LPP header For sale?
#1
LPP header For sale?
By chance dose anyone have a passenger side LPP header for sale? Mine is leaking again for the 3rd time and I am getting sick and tired of this. For those who may not have seen the original post here it is with pics. https://ls1tech.com/forums/lt1-lt4-m...er-w-pics.html
It's just in a really bad spot and the welds seem to keep failing. The only way it can be welded is through the damn collector. I know he will PM me if he see's this again but I am freakin over it. For what I am having to spend in new plugs, down time, NEW ENGINE WEAR, and O2's I could have just bought another companies set.
It's just in a really bad spot and the welds seem to keep failing. The only way it can be welded is through the damn collector. I know he will PM me if he see's this again but I am freakin over it. For what I am having to spend in new plugs, down time, NEW ENGINE WEAR, and O2's I could have just bought another companies set.
#2
Dude, one of my LPP headers also had an improperly placed merge spike. Take a freakin look!
I had the same issues and emailed Carl and never got anywhere. I bought my set late in the first run and did not even notice the bad merge spike till months later (they were not put onto the car right away). I think Carl is out of business considering there are a million LPP knock offs on eBay now.
Now you can see my merge spike was off on one of the primaries but unlike yours the spike over lapped one of my primaries (top right tube in the pic) whereas from your pics the spike not only over lapped 1 or 2 of your tubes but came up short on the one you could see the light through.
I never did any tests on my bad header. But I don't think I could have seen any light through mine. My worry was that the portion of the spike sticking out would obstruct the flow of exhaust gas - I NEVER thought it may actually leak. Now I thinking it must be leaking for sure! If the four primaries are only sealed by the weld on the four corners of the merge spike - well, I only have 3 welded sides on mine. FURTHERMORE, I'm thinking because this spike is probably hollow, the fact it sticks out into the path of the exhaust gas likely means its actually snagging the gas and forcing it out through the center of the four primaries :S That would seem even WORSE than your exposed opening...
My car stinks. It always has. But I never attributed it to an exhaust leak b/c I don't run a cat so when the car is on it smells and at stop lights the exhaust can travel to the front, through the windows, etc (its running too rich also). Second, I have a valve cover breather and even on my old engine I found the minute I installed that I could catch a faint smell of exhaust coming through the vents at a stop.
SORRY FOR LONG POST - what I'm dying to know is how come an exhaust leak is so bad (apart from the annoyance of it smelling)?
I read your other thread and don't understand why your tuner had problems tuning your car with such a small leak? (how he even noticed it?)> I'm assuming if I had a leak my tuner would be able to see something wrong?
Even with a small leak your header is total garbage? Why? EDIT: nevermind, I spotted your post about the O2 sensors thinking it was running lean and over compensating on fuel. This blows. I mean, I'm pretty sure my car is running rich. By plugs don't seem to look too bad, plus there's no cats so it really stinks. I'm running a mail order tune which I figured would probably be on the rich side anyways to be safe... guess I will just have to pray that when I do get to dyno tune it isn't an actual leak.
But again, I don't see how it can't be leaking If I need 4 welds to seal the 4 primaries, I clearly only have 3. LPP/SS AUTOCHROME quality for you. That's what we get for taking a $550 gamble?
I had the same issues and emailed Carl and never got anywhere. I bought my set late in the first run and did not even notice the bad merge spike till months later (they were not put onto the car right away). I think Carl is out of business considering there are a million LPP knock offs on eBay now.
Now you can see my merge spike was off on one of the primaries but unlike yours the spike over lapped one of my primaries (top right tube in the pic) whereas from your pics the spike not only over lapped 1 or 2 of your tubes but came up short on the one you could see the light through.
