Newbie question about Headers....

[del-boy]

Hi guys,

i have a camaro ss 2010, got a magnaflow exhaust with 5'inch tips and its a full exhaust aslo a K&N Filter.

I want to get headers, so i guess my questions are as follow....

1- what kind do you recomend for my existing set up (american racing)?

2- what are the benifits of headers what do they do? performance? sound?

3- are they hard to intall and will they void warrenty?

and lastly...

4- with the set up i have will i need tuning and if so what do you guys recomend?

thanks brothers and sisters! lol

[kcsr6]

1. I would recommend you try to hear some different ones in person so that you can pick the sound you like, i personally have Kooks on mine but my friend has SLP on his and I like the way it sounds too, and have also heard American Racing, just personal preference.

2. Added HP with the proper tune and sound bad ass!!

3. Not to bad to install just time consuming, you need the right tools, a lift would have made it easier but jack stands do fine, and patience don't get in a hurry, and yes they can void the warranty when tuned but i'm wasn't personally worried about it.

4. Absolutely needs to be tuned if not you can throw codes and besides you spent all the money and time installing them you might as well get it tuned to get max benefit.

Hope this helps and good luck!!

[del-boy]

Thanks for the great advice bro!

[ChrisBlair]

You already have header pipes

get some tubular headers

[MoneyMike]

My dad installed SLP headers a few months ago. He also has a Flowmaster exhaust system, which the pipes for that are 3 inches, and ran into connection problems there (the SLP header adapters were made either for either the factory exhaust pipes or their exhaust pipes). He did some cutting, and had a shop do some welding, and it worked fine, just a little too loud for his liking, which he resolved with a few parts from an SLP exhaust kit that goes with the headers and more welding. He does get error codes, so maybe I'll suggest to him kcsr6's idea of tuning it, instead of clearing the error codes and reseting the battery every other time the code pops up.

The differences that I noticed with my dad's Camaro after the installation were the volume (very loud at first, but the noice reduction made it a little more bearable, and it still sounds great) and he has gained an average of 1 mpg afterwards (so much, I know). SLP claims a good 20 hp gain from their headers. My dad tries his best to stay out of trouble in the Camaro...

Just getting the headers on took my dad about a month. But, he works rotating shifts, and has had a few back surgeries, so it takes him a while to do major stuff like this. He spent another month trying to figure out the exhaust stuff.

[mntgome1]

Originally Posted by MoneyMike

Just getting the headers on took my dad about a month. But, he works rotating shifts, and has had a few back surgeries, so it takes him a while to do major stuff like this. He spent another month trying to figure out the exhaust stuff.

[K32 Camaro]

Mainly for performance.

I've heard they all sound the same. (Don't quote me though.)

I do not plan on getting a tune after install, I can deal with a dash light. JUST a light, only down side is you don't get all the hp you could get out of it.

[longbeachss2010]

Kooks lt high flow cats. Muffles delete resonator delete also. Just perfect need now a LG cam to set it off

[DonutSS]

Originally Posted by longbeachss2010

Kooks lt high flow cats. Muffles delete resonator delete also. Just perfect need now a LG cam to set it off

This here is where the problems start... you venture into getting headers after you said that a CAI and axle back would be all you needed. You feel and hear the bump that the headers gives ya and you're out for blood and a cam is all that will satisfy the thirst.. The craziness starts with headers..

Headers changes everything about the car.. and they're changes that you will like alot..

As far as which ones to get, that depends on your budget, I have Kooks and had zero problems installing.. The tune is a must and you'll be glad you spent the extra $500 for a street tune or dyno tune.. a good mail tune from reputable tuner is almost as good.

[ActNup NY]

Hmph !

[TSSUNAMI]

Headers really are the "gateway drug" in the engine mod world I think.

Go with something you can afford that is decent quality. You basically have two tiers of headers. The ones that cost over a grand and the ones that dont. Anything made by a reputable company will serve you well.

Personally I run the cheapest headers on the market right now (Pacesetter Coated LT's with HF cats) They aren't the prettiest, but they fit perfectly according to my installer, sound incredible and I felt the power immediately. I haven't tuned yet, but that's the next mod.

Before headers though I had planned to just work up the exterior mods on my car, and then the suspension. LOL Now that I've done headers all I can think of are power adders. All of a sudden I spend more time looking in the engine mods section of the forums, scoping out the member classifieds for cams/tb's etc. It's a slippery slope brother.

The guy a few posts up nailed it on the head.

It drastically changes your car, and the changes are for the better. My car feels like an animal now.

[VictoryRedRacer]

I started with the CAI and TB and decided to dive into headers and high flow cats. Everyone is right!! Now all I can think about is a cam and supercharger! More addicting than Crack, and probably cost the same, but Damn it's fun!

[M Miller69]

I got stainless works headers and they went on super easy, And they have a lifetime warranty. Kooks or ARE would be my other choices. But they are more $$$$

[S3XPanther]

Just want to add that it's not true that they all sound the "same". They all have a distinct tone that experienced car guys would be able to differentiate between.

ARH has a very nice sound, but is actually too mellow for my taste. Kooks sound the ballsiest to me, almost NASCAR-like. SW is similar to Kooks, but they do not sound the same.