Time to get Headers!!

[black79ta]

I have been good so WTH!! I already have a flowmaster AMT catback. presently am running flowmaster delete. I am thinking about getting kooks ARH or ?? my brotherinlaw has kooks on his ls2 nova, they are beautiful.

1. should i get hiflow cats? will they make a difference for a NA car?

2. can I use my AMT with whose ever headers i get? what about the part that necks down at the front of the AMT? i guess i will have to modify that to get a 3" dia system.

3. where can I get tuned in St. Louis area?

4, all of you hollow out cats, they dont pass emissions right? can a tune help with that?

thanks

[mikeyg36]

Take a look at Stainless Works. They have great customer support from my experience.

[Apex Motorsports]

I just posted this earlier this evening. Give it a read and let me know if you have any questions afterward.

Choosing The Right Long Tube Headers

[black79ta]

thanks I will give it a read...

[Lil' Nasty]

Originally Posted by mikeyg36

Take a look at Stainless Works. They have great customer support from my experience.

[black79ta]

What about getting a tune in the St. Louis area?

[mikeyg36]

Are you looking for a dyno tune? I don't think that's necessary with just headers.

[black79ta]

From what I've read hear tunes are required to get the most out of your setup, I Also have CAI

[mikeyg36]

Originally Posted by black79ta

From what I've read hear tunes are required to get the most out of your setup, I Also have CAI

There are two different types of tunes: dyno tune and mail order tune.
A dyno tune is where you bring your car to a shop, they put it on a dyno, and they tune it. This is a better tune since it is the most custom, yet it is more expensive and you won't get a lot out of it with just a CAI and headers. A mail order tune is where you buy a handheld tuner that plugs into the OBD-II port and you get a custom file made for your mods by a tuner. This is more convenient and it is easier and cheaper to update when you get new mods. Take a look at some of the tuners on this site such as Tampa Tuning, they'll be able to explain it in more detail.

[SPCBA]

you will get plenty out of a dyno and stree tune with cai and headers...other people are giving you bad info

kooks and arh are the top level... the stainless brand where they make it themselve is pretty popular tho i am not sure of what materials they use. but ya kooks and arh and the stainless are thst top level of headers

[mikeyg36]

Originally Posted by SPCBA

you will get plenty out of a dyno and stree tune with cai and headers...other people are giving you bad info

kooks and arh are the top level... the stainless brand where they make it themselve is pretty popular tho i am not sure of what materials they use. but ya kooks and arh and the stainless are thst top level of headers

What makes you say it's bad info? If he isn't racing or doing substantial mods such as FI or a cam, an email tune will be just fine. If the op has to ask about tuning, he most likely doesn't need a dyno tune (no offense op).

[MOCamaro]

If there's one truth about headers, it's that there is a huge range of opinions about what the best setup is (and the effect on emissions and warranty). That said, I can tell you what I did and what it means in MO.

I'm in St. Louis and just installed Kooks stepped headers, green cats and CAI intake. While the car was up, I took the opportunity to do the skip-shift eliminator too. I haven't gotten a tune yet, but I know there is a shop in St. Charles, MO that has experience with the GM V8s and has posted here before. There may be others.

In Missouri (St. Louis and KC) we only have OBDII emissions testing, so you only need a clean read from your on-board system; no physical inspection is done. With my pre-tune green cats, I'm not only seeing better drive-ability but there is no CEL. In other words, I'll pass OBDII even without a tune. Throw in better gas mileage too. The tune will only make things sweeter. I'm a conflicted tree-hugger (what proper tree-hugger drives a V8 muscle car?) so I like that I can get the hp gains and still do my part to clear the smog. There is always the chance of fit problems with a hand-built item like a long-tube header, but *my* Kooks went in extremely easily and had tons of clearance. Your headers (whichever ones you choose) might be different.

So, definitely get high-flow cats and, if you want to pass emissions even without a tune, get the Kooks green cats, albeit at a premium price. If you don't want to drop the coin on those, you'll need a tune with your high-flows to pass emissions. You'll never pass with gutted cats. Last, there are tuners in St. Louis and I'm sure KC too. If you need some help in the St. Louis area, let me know. I'm no expert, but I've been there and done that

[LeanPocket]

TSP sells 2" headers for about 500$ shipped

[PAUL SS]

You can get an email tune from Jannetty Racing, a sponsor here. His tunes are top notch and really all you need with a cai and headers.