I never did any tests on my bad header. But I don't think I could have seen any light through mine. My worry was that the portion of the spike sticking out would obstruct the flow of exhaust gas - I NEVER thought it may actually leak. Now I thinking it must be leaking for sure! If the four primaries are only sealed by the weld on the four corners of the merge spike - well, I only have 3 welded sides on mine. FURTHERMORE, I'm thinking because this spike is probably hollow, the fact it sticks out into the path of the exhaust gas likely means its actually snagging the gas and forcing it out through the center of the four primaries :S That would seem even WORSE than your exposed opening...
My car stinks. It always has. But I never attributed it to an exhaust leak b/c I don't run a cat so when the car is on it smells and at stop lights the exhaust can travel to the front, through the windows, etc (its running too rich also). Second, I have a valve cover breather and even on my old engine I found the minute I installed that I could catch a faint smell of exhaust coming through the vents at a stop.
SORRY FOR LONG POST - what I'm dying to know is how come an exhaust leak is so bad (apart from the annoyance of it smelling)?
I read your other thread and don't understand why your tuner had problems tuning your car with such a small leak? (how he even noticed it?)> I'm assuming if I had a leak my tuner would be able to see something wrong?
Even with a small leak your header is total garbage? Why? EDIT: nevermind, I spotted your post about the O2 sensors thinking it was running lean and over compensating on fuel. This blows. I mean, I'm pretty sure my car is running rich. By plugs don't seem to look too bad, plus there's no cats so it really stinks. I'm running a mail order tune which I figured would probably be on the rich side anyways to be safe... guess I will just have to pray that when I do get to dyno tune it isn't an actual leak.
But again, I don't see how it can't be leaking If I need 4 welds to seal the 4 primaries, I clearly only have 3. LPP/SS AUTOCHROME quality for you. That's what we get for taking a $550 gamble?
Last edited by DVS LT1; 11-12-2010 at 08:08 PM.
#3
TECH Senior Member
iTrader: (8)
Who in the hell sells one header? LOL.
If they're junk and they wont fix them, throw them in the trash and buy another set.
It's a shame, I thought the set we put on a friends car were badass and very high quality, but I guess they have no QC, or customer service over there.
If they're junk and they wont fix them, throw them in the trash and buy another set.
It's a shame, I thought the set we put on a friends car were badass and very high quality, but I guess they have no QC, or customer service over there.
#4
12 Second Club
iTrader: (13)
Who in the hell sells one header? LOL.
If they're junk and they wont fix them, throw them in the trash and buy another set.
It's a shame, I thought the set we put on a friends car were badass and very high quality, but I guess they have no QC, or customer service over there.
If they're junk and they wont fix them, throw them in the trash and buy another set.
It's a shame, I thought the set we put on a friends car were badass and very high quality, but I guess they have no QC, or customer service over there.
#6
Dude, one of my LPP headers also had an improperly placed merge spike. Take a freakin look!
I had the same issues and emailed Carl and never got anywhere. I bought my set late in the first run and did not even notice the bad merge spike till months later (they were not put onto the car right away). I think Carl is out of business considering there are a million LPP knock offs on eBay now.
Now you can see my merge spike was off on one of the primaries but unlike yours the spike over lapped one of my primaries (top right tube in the pic) whereas from your pics the spike not only over lapped 1 or 2 of your tubes but came up short on the one you could see the light through.
I never did any tests on my bad header. But I don't think I could have seen any light through mine. My worry was that the portion of the spike sticking out would obstruct the flow of exhaust gas - I NEVER thought it may actually leak. Now I thinking it must be leaking for sure! If the four primaries are only sealed by the weld on the four corners of the merge spike - well, I only have 3 welded sides on mine. FURTHERMORE, I'm thinking because this spike is probably hollow, the fact it sticks out into the path of the exhaust gas likely means its actually snagging the gas and forcing it out through the center of the four primaries :S That would seem even WORSE than your exposed opening...
