Header Disaster!!!
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
From: Palmdale, CA
Header Disaster!!! ok, the main question is where can i get new O2 sensors and the longer extensions for them??? and what are the best fitting gaskets for the jet-hot LT's???
basically what happened is i had a terrible 20 hour install with the jet hot lt's this weekend. the end result was a terrible running engine with no power!!! i have quite a few exhaust leaks in the header gaskets and collectors, and i did an interesting splice job with my front o2's cuz they were not long enough. everyone is telling me if i fix the o2's and leaks that my car will be badass...hope this is true...
oh, and my damn ABS light is on and i dont know why!!!!
basically what happened is i had a terrible 20 hour install with the jet hot lt's this weekend. the end result was a terrible running engine with no power!!! i have quite a few exhaust leaks in the header gaskets and collectors, and i did an interesting splice job with my front o2's cuz they were not long enough. everyone is telling me if i fix the o2's and leaks that my car will be badass...hope this is true...
oh, and my damn ABS light is on and i dont know why!!!!
TECH Apprentice
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 305
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From: Las Vegas.. back in san jose..
Originally Posted by 12secondDream
ok, the main question is where can i get new O2 sensors and the longer extensions for them??? and what are the best fitting gaskets for the jet-hot LT's???
basically what happened is i had a terrible 20 hour install with the jet hot lt's this weekend. the end result was a terrible running engine with no power!!! i have quite a few exhaust leaks in the header gaskets and collectors, and i did an interesting splice job with my front o2's cuz they were not long enough. everyone is telling me if i fix the o2's and leaks that my car will be badass...hope this is true...
oh, and my damn ABS light is on and i dont know why!!!!
basically what happened is i had a terrible 20 hour install with the jet hot lt's this weekend. the end result was a terrible running engine with no power!!! i have quite a few exhaust leaks in the header gaskets and collectors, and i did an interesting splice job with my front o2's cuz they were not long enough. everyone is telling me if i fix the o2's and leaks that my car will be badass...hope this is true...
oh, and my damn ABS light is on and i dont know why!!!!
I would not splice the O2's b/c they are not long enough, did that on mine and they never worked right after. Just buy the extentions from thunder racing, they arn't that expensive.
Greenfire
Greenfire
Summit carries the extensions too. I got some when I ordered my LT's. They're about $25 a pop. Try the Summit copper header gaskets. You can never blow those out. Just ask for the SBC with LT1 style D ports.
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,023
Likes: 6
From: LT1 land...the "409" of the 90s!
Well the ABS light is probably on because it melted on the passenger header. As many of the wires may have done if not re-routed correctly through the Passenger side Motor mount.
I did my Hooker install in 3 hours. Y-pipe took me about 8 to build from scratch
I did my Hooker install in 3 hours. Y-pipe took me about 8 to build from scratch
I prefer using Stock manifold gaskets, the ones supplied with my hookers burned out in about 2 days, the manifold gaskets I had were on there almost a year untill I had to take off my heads for machining for the bigger springs and guideplates.
Rule of thumb, wanna have a smooth install on parts always have brand new gaskets especially on headers and exhaust manifolds the hottest part of the motor. I would leave the clamps on your collectors on and drive it to an exhaust shop and have them weld them on, if you plan on takin them out in the future make sure you get flanges welded on first so you can un bolt them lata that should take car of the other leaks. Splicing wires just to save money? Guess you will use this site a lil more before you jump in head first into other mods.
Last edited by 97M6Formula; Apr 8, 2005 at 02:42 PM.
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Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
From: Palmdale, CA
yes i have actually worked on cars before, but never on an LT1 or headers. i only spliced the o2s cuz i figured it would work since i didn't know i needed extensions. how greatly do you guys think fixing the O2's will help my car? will i get my power back?
maybe this sounds dumb but i have some fel-pro gaskets here, but they only fit around the port in the head, the header primaries are a little larger, would these still be okay to put on? i am gonna tighten down all the bolts and take it to a muffler shop to fix the leaks in my pipes...
maybe this sounds dumb but i have some fel-pro gaskets here, but they only fit around the port in the head, the header primaries are a little larger, would these still be okay to put on? i am gonna tighten down all the bolts and take it to a muffler shop to fix the leaks in my pipes...
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 362
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You can buy O2 extensions through just about any of the major vendors.
I use Felpro with my Hooker's and haven't had any leak problems for the 4 or so years they have been on this car.
Take your time....you have the worst part out of the way and believe me it will only get easier to take them out and put them back in the future.
You're right....you're probably running like *** because of the exhaust leaks and/or O2's that aren't even working because of a splice job.
I use Felpro with my Hooker's and haven't had any leak problems for the 4 or so years they have been on this car.
Take your time....you have the worst part out of the way and believe me it will only get easier to take them out and put them back in the future.
You're right....you're probably running like *** because of the exhaust leaks and/or O2's that aren't even working because of a splice job.
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 362
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Whoops...didn't see your last post there.
Those gaskets should work. As long as they aren't obstructing the exhaust port on the head you'll be fine.
Yes you'll think it's an entirely new car once you fix the exhaust leaks / bad O2's.
