View Poll Results: WILL RUNNING OPEN HEADERS HURT MY MOTOR?
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Will Running Open Lt Headers Hurt My Car???
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From: bentonville, arkansas
Will Running Open Lt Headers Hurt My Car??? this an often debated question and i would like to try to get any info and opinions i can.
i just put ceramic coated Hooker long tube headers on my 2002 ls1 camaro. the motor is currently stock besides the LT's. i haven't got my exhaust for it yet so i was wondering if it would hurt my car to run open headers? not daily driving, just to drive around town a couple of times for fun. i havent had a chance to drive it in three weeks, and its killing me!
i have heard that open headers might hurt the valves but i cant really get a staight answer out of anyone! please post your opinions and any info you. if you do think it will, then explain why.
i just put ceramic coated Hooker long tube headers on my 2002 ls1 camaro. the motor is currently stock besides the LT's. i haven't got my exhaust for it yet so i was wondering if it would hurt my car to run open headers? not daily driving, just to drive around town a couple of times for fun. i havent had a chance to drive it in three weeks, and its killing me!
i have heard that open headers might hurt the valves but i cant really get a staight answer out of anyone! please post your opinions and any info you. if you do think it will, then explain why. 
There are alot of people out there that run open headers for along time before ever getting their exhaust done on their cars. It's the same thing as when you put dual cutouts right behind the headers, so no it won't hurt your car. About the valves, if you run WITHOUT manifolds or headers it will burn your valves up. The manifolds stock create a small vaccum called scavenging that pulls all of the exhaust out of the engine, headers do this ALOT better, quicker, and the exhaust flows alot better and allows yor engine to spin freely. Without that all of the exhaust stays in there and has to wait to be pushed out, therefore making everything work harder to operate. Go for it!!
You have to run front O2 sensors period. The rears are only there to let the ECU know that the cats are in-op. Sims, if you can still find a vendor that has some leftover, are designed for rear O2 positions only.
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From: Miami, Fl. - Hurricane Highway
I ran open headers for a few months, and that was before and after installing my MS3. You don't want to run straight open headers, because on deceleration the headers are going to suck in fresh air and drive the O2s crazy. I just made some bullshit 12" extensions and slipped them on, and the car ran with no problem whatsoever.
-Joel
-Joel
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Your car will run rich as hell because the O2 sensors will be expossed to oxygen making the ECM think the engine is running lean.
And although most people on this board don't care, it's anoying as hell and inconsitterate to others who have to share the roads with us.
Re'
And although most people on this board don't care, it's anoying as hell and inconsitterate to others who have to share the roads with us.
Re'
Yeah that's gonna be insanely loud for daily driving, but if you're doing it for fun, why not! I used to have cutouts at the end of my Lt's and uncapped them every now and then for my friends. It's really funny when you pull up next to a guy on a Harley and drown out the sound of even HIS exhaust. Just watch out for the bacon and have fun!
It won't hurt anything. I may be a little concerned with shorty headers and very cold weather. But with longtubes in arkansas probably not so much.... 
You don't have to use any O2s with the right tuning. My car runs in open loop constantly.
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From: Brooklyn, N.Y.
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There are alot of people out there that run open headers for along time before ever getting their exhaust done on their cars. It's the same thing as when you put dual cutouts right behind the headers, so no it won't hurt your car. About the valves, if you run WITHOUT manifolds or headers it will burn your valves up. The manifolds stock create a small vaccum called scavenging that pulls all of the exhaust out of the engine, headers do this ALOT better, quicker, and the exhaust flows alot better and allows yor engine to spin freely. Without that all of the exhaust stays in there and has to wait to be pushed out, therefore making everything work harder to operate. Go for it!!
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Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Philly
Running open headers may burn out your O2 sensors. You're supposed to run at least ~12"-18" piping off the collectors to be 100% safe. So, I voted "don't to it," because you definitely CAN damage your O2's, which will cost you over $100 in parts, plus labor if you don't want to replace them yourself.
It'll also hurt your performance to run open headers...
So, in short, it may cost you ~$150 or so to do this. Is that worth the risk? If it is, go for it.
Your FRONT O2's are the ones that get burnt. You can't get simulators for them. You need front O2's.
It'll also hurt your performance to run open headers...
So, in short, it may cost you ~$150 or so to do this. Is that worth the risk? If it is, go for it.
Your FRONT O2's are the ones that get burnt. You can't get simulators for them. You need front O2's.
I have O2s also, but all there doing is plugging the holes. My car receives no information from them. It runs a lot smoother too. I was just saying you can ditch them if you wanted and had access to tuning software, then you would never have to worry about them again.