My car stinks. It always has. But I never attributed it to an exhaust leak b/c I don't run a cat so when the car is on it smells and at stop lights the exhaust can travel to the front, through the windows, etc (its running too rich also). Second, I have a valve cover breather and even on my old engine I found the minute I installed that I could catch a faint smell of exhaust coming through the vents at a stop.
SORRY FOR LONG POST - what I'm dying to know is how come an exhaust leak is so bad (apart from the annoyance of it smelling)?
I read your other thread and don't understand why your tuner had problems tuning your car with such a small leak? (how he even noticed it?)> I'm assuming if I had a leak my tuner would be able to see something wrong?
Even with a small leak your header is total garbage? Why? EDIT: nevermind, I spotted your post about the O2 sensors thinking it was running lean and over compensating on fuel. This blows. I mean, I'm pretty sure my car is running rich. By plugs don't seem to look too bad, plus there's no cats so it really stinks. I'm running a mail order tune which I figured would probably be on the rich side anyways to be safe... guess I will just have to pray that when I do get to dyno tune it isn't an actual leak.
But again, I don't see how it can't be leaking If I need 4 welds to seal the 4 primaries, I clearly only have 3. LPP/SS AUTOCHROME quality for you. That's what we get for taking a $550 gamble?
I had the same issues and emailed Carl and never got anywhere. I bought my set late in the first run and did not even notice the bad merge spike till months later (they were not put onto the car right away). I think Carl is out of business considering there are a million LPP knock offs on eBay now.
Now you can see my merge spike was off on one of the primaries but unlike yours the spike over lapped one of my primaries (top right tube in the pic) whereas from your pics the spike not only over lapped 1 or 2 of your tubes but came up short on the one you could see the light through.
I never did any tests on my bad header. But I don't think I could have seen any light through mine. My worry was that the portion of the spike sticking out would obstruct the flow of exhaust gas - I NEVER thought it may actually leak. Now I thinking it must be leaking for sure! If the four primaries are only sealed by the weld on the four corners of the merge spike - well, I only have 3 welded sides on mine. FURTHERMORE, I'm thinking because this spike is probably hollow, the fact it sticks out into the path of the exhaust gas likely means its actually snagging the gas and forcing it out through the center of the four primaries :S That would seem even WORSE than your exposed opening...
My car stinks. It always has. But I never attributed it to an exhaust leak b/c I don't run a cat so when the car is on it smells and at stop lights the exhaust can travel to the front, through the windows, etc (its running too rich also). Second, I have a valve cover breather and even on my old engine I found the minute I installed that I could catch a faint smell of exhaust coming through the vents at a stop.
SORRY FOR LONG POST - what I'm dying to know is how come an exhaust leak is so bad (apart from the annoyance of it smelling)?
I read your other thread and don't understand why your tuner had problems tuning your car with such a small leak? (how he even noticed it?)> I'm assuming if I had a leak my tuner would be able to see something wrong?
Even with a small leak your header is total garbage? Why? EDIT: nevermind, I spotted your post about the O2 sensors thinking it was running lean and over compensating on fuel. This blows. I mean, I'm pretty sure my car is running rich. By plugs don't seem to look too bad, plus there's no cats so it really stinks. I'm running a mail order tune which I figured would probably be on the rich side anyways to be safe... guess I will just have to pray that when I do get to dyno tune it isn't an actual leak.
But again, I don't see how it can't be leaking If I need 4 welds to seal the 4 primaries, I clearly only have 3. LPP/SS AUTOCHROME quality for you. That's what we get for taking a $550 gamble?
#8
Who in the hell sells one header? LOL.
If they're junk and they wont fix them, throw them in the trash and buy another set.
It's a shame, I thought the set we put on a friends car were badass and very high quality, but I guess they have no QC, or customer service over there.
If they're junk and they wont fix them, throw them in the trash and buy another set.
It's a shame, I thought the set we put on a friends car were badass and very high quality, but I guess they have no QC, or customer service over there.
#9
Fuel in the oil, here we go...