The exhaust leaks are sucking outside air into the header giving the O2's a false lean reading so to compensate you'll dump a ton of fuel to try and richen up the mixture....get those fixed and smile again
Those gaskets should work. As long as they aren't obstructing the exhaust port on the head you'll be fine.
Yes you'll think it's an entirely new car once you fix the exhaust leaks / bad O2's.
The exhaust leaks are sucking outside air into the header giving the O2's a false lean reading so to compensate you'll dump a ton of fuel to try and richen up the mixture....get those fixed and smile again
On The Tree
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 195
Likes: 0
From: Upstate NY
Get some copper header gaskets, dont use anything else. (they make aluminum header gaskets too, but they're not worth the extra $ IMO, copper works just fine) I made the mistake of getting "high performance" gaskets the first time around and they only lasted 2 weeks. After that I got a set of Mr. Gasket copper gaskets for $27.88 from summit, and after almost a year I have yet to have a problem.
Your car should run better when you get the o2 sensors and exhaust leaks fixed, but if it's runnin real bad it could be somthing else as well. Headers produce ALOT more heat under the hood, coated or not, so check all wires to make sure nothing has melted. I had a sparkplug wire melt after just a couple miles of driving, the wire was about an inch away from the header and it melted right through so you gotta be careful.
As for the ABS light, it could be a bad wheel speed sensor or as already said a melted wire. Ive had a bad wheel speed sensor for a while now and just havent gotten around to fixing it, not exactly top priority, the light can get a little annoying though.
Dont be afraid to ask, some people forget this site is for help and advise, not criticism, everyone makes mistakes. Goodluck man, you'll figure it out.
Your car should run better when you get the o2 sensors and exhaust leaks fixed, but if it's runnin real bad it could be somthing else as well. Headers produce ALOT more heat under the hood, coated or not, so check all wires to make sure nothing has melted. I had a sparkplug wire melt after just a couple miles of driving, the wire was about an inch away from the header and it melted right through so you gotta be careful.
As for the ABS light, it could be a bad wheel speed sensor or as already said a melted wire. Ive had a bad wheel speed sensor for a while now and just havent gotten around to fixing it, not exactly top priority, the light can get a little annoying though.
Dont be afraid to ask, some people forget this site is for help and advise, not criticism, everyone makes mistakes. Goodluck man, you'll figure it out.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
From: Palmdale, CA
thanks a lot for the help guys. i ordered the O2 extensions from thunder racing and now i am going to buy new o2 sensors.
this may sound dumb but off hand, does anyone know the cylinder #'s for the spark plug wires? for instance:
engine rear
#? #?
#? #?
#? #?
#? #?
engine front
i had my friend route the new MSD wires while i was doing the headers...i would just like to also make sure he didn't swap a plug wire by accident...
this may sound dumb but off hand, does anyone know the cylinder #'s for the spark plug wires? for instance:
engine rear
#? #?
#? #?
#? #?
#? #?
engine front
i had my friend route the new MSD wires while i was doing the headers...i would just like to also make sure he didn't swap a plug wire by accident...
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 9,339
Likes: 3
From: NYC metro area
Originally Posted by GhostZ
Drivers side front to back: 1,3,5,7
Passenger front to back: 2,4,6,8
Opti top to bottom is 4,6,8,2 and 5,3,7,1
Passenger front to back: 2,4,6,8
Opti top to bottom is 4,6,8,2 and 5,3,7,1
Rear
8 7
6 5
4 3
2 1
Front
I think the numbers are marked on the injectors on the stock injectors as well if you forget while working on the car and don't feel like trekking to the computer to find out.
Originally Posted by GhostZ
Whoops...didn't see your last post there.
Those gaskets should work. As long as they aren't obstructing the exhaust port on the head you'll be fine.
Yes you'll think it's an entirely new car once you fix the exhaust leaks / bad O2's.
The exhaust leaks are sucking outside air into the header giving the O2's a false lean reading so to compensate you'll dump a ton of fuel to try and richen up the mixture....get those fixed and smile again
Those gaskets should work. As long as they aren't obstructing the exhaust port on the head you'll be fine.
Yes you'll think it's an entirely new car once you fix the exhaust leaks / bad O2's.
The exhaust leaks are sucking outside air into the header giving the O2's a false lean reading so to compensate you'll dump a ton of fuel to try and richen up the mixture....get those fixed and smile again
I can vouch for that, thats exactly what happened to my LT1 with splicing the O2's, after the header install. I didn't have a leak thank God but the car was running VERY rich, and gas mileage went way down. It ran "okay", but I could tell something wasn't right with it. I had to hook it up to a friends computer to find out my O2's were way off the mark, one was working "ok" and the other had just gone bonkers. Once I got the extentions on it and NEW O2's the car ran a million times better. Was running maybe a little rich, but fixed that with a tune from CAM.
Greenfire 
yeah what happens is that the pcm is real sensitive to voltage and if you splic and lets say use a butt connector then it changes the voltage and you will never be able to get it right.. Even with extensions it will never be perfect but alot closer...any stupid little thing affects them unfortunetly
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
From: Palmdale, CA
yeah, i sure hope fixing the leaks and getting the new o2's works. i mean the car has last SO MUCH power!!! especially in the bottom end. it's hard to even do a burnout, and its an M6! it feels like it went from a low 14 sec car to a 16 sec car 