How long can u drive with open headers????
How long can u drive with open headers???? i know the cops will be one of the reasons why u couldnt drive open header but as far as o2 readings will the car run at normal temp, run rich,lean some feedback would be much obliged
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Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Ellicott City MD
Originally Posted by KilerTA
Your gunna run pig rich lol i did it for like 30 miles it was fun also your gunna lose some power due to loss of back pressure just my 2 cents
FOR THE 10000000000 time you will not loose power due to the lack of back pressure. Your not driving a honda. Its been talked about countless times on here at least once a month. What matters is exhaust velocity and Scavenging i think i spelled that last on wrong but you get the point.
I wouldn't drive with open headers for too long, you might damage your 02 sensors. Definately don't go WOT until you get the rest of the exhaust put on. If you can time it such that you drive with open headers for the least amount of time.
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on my old lt1 camaro, i drove around with open headers and it just felt slow, accelerating wise. i put on my y-pipe and it helped quite a bit, the next day i had the exhaust put on and wow. so it will effect your power, and it will definatly effect your o2 readings. the worst thing that could really happen is that the car will burn out the o2's and then you would run in close loop.
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Originally Posted by KilerTA
Your gunna run pig rich lol i did it for like 30 miles it was fun also your gunna lose some power due to loss of back pressure just my 2 cents
loss of power, yes until tuned! but til then... you'll lose what you will gain with a full exhaust and tuned w/ a full bolt on car.
11 Second Club
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,524
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From: The South
I ran open headers for a few weeks on my Z28 a few years ago. Didn't have crap for power due to running so rich...little too rich to be safe IMO...
I tried having an 18" section of pipe made to attach to each collector in order to keep outside air from contaminating the O2s, but you can't fit one on the driver's side without having it bent. You knwo where the stock Y-pipe is squished for clearance? You can't put a pipe straight off that because of hte floorboard. I would suggest not driving very much with open headers, or finding a way to get extensions on there and keep it from being so rich.
I tried having an 18" section of pipe made to attach to each collector in order to keep outside air from contaminating the O2s, but you can't fit one on the driver's side without having it bent. You knwo where the stock Y-pipe is squished for clearance? You can't put a pipe straight off that because of hte floorboard. I would suggest not driving very much with open headers, or finding a way to get extensions on there and keep it from being so rich.
Originally Posted by Tainted
if cold air goes abck up the pipes it can and will **** **** up so i advise against it
It goes rich because of the loss of backpressure and the o2's might read lean...But a tune fixes all that.
11 Second Club
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,524
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From: The South
Originally Posted by Tainted
if cold air goes abck up the pipes it can and will **** **** up so i advise against it
That never seems to happen with headers. By the time the engine is warm the headers are too, and any air traveling up the headers to get to the internals is warmed by the time it gets there. Now, if you run no manifolds or headers at all, that might be problem.
I'm running open headers right now. I have to wait until wednesday after noon to get my duals put on. Open headers is ok but i wouldnt go WOT. I havent and will not go WOT
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 61
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From: Around chicago
I just posted on bayareass thread about this... i drove my 65 nova for about 8 months with open headers... in chicago none the less where one day its 80 out and the next its 30. Now thats carburated so no computer to have to retune. The engine is currently apart for a new cam, valves are fine and that was roughly 8months of daily to and from school. (ask my neighbors they love me hahaha im lucky to live on a block where every other house has some sort of hot rod!) But properly tuned it actually made more power open than with the full exhaust. Same as my ls1 tuned it makes more power with open headers. Look at any NHRA class most all are open headers why cause it makes more power! But on the street it does get annoying and start to cost money after tickets lol