I've got maybe 1,000 miles on my new engine. After about the first hundred miles, following 1hr running with break in oil then a change to regular 10w30, I started to smell gas in my oil. We were getting no codes and there were definitely no miss fires. I'm running a mail order tune from PCMforless, so we figured the tune was likely on the rich side (to be safe). Also, we hoped that maybe the rings had not seated right away and perhaps let some fuel get down into the oil. It did not help that the first drive home with my car & new engine I got stuck in lots of stop and go traffic. I put a few hundred miles on her after the second oil change and the fuel in the oil seemed to be gone. My builder then wanted me to run Rotella 15w40 so we dumped the oil again.
But now I'm worried this damn LPP header was/is my problem (and not my tune or rings). You mentioned jaycenk that you felt your car running like crap? AND you replaced your plugs and got error codes? I'm pretty darn sure my car is running rich - I've got 42lb Ford injectors which in hindsight were probably too big and I know at idle they are probably dumping lots of fuel. But the fact is my engine runs great: since the first start up she's had a very strong and stable idle; there's never any hesitation - throttle response is great. I've never had any codes or misfires. *The car does however seem to smoke. I don't drive her for a week at a time and usually when I take her out that first WOT boot downshifting 3-2 on the freeway and running out 2nd gear usually leaves a cloud of smoke. From the colours it seems to be extra fuel as well as some oil. After one good boot there's no more smoke and she's never smoked at any other time (idle, medium acceleration, etc).
So my question to you or anyone else is if my LPP header was also leaking like yours, and sending a lean signal to my 02 sensor just like yours, would my engine:
- be running like crap? (at idle or accelerating?)
- giving off any error codes?
I started to really wonder so I went out today and pulled one of my plugs from the passenger side cylinders where my suspect LPP header is on. It looks JUST like the one plug I pulled off my driver side after the first few hundred miles when we first picked up fuel in the oil.
What do you guys think? If she was running really rich wouldn't the porcelain just below the tip be black instead of white? The consensus from my previous plug was that it looked ok (and this one looks identical after about 500-700 miles). FYI these are the same new Iridium plugs I put on the engine since initial start up.
Last thing I want to do is drive down to Ohio next spring from F'n Canada to meet my tuner for a dyno dial in only to have him say he can't b/c one of the 02 sensors is picking up this false lean...
PS - this is not a silly thread to have started. IF I ever got new headers I'd be happy to GIVE away my half-decent driver's side LPP header to anyone who wanted/needed it.
Too bad these bad merge spikes seemed to be from the passenger side. I bet it was one donkey at SSautochrome, during one shift, that screwed these up.
I've got maybe 1,000 miles on my new engine. After about the first hundred miles, following 1hr running with break in oil then a change to regular 10w30, I started to smell gas in my oil. We were getting no codes and there were definitely no miss fires. I'm running a mail order tune from PCMforless, so we figured the tune was likely on the rich side (to be safe). Also, we hoped that maybe the rings had not seated right away and perhaps let some fuel get down into the oil. It did not help that the first drive home with my car & new engine I got stuck in lots of stop and go traffic. I put a few hundred miles on her after the second oil change and the fuel in the oil seemed to be gone. My builder then wanted me to run Rotella 15w40 so we dumped the oil again.
But now I'm worried this damn LPP header was/is my problem (and not my tune or rings). You mentioned jaycenk that you felt your car running like crap? AND you replaced your plugs and got error codes? I'm pretty darn sure my car is running rich - I've got 42lb Ford injectors which in hindsight were probably too big and I know at idle they are probably dumping lots of fuel. But the fact is my engine runs great: since the first start up she's had a very strong and stable idle; there's never any hesitation - throttle response is great. I've never had any codes or misfires. *The car does however seem to smoke. I don't drive her for a week at a time and usually when I take her out that first WOT boot downshifting 3-2 on the freeway and running out 2nd gear usually leaves a cloud of smoke. From the colours it seems to be extra fuel as well as some oil. After one good boot there's no more smoke and she's never smoked at any other time (idle, medium acceleration, etc).
