order of mods
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
order of mods If I have plans to order a cam/heads in the future, would it be ok to install long tube headers now with the stock engine, or will they be easier to install when I am putting the heads/cam in? Reason being, I am getting a check engine light for both cats being bad. My mechanic thinks one of the previous owners might have gutted the cats, since both downstream o2s are new and what are the odds of both cats going bad? I was going to just throw in some long tubes with an ORY, and go to a local tuner to remove those downstream o2 codes, but if I have plans for heads/cam in the future should I wait it out or is it ok to go ahead now?
Unless you are doing heads very soon I would just do the headers and intake and have it tuned. Then you can have a bit more fun until you head and cam it. If you then want to cam it you can do that with out taking the headers back off. When you go to do the heads you will have to disconnect the headers.
Those cat's are gutted, either smack with something and see if sounds hollow or use infrared gun on them and they should be hotter than any other exhaust pipe.
I did my Longtubes a year ago, had shop run true duals two months later, and I just finished installing new 241 heads month ago (didn't plan on those at first but saw problems with my originals) when I installed my 228R Cam. I ran a month on my longtubes untuned before Frost tuned out rear o2's. The biggest problem is a lot of people get the problem because the upper O2 Sensor is too far away from the motor and closer to the collector. Can't remember the code it trips but this is a big problem because you're car needs the upper ones for air/fuel ratio. I installed BBK Longtubes and I had the code thrown once directly after I installed the longtubes, erased it and never seen the code a year later.
The headers made removing and installing my heads much easier. But all in all I don't regret the route I took. But if you're going to install h/c down the road make sure you have about 500 dollars to spare after you bought everything. I originally planned on doing just a cam, ended up installing new heads because previous owner replaced a head and my two did not match at all, then I had harmonic balancer bolt freeze and snap off inside the crank when I was removing it. But GL either way you choose.
I did my Longtubes a year ago, had shop run true duals two months later, and I just finished installing new 241 heads month ago (didn't plan on those at first but saw problems with my originals) when I installed my 228R Cam. I ran a month on my longtubes untuned before Frost tuned out rear o2's. The biggest problem is a lot of people get the problem because the upper O2 Sensor is too far away from the motor and closer to the collector. Can't remember the code it trips but this is a big problem because you're car needs the upper ones for air/fuel ratio. I installed BBK Longtubes and I had the code thrown once directly after I installed the longtubes, erased it and never seen the code a year later.
The headers made removing and installing my heads much easier. But all in all I don't regret the route I took. But if you're going to install h/c down the road make sure you have about 500 dollars to spare after you bought everything. I originally planned on doing just a cam, ended up installing new heads because previous owner replaced a head and my two did not match at all, then I had harmonic balancer bolt freeze and snap off inside the crank when I was removing it. But GL either way you choose.
Trending Topics
Headers also made sparkplug swaps a night and day difference easier! Just a thought if you run like ngk tr55s and need to swap them out more often, rather than running some platinum's.
You asked about tuning, once your first tune is done most tuner's have already bought a license on your car. Going back to them is usually pretty cheap and inexpensive for a quick change. ie: deleting rear o2 sensors. Headers you do not need a dyno tune if your tuner knows their ls1's. Heads and Cam... dyno tune, so either way you're going to spend money on tuning unless you want to go without tune on headers.
You asked about tuning, once your first tune is done most tuner's have already bought a license on your car. Going back to them is usually pretty cheap and inexpensive for a quick change. ie: deleting rear o2 sensors. Headers you do not need a dyno tune if your tuner knows their ls1's. Heads and Cam... dyno tune, so either way you're going to spend money on tuning unless you want to go without tune on headers.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Staging Lane
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 78
Likes: 0
From: chicago
just go ahead and drop in the headers, if you cant tune the codes out yourself and you want some extra performance, get a frost tune. id get one for bolt ons, but would definitely want a dyno tune for anything farther than bolt ons