PCM Diagnostics & Tuning HP Tuners | Holley | Diablo

why do headers / ypipe require a tune?

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Old Mar 3, 2009 | 06:38 PM
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Default why do headers / ypipe require a tune?

Why do F-bodys require a tune when headers and a y-pipe is added, but cars that just have a lid and catback don't? Doesn't the lid and C/B change the back-pressure and intake amounts?
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Old Mar 3, 2009 | 06:47 PM
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They don't REQUIRE a tune per-se but you get one to max your benifits from them. Your catback is still bottle-necked by your manifolds and horribly small stock Y pipe so it's a more dramatic change in flow then a lid and catback. Headers can net 25+ horses but a lid and catback is mor like 5-10.
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Old Mar 3, 2009 | 08:04 PM
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Originally Posted by 1987firechicken
They don't REQUIRE a tune per-se but you get one to max your benefits from them. Your catback is still bottle-necked by your manifolds and horribly small stock Y pipe so it's a more dramatic change in flow then a lid and catback. Headers can net 25+ horses but a lid and catback is more like 15.
correct^

Any time you change the way the air enters the MAF like with an intake you should adjust for it. Headers don't just lower back pressure like with a catback, they scavenge the cylinders for more filling which will throw your tune off drastically.
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Old Mar 3, 2009 | 09:34 PM
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Most of the tuning needs that headers lay down, are about
the degradation of O2 sensor performance (if not simple
deletion). The VE will change some, but at the big end it's
largely ignored. Mistrimming from poor sensor performance,
though, will dog you all over the map (idle problems stick
around into WOT, etc.) and you would like to make the "non-
performance related" tweaks you can, to keep from hurting
performance via the back door.
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Old Mar 3, 2009 | 09:35 PM
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And to delete the rear 02.
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Old Mar 3, 2009 | 10:25 PM
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Think of your engine as an air pump...every time you change something that effects the way it moves air i.e. headers, fast 90, heads, cam...you change the way the engine breaths. Thusly, fine tuning your application after a change increases performance and in this case more hp.
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Old Mar 4, 2009 | 08:46 AM
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thanks for the info guys !
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