So my question to you or anyone else is if my LPP header was also leaking like yours, and sending a lean signal to my 02 sensor just like yours, would my engine:
- be running like crap? (at idle or accelerating?)
- giving off any error codes?
I started to really wonder so I went out today and pulled one of my plugs from the passenger side cylinders where my suspect LPP header is on. It looks JUST like the one plug I pulled off my driver side after the first few hundred miles when we first picked up fuel in the oil.
What do you guys think? If she was running really rich wouldn't the porcelain just below the tip be black instead of white? The consensus from my previous plug was that it looked ok (and this one looks identical after about 500-700 miles). FYI these are the same new Iridium plugs I put on the engine since initial start up.
Last thing I want to do is drive down to Ohio next spring from F'n Canada to meet my tuner for a dyno dial in only to have him say he can't b/c one of the 02 sensors is picking up this false lean...
PS - this is not a silly thread to have started. IF I ever got new headers I'd be happy to GIVE away my half-decent driver's side LPP header to anyone who wanted/needed it.
Too bad these bad merge spikes seemed to be from the passenger side. I bet it was one donkey at SSautochrome, during one shift, that screwed these up.
Last edited by DVS LT1; 06-14-2022 at 10:54 PM.
#12
Fuel in the oil, here we go...
I've got maybe 1,000 miles on my new engine. After about the first hundred miles, following 1hr running with break in oil then a change to regular 10w30, I started to smell gas in my oil. We were getting no codes and there were definitely no miss fires. I'm running a mail order tune from PCMforless, so we figured the tune was likely on the rich side (to be safe). Also, we hoped that maybe the rings had not seated right away and perhaps let some fuel get down into the oil. It did not help that the first drive home with my car & new engine I got stuck in lots of stop and go traffic. I put a few hundred miles on her after the second oil change and the fuel in the oil seemed to be gone. My builder then wanted me to run Rotella 15w40 so we dumped the oil again.
But now I'm worried this damn LPP header was/is my problem (and not my tune or rings). You mentioned jaycenk that you felt your car running like crap? AND you replaced your plugs and got error codes? I'm pretty darn sure my car is running rich - I've got 42lb Ford injectors which in hindsight were probably too big and I know at idle they are probably dumping lots of fuel. But the fact is my engine runs great: since the first start up she's had a very strong and stable idle; there's never any hesitation - throttle response is great. I've never had any codes or misfires. *The car does however seem to smoke. I don't drive her for a week at a time and usually when I take her out that first WOT boot downshifting 3-2 on the freeway and running out 2nd gear usually leaves a cloud of smoke. From the colours it seems to be extra fuel as well as some oil. After one good boot there's no more smoke and she's never smoked at any other time (idle, medium acceleration, etc).
So my question to you or anyone else is if my LPP header was also leaking like yours, and sending a lean signal to my 02 sensor just like yours, would my engine:
- be running like crap? (at idle or accelerating?)
- giving off any error codes?
I started to really wonder so I went out today and pulled one of my plugs from the passenger side cylinders where my suspect LPP header is on. It looks JUST like the one plug I pulled off my driver side after the first few hundred miles when we first picked up fuel in the oil.
What do you guys think? If she was running really rich wouldn't the porcelain just below the tip be black instead of white? The consensus from my previous plug was that it looked ok (and this one looks identical after about 500-700 miles). FYI these are the same new Iridium plugs I put on the engine since initial start up.
Last thing I want to do is drive down to Ohio next spring from F'n Canada to meet my tuner for a dyno dial in only to have him say he can't b/c one of the 02 sensors is picking up this false lean...
PS - this is not a silly thread to have started. IF I ever got new headers I'd be happy to GIVE away my half-decent driver's side LPP header to anyone who wanted/needed it.
