cats, then there's no point in going with an aftermarket Y-pipe in my opinion. Of course SLP makes one for shory headers, but it eliminates the cats. If you don't care about cats, then LT's are the way to go, but since you do, shorty headers and a cat-back exhaust will work well for you IMO.
For those in question,
I was in the GM ASEP back in 1990 and 1991 before dropping for the Maine Corps. We where taught that the catalytic converters reduced a lot emissions smells. I am unsure how much this is truly impacting on todays engines, but the forums seem to say this is still true. I am an empty nester, I date and travel with a lot of professional women, less smell is good.
I could have stayed with stock exhaust, but the Ceramic Shorty's are cheaper. Doing the math, says cheaper, more power, more MPG, better looks, etc.... Might as well.
As for the Camaro, No one drives in it, that is not blood related. Blame the Ex's for that mess.
OH YES! Then again, it might have been the LS6 longblock I swapped over to when I also installed the shorty headers 
Seriously, I didn't get a base line to know what the shorty headers did over the stock manifolds. I had a set of LT's on my original LS1. Computer never liked them, couldn't ever get the codes to go away, even with O2 sims, etc. It also stunk to high heaven and I didn't care for that like the OP either. The original LS1 developed a knock with the LT's on and I decided to just re-do everything and went with a crate LS6 and went with Hooker shorty headers, stock cats, and SLP 2OTL when I did the longblock swap. I'm at 400.1 RHWP using shorty headers at this time. I'm sure I'm leaving some HP on the table, by not going with LT headers, but like I said, the ONLY thing I would change if I had to do it over again is go with coated shorty headers.
Seriously, I didn't get a base line to know what the shorty headers did over the stock manifolds. I had a set of LT's on my original LS1. Computer never liked them, couldn't ever get the codes to go away, even with O2 sims, etc. It also stunk to high heaven and I didn't care for that like the OP either. The original LS1 developed a knock with the LT's on and I decided to just re-do everything and went with a crate LS6 and went with Hooker shorty headers, stock cats, and SLP 2OTL when I did the longblock swap. I'm at 400.1 RHWP using shorty headers at this time. I'm sure I'm leaving some HP on the table, by not going with LT headers, but like I said, the ONLY thing I would change if I had to do it over again is go with coated shorty headers.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 128
Likes: 7
From: Flordia
I am 2 weeks in with the shorty's and could not be happier. They look great and you can feel a power difference. No stupid Service light issues either. My son who like a quite car, also stated he thought the car sounded better. Now I just need to get the Flowmaster off and the Mangaflow on.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 128
Likes: 7
From: Flordia
The MagnaFLow exhaust has now replaced the Flowmaster. It is perfect. She Roars when she needs to, yet is not over powering when I am driving 85 to Miami top down and the audiobook on.
Now I just need to get this stupid Windows Guide fixed on the Driver Side Window and its back to restoring the 68.
Glad you got the muffler swapped. Magnaflow > Flowmaster.
Also, I would only consider replacing your y-pipe if you have the factory flat and ugly one. Getting a round y-pipe like the SLP one should improve performance, and if anything it looks a hell of a lot better underneath.
Good luck with the car and your future upgrades.
Also, I would only consider replacing your y-pipe if you have the factory flat and ugly one. Getting a round y-pipe like the SLP one should improve performance, and if anything it looks a hell of a lot better underneath.
Good luck with the car and your future upgrades.
On The Tree
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 181
Likes: 0
From: Indianapolis, Indiana
There is an "Engine Masters" you tube video that does the very dyno test you mentioned. High performance cast manifolds vs. Shorties vs. Long tubes. It turns out like you would expect, but it is a lot closer than you would think.