How much do headers affect the air/fuel ratio?
How much do headers affect the air/fuel ratio? I want to make sure I understand this correctly before I go through with it. From what I have read on here headers richen the fuel, I just dont know by how. I have the superchips tuner, which leans out the fuel a little. I would think that I can run headers with superchips with out any ill effects. I am right or wrong on my assumption.
headers affect your AFR heavily....you have to remember how better breathing your car is going to be....the o2s are right there next to the collectors....and superchips just doesnt do the job....your not going to be able to go into each fuel cell on a AFR chart like you can on efi live....it will run rich without a PROPER tune
I know that superchips doesnt compare to efi live or hptuners. My question is if I can still run headers with superchips without any problems. I will get a pro tune after a stall and cam go in but for right now all I have is superchips.
TECH Regular
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 427
Likes: 0
From: Ellicott City MD
Originally Posted by HossZ28
I know that superchips doesnt compare to efi live or hptuners. My question is if I can still run headers with superchips without any problems. I will get a pro tune after a stall and cam go in but for right now all I have is superchips.
I have some what the same issue. I can almost afford to do headers and what not. I just cant afford the tune.
your going to burn out o2 sensors left and right....can you afford that?....
fellas you really should have accounted for the fact that its a good idea to get the tune with the headers, thats not smart planning but it is your car....
your going to be very upset with your cars performance if you cant get a proper tune
fellas you really should have accounted for the fact that its a good idea to get the tune with the headers, thats not smart planning but it is your car....
your going to be very upset with your cars performance if you cant get a proper tune
I'm really happy that I got a tune from Slowhawk after headers. He also disabled my speed limiter, disabled the annoying 1-4 skip shift CAGS crap, and I got a nice dyno print out. What more could you want. 
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Originally Posted by BlackHawk T/A
Over a year here with longtubes, stock O2's and no problems. Of course it would pick up power with a tune though. Lost 1mpg from the headers.
You wont have a problem with superchips. I went with longtubes for a half a year or more before I had a cam installed and got it tuned. I was definitely running rich during that half year.
Staging Lane
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 99
Likes: 0
From: groton, ct
well i just did the exhaust from headders back and its sputtering and people have told me fuel filter, spark plugs and o2 sensor. i changed the fuel filter and it is still studdering, the sel came on and said o2 that i just replaced a month ago. is it a tune problem???????
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 563
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Interesting thread.
I put MAC headers and cat y pipe on my car. No tune. I lost bottem end torque and only picked up a bit of HP on the top. I was dissapointed to say the least. Lots of work for no real gains.
We have a local dyno sniffer test in our area. I have the sniffer results before the header install. The levels were very very low. My car was clean. After the header install my car failed. All the levels measured shot way up. I could not find a local shop that could tune, so I swapped the old exhaust back in. The headers I took off were covered in a thick layer of black soot. The car was very rich. After the car passed with the stock exhaust and with the same very low levels.
What did I learn:
1) don't bother with mids, get LTs
2) get a tune, even if you have to buy HP Tuners/EFI Live
3) Get quality cats like Mangnaflow - OE generic cats are **** - they are efficent enough not to set off SES codes, but not effective enough to pass sniffer tests.
Before I took the headers off, I had a shop drill holes in the Y pipe before and after the cat and measure the efficency. The new MAC cats were only about 50 to 60% efficient. They told me you need atleast 70% or even higher for an OBD II car.
I put MAC headers and cat y pipe on my car. No tune. I lost bottem end torque and only picked up a bit of HP on the top. I was dissapointed to say the least. Lots of work for no real gains.
We have a local dyno sniffer test in our area. I have the sniffer results before the header install. The levels were very very low. My car was clean. After the header install my car failed. All the levels measured shot way up. I could not find a local shop that could tune, so I swapped the old exhaust back in. The headers I took off were covered in a thick layer of black soot. The car was very rich. After the car passed with the stock exhaust and with the same very low levels.
What did I learn:
1) don't bother with mids, get LTs
2) get a tune, even if you have to buy HP Tuners/EFI Live
3) Get quality cats like Mangnaflow - OE generic cats are **** - they are efficent enough not to set off SES codes, but not effective enough to pass sniffer tests.
Before I took the headers off, I had a shop drill holes in the Y pipe before and after the cat and measure the efficency. The new MAC cats were only about 50 to 60% efficient. They told me you need atleast 70% or even higher for an OBD II car.
Launching!
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 206
Likes: 0
From: Florida
I'm running Kooks LTs, Magnaflow cats and Corsa with a tune from before these things were added and it runs great. 3 days after the install I threw a code for "Bank 1 +2 too rich", but cleared it out and it hasn't come back since (2 weeks).
I've already lined up a retune so I can get the most out of them, but yours should run fine in the meantime.
I've already lined up a retune so I can get the most out of them, but yours should run fine in the meantime.
ive had LT's ory magnaflow/cutout since feb of 06. and i have had no problems with anything. i picked up 2-3 tenths average with the LTs and ORY. im sure a tune wouldnt hurt anything tho. and i would say it might be a bit more rich but hardly noticeable.