Too bad these bad merge spikes seemed to be from the passenger side. I bet it was one donkey at SSautochrome, during one shift, that screwed these up.
I've got maybe 1,000 miles on my new engine. After about the first hundred miles, following 1hr running with break in oil then a change to regular 10w30, I started to smell gas in my oil. We were getting no codes and there were definitely no miss fires. I'm running a mail order tune from PCMforless, so we figured the tune was likely on the rich side (to be safe). Also, we hoped that maybe the rings had not seated right away and perhaps let some fuel get down into the oil. It did not help that the first drive home with my car & new engine I got stuck in lots of stop and go traffic. I put a few hundred miles on her after the second oil change and the fuel in the oil seemed to be gone. My builder then wanted me to run Rotella 15w40 so we dumped the oil again.
But now I'm worried this damn LPP header was/is my problem (and not my tune or rings). You mentioned jaycenk that you felt your car running like crap? AND you replaced your plugs and got error codes? I'm pretty darn sure my car is running rich - I've got 42lb Ford injectors which in hindsight were probably too big and I know at idle they are probably dumping lots of fuel. But the fact is my engine runs great: since the first start up she's had a very strong and stable idle; there's never any hesitation - throttle response is great. I've never had any codes or misfires. *The car does however seem to smoke. I don't drive her for a week at a time and usually when I take her out that first WOT boot downshifting 3-2 on the freeway and running out 2nd gear usually leaves a cloud of smoke. From the colours it seems to be extra fuel as well as some oil. After one good boot there's no more smoke and she's never smoked at any other time (idle, medium acceleration, etc).
So my question to you or anyone else is if my LPP header was also leaking like yours, and sending a lean signal to my 02 sensor just like yours, would my engine:
- be running like crap? (at idle or accelerating?)
- giving off any error codes?
I started to really wonder so I went out today and pulled one of my plugs from the passenger side cylinders where my suspect LPP header is on. It looks JUST like the one plug I pulled off my driver side after the first few hundred miles when we first picked up fuel in the oil.
What do you guys think? If she was running really rich wouldn't the porcelain just below the tip be black instead of white? The consensus from my previous plug was that it looked ok (and this one looks identical after about 500-700 miles). FYI these are the same new Iridium plugs I put on the engine since initial start up.
Last thing I want to do is drive down to Ohio next spring from F'n Canada to meet my tuner for a dyno dial in only to have him say he can't b/c one of the 02 sensors is picking up this false lean...
PS - this is not a silly thread to have started. IF I ever got new headers I'd be happy to GIVE away my half-decent driver's side LPP header to anyone who wanted/needed it.
Too bad these bad merge spikes seemed to be from the passenger side. I bet it was one donkey at SSautochrome, during one shift, that screwed these up.
You need to verify that you are rich!!!
Mine was verified by the tuner during a data log. One bank was perfect and the other was showing lean. I have checked everything else first to make sure it's not an vac leak or intake leak.
Mine runs like crap after I have been running on those plugs for about 1k miles. They start to foul and then I get O2 codes. After I change the plugs it runs great again. The ignition system on these cars is very HOT and you wont see much color change on the insulator. In fact unless you pull a wide open throttle run and then shut it of at the red line and then check the plugs, you can't look at anything on the plug as to how the engine is running except for Heat range and for any metal from an internal engine problem.
My suggestion is to check the headers on a cold start. This is how I found my leak. I start the engine and then jump under the car and shove my hand in between the primary pipes at the collector and check to see if I feel any air escaping from the collector. This is how I have found the leak 3 times now. I just dropped my header off to the welder again. Same spot all 3 times.
If you take the header off and point the primaries side of the collector to the sun and look up the collector you should see light. It looks like my weld blew out so we will try again. Lord knows I have enough half sets of gaskets laying around now.
