I just put the new hooker long tubes on my car and have some questions. I went for a ride open headers and the car felt like it lost power everywhere. When I get on it it spitts and spudders like it is missing and not burning fuel. It runs fine when I am not on it though except around 900-1400 rpms where it surges like a car with a big cam. Is this because of the o2 sensors are so close to the outside air because the car is running rich (smells like an exxon station and back fires really loud some times)? Does the computer just need to relearn because I have only got about 15 miles on it with open headers(kind of loud). Also, yesterday I got an ses light that was not there when I first started the car up with the headers and ran it the night before and I do have 02 simms. Thanks alot.

 

ttt

 

I've heard you need at least 12-18" of pipe after the O2's for the O2s to get accurate readings. If this is true, you are probably getting screwed-up readings, and thus the computer keeps making inaccurate adjustments for fuel/timing. Hence, the sputtering and so forth.

This is just heresay though, I still have stock manifolds <img src="gr_stretch.gif" border="0">

Dope

 

Well first off, there is no back pressure, that could be the reason your not feeling any torque, but im sure if you romp on it to high rpms you will feel it....the SES light could be from having no 02 sims

 

I do have o2 simms and everywhere in the rpms it spitts and spudders and it doesn't feel more powerful there either. I'm having true duals run tomorow so hopefully everything will just right itself.

 

If this helps any, I drove my dakota r/t to the exhaust shop when to have the y pipe welded and the rest of the exhaust done, with just the open headers, the truck would BARELY move, had my hazards on and was going 45 in a 65. Once the rest of the exhaust was on, it ran like a champ, I wouldn't worry about it, it is most likely from having no back pressure and screwed up O2 readings. Good luck and make sure that you post how you like those headers, everyone is waiting to hear <img src="gr_stretch.gif" border="0"> <img src="graemlins/fluffy.gif" border="0" alt="[Fluffy]" />

 

How did Chris Johnson drive around his firebird with open headers all the time? His car ran pretty damn well.

 

[quote]Originally posted by Red02LS1:
<strong>How did Chris Johnson drive around his firebird with open headers all the time? His car ran pretty damn well.</strong><hr></blockquote>

he had FLP's and he used the offroad pipes as extensions so no cold air got sucked back in and fooled the O2's...thats what it sounds like to me is that you dont have enough pipe after the headers and sounds like air is getting sucked back up and fooling the O2's and thats why yer cars running like crap cause the O2's are fooled so it sends whacky readings to yer comp and the comp does whacky crap too <img src="gr_grin.gif" border="0"> get yerself a y-pipe i bet everything is fixed with that....or some extensions either way.....

 

Guys, I have the exact same headers, and have absolutely NO problems open header, starts, idles and drives fine. It feels a tad wierd beacuse the noise makes me think i am giving it way more gas than i really am and that i should be going faster, but other than that its quite fine...

i dotn see how air could get back into the header when the engine is on, there is a lot of pressure coming out of that collector. maybe at idle there is something to that, but at WOT, no way... i just dont see it.

besides, didnt I read somewhere that the O2s arent used for WOT, Im pretty sure that they are narrowband O2's and that WOT runs too rich for the sensors to be accurate.

is it possible that the Knock sensors are hearing all the noise and retarding the crap out of the timing?

Is it possible that i am monumentaly lucky?

[ January 13, 2002: Message edited by: Freak ]</p>

 

How was install? From the top or bottom, have to jack the motor or take off the steering shaft?

 

Installing the headers was very easy, save having to grind of the casting ear on the driver side of the block. I let everyone know how it goes tomorow at the exhaust shop.

 

Outside air is getting to the 02's giving it false readings and making your car run really rich. Just check your O2's via a-tap and you'll see. Your plugs are probably fouled by now. Get some extensions about a foot long if you want to run open headers.

 

if that realy is the problem I hope my luck stays good, gotta drive it to the exaust place tommorrow, its a good ways away from here

 

Daily AB
Could a plug wire be loose since you took the wires off for the install?, I know you probably checked, but just a thought

 

I don't think my plugs would be fowled so soon. I have only put about 25 miles on the car with open headers. Your suppose to take off the steering shaft but I could not budge the bolt on the rack and pinion and I am not a small guy. So instead I grinded off the casting ear of the engine block. I am almost posative that my plug wires are on fine. Thanks for all of the replies. Install was pretty easy, passenger side goes in easy from underneat and drive side underneat with the oil diverter plate off and block grinded.

 

[quote] he had FLP's and he used the offroad pipes as extensions so no cold air got sucked back in and fooled the O2's. <hr></blockquote>

yes, that is correct. One Night on George Bush Turnpike (here in dallas) he did a WOT run next to me, and one of the v-band clamps came off where the collector mounts the test pipe. his A/F guage went nuts and as I am behind him, I see this nice pretty array of sparks as the test pipe twirls on the pavement. His car did run extreemly terrible after that. The next morning, we went and found it in the median <img src="gr_stretch.gif" border="0">

 

Dude, if your going with the true duals, and are going the X pipe way, dont get 3 inch tubing, get 2 1/2 inch...trust me....you'll lose power with the 3 inch...

 

I found that with my TTS lts that it ran it's best mph. with 3"x10"lg.exts & it also idled smoother.You can get o2 reversion if the sensor is close to collector flange or open air.

 

[quote]Originally posted by Bob Neese:
<strong>I found that with my TTS lts that it ran it's best mph. with 3"x10"lg.exts & it also idled smoother.You can get o2 reversion if the sensor is close to collector flange or open air.</strong><hr></blockquote>

the O2 sensor is almost that far away from the collector on the Hookers, if you go to TByrne's site in the exaust section, you can see the diff in collector lengths and particularly the distance to the O2's its NOTHING on the TTS's, and FLP's dont have much collector, but you cant see the bungs, the hookers have a massive collector compared to them... I'll find out in a few more hours if it really matters on the hookers

 

Freak,
I just got my first good look the Hookers on TByrne's site& i don't think o2 reversion would be a problem. It looks like a good 8-9" after the o2's. Whats with those 3 bolt collector gaskets in the pic? Send them to me because they aren't going to seal much on the Hooker collectors. BOB