question about headers..?

[sswish]

i have a manual ss right now with a cai intake and borla atak catback exhaust and love it but i want to get headers to make it not only louder but add some more power.. so my question are
1. if i do long tube headers would i be fine without a tune or i need a tune with them (i want to keep the warranity)
2. should i have any worries or concerns if i do header without the tune?
3 finally which set of long tube headers would you say sound the loudest/nicest and add the most power without a tune?
thanks

[danhr]

:s earch::sea rch::searc h:


This topic has been discussed in about half the threads on this forum.

[Darth_Emma]

You need a tune if you do LT headers. Not only that, you'll be glad you did. I have a CAI intake, Borla Touring exhaust, and Kooks LT headers... and a tune!

[Hicompression]

You do not need a tune if you put longtubes on. I am running them with no cats, no tune and no check engine light.

There are ways to do it...

[Failsafe Performance]

Originally Posted by Hicompression

You do not need a tune if you put longtubes on. I am running them with no cats, no tune and no check engine light.

There are ways to do it...

But is your A/F ratio optimized for best power?

[blazzin1]

A tune is "recommended". Is it required?....NO, but without it, you "may" get a CEL light, and without it you definitely will not be getting the full benefit of your headers. But before you do anything, you better talk to your dealership about headers if you want to keep your warranty. My dealership said NO headers, or powertrain warranty is void (with or without a tune). Every dealership can be different. Mine just happens to be a douche-bag!!!!

[flyby]

If you are concerfned about your warranty I'd avoid LT's and go with shorties, no where near the noise or HP gain but it will be some and no problem with the warranty.

[TornadoSS]

Tune is not required but recommended as a Check engine light will eventually come (around 300 miles I believe) this would be for the rear O2 sensors (after cats). I ran mine for a couple hundred miles without a tune and did not get a CEL. It did run rich though, as evident by the strong exhaust smell and soot around the exhaust tips. That was with stock air box too. Installing the headers and a tune will likely void your powertrain warranty.

I would go with either ARH or Kooks 1 7/8" headers, it will be money well spent.

[Hicompression]

The front O2 sensors (before the cats) control the A/F ratio. They do the same thing regardless of whether cats are in place or not.

The rear O2 sensors are the ones that check to see if the cats are working. If they sense that something is wrong they will pop a CEL (for emissions purposes). But, again they don't control A/F.

No tune is necessary for running catless (stock tune is fine). You pick up hp gains just from losing the restrictions of the stock manifolds and 4 factory cats. Will a tune pick up even more hp? You bet it will...but is it necessary? No.

[MillerTime]

From my understanding, the rear 02's while they do not directly control A/F they will cause the engine to richen the A/F instead of leaning out.

[KnightRiderSS]

Originally Posted by MillerTime

From my understanding, the rear 02's while they do not directly control A/F they will cause the engine to richen the A/F instead of leaning out.

The downstream sensors are purely there for emissions...

The ECM monitors both...when the oxygen curve is the same between the upstream and downsteam sensors it will throw a CEL telling you catalytic converter isn't running efficiently

[mikeSS]

people look at a fool when they run LTs without a tune... if i wasn't going to tune my car.. it would be cat back ,CAI thats it! you going to have to take the headers off when you go in for a repair... think your warranty wont be voided with LTs without a tune lol ... still will be voided..

[Failsafe Performance]

We have had cars with intake/exhaust mods come in for tuning that were running 14:1+ afr's at WOT on the dyno before tuning. It's definitely wise to get a tune (or, at the very least, check afr on the dyno) when doing any sort of extensive exhaust mods, IMO.

[Outlaw77]

thanks to all for the reply's. I would definetly get the tune with the header package. I was wondering though, I have 94 octance in my area, does the tune with the jenetty package come with a tune for 91 or 93 octane levels?