#14
I've never head of "Ground strap" before so you lost me a bit. Ok so if this is bad (if my plugs look bad) the weird thing is my plugs on the driver's side of the car look identical. Does that mean I could have a leak on that side as well? OR, could my tune simply be a little on the rich side to begin with? I do plan to dyno tune next year.
Does it also mean that now after 1k the motor might start running poorly and sending off codes? I've just started to look into data logging equipment in other threads. I found an OBDII connector to USB cable (specifically for OBDI cars) and am researching which software I should get.
I'll try your suggestion of starting her up and then laying down to see if I can feel any exhaust leak (from either side). Would a leak at the flange cause the same thing BTW?
on my 383 I'm running the XFI280cam with AFR 210 comp's. I went with the 42lb injectors in case I decide to add nitrous, otherwise I was going to get the 36lb ford green tops.
Also have the racetronix fuel pump/relay.
Does it also mean that now after 1k the motor might start running poorly and sending off codes? I've just started to look into data logging equipment in other threads. I found an OBDII connector to USB cable (specifically for OBDI cars) and am researching which software I should get.
I'll try your suggestion of starting her up and then laying down to see if I can feel any exhaust leak (from either side). Would a leak at the flange cause the same thing BTW?
on my 383 I'm running the XFI280cam with AFR 210 comp's. I went with the 42lb injectors in case I decide to add nitrous, otherwise I was going to get the 36lb ford green tops.
Also have the racetronix fuel pump/relay.
#15
The ground strap is the part that curves out over the electrode from the plug threads.
I can't say for sure if your plugs are fouled yet but the ground strap looks identical to mine which if I am remembering this correctly the carbon patch should run up to the bend in the ground strap. If it's down by the treads of the plug the heat range of the plug is to hot and if it is covering the ground strap the heat range is to cool BUT if you are dumping to much fuel the ground strap will look like it's to hot but is only being clean off by the excess amount of fuel entering the combustion chamber. I AM NOT A PLUG EXPERT by any means lol but this is what I have been told and read.
If you have a leak at the flange yes it can show up as a false lean because as the exhaust gases from the other cylinders on that bank go through the collector it causes negative pressure on the other pipes and draws in fresh air from any leaks. Then the O2 sees it and causes it to richen up the whole bank.
As far as to how your car will run I don't know I just notice a little less power and I can feel it missing and hesitating. Has far as I am concerned the plugs don't ever look fouled but as soon as I change them it runs fine again but at the same time it is really bad to run the engine with it dumping fuel because of the potential for Premature ring wear and failure as well as the Premature wear or failure of a cam rod or main bearing.
I can't say for sure if your plugs are fouled yet but the ground strap looks identical to mine which if I am remembering this correctly the carbon patch should run up to the bend in the ground strap. If it's down by the treads of the plug the heat range of the plug is to hot and if it is covering the ground strap the heat range is to cool BUT if you are dumping to much fuel the ground strap will look like it's to hot but is only being clean off by the excess amount of fuel entering the combustion chamber. I AM NOT A PLUG EXPERT by any means lol but this is what I have been told and read.
If you have a leak at the flange yes it can show up as a false lean because as the exhaust gases from the other cylinders on that bank go through the collector it causes negative pressure on the other pipes and draws in fresh air from any leaks. Then the O2 sees it and causes it to richen up the whole bank.
As far as to how your car will run I don't know I just notice a little less power and I can feel it missing and hesitating. Has far as I am concerned the plugs don't ever look fouled but as soon as I change them it runs fine again but at the same time it is really bad to run the engine with it dumping fuel because of the potential for Premature ring wear and failure as well as the Premature wear or failure of a cam rod or main bearing.
#16
Got the header back from the welder again. We came up with a plan if this doesn't work again we are going to cut the collector in half so he can get in there with a tig welder and fix it right. Then he will tig the collector back together. I am going to keep a very close eye on it this time, I am tired of spending 100bucks on O2's.