The Complete (Hopefully) Header Thread

**tatertot91** · 12-09-2009, 09:05 PM

Buddy on here "redbird555" has the chrome BBK longtubes with their Y
Went in smooth, good clearance, and all bolted up nicely
Hes real happy with them, and for 360 shipped with a y pipe you can't go wrong
Not be ceramic coated or stainless, but the chrome is pretty good, unlike a painted header

**craigsws6** · 12-10-2009, 10:02 AM

good post

**mitchiels1** · 12-11-2009, 05:47 AM

thanks guys. Sounds like Ill be going with BBKs

**Redegal** · 12-17-2009, 07:00 AM

Good thread. I was thinking about headers for my first mod. It looks like if I want to stay emssions freindly with full length I'll nedd a system with cats.

Maybe a dumb question but is there any major disassembly involved in installing long tube headers?

**basballny2** · 12-17-2009, 12:37 PM

not sure what you mean by disassembly, but if you plan on doing the exhaust with the headers your going to need to remove the stock exhaust/manifolds, only cutting that will need to be done is the exhaust over the axel, while your doing them you should also do plugs/wires and if you want the motor mounts......its more time consuming than anything, the headers themselves get held in with 8 bolts.

**redbird555** · 12-17-2009, 01:16 PM

I have the bbk's as stated above and i posted some pics in another thread recently I dont have any complaints they fit like a dream no need to remove the steering linkage they just slide right up. Mine were used and are the chrome finish which has not rusted yet at all they have blued a little bit which is what stainless will do also and imo it looks kinda cool.

**Redegal** · 12-17-2009, 05:20 PM

Originally Posted by basballny2

not sure what you mean by disassembly, but if you plan on doing the exhaust with the headers your going to need to remove the stock exhaust/manifolds, only cutting that will need to be done is the exhaust over the axel, while your doing them you should also do plugs/wires and if you want the motor mounts......its more time consuming than anything, the headers themselves get held in with 8 bolts.

I took a look under the hood today when I was changing the oil and it looks like you can get to all the manifold bolts from up top. The ARH headers with cats look nice. I might get the Loud Mouth cat back while I'm at it. Should be about $2k.

**basballny2** · 12-17-2009, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by Redegal

I took a look under the hood today when I was changing the oil and it looks like you can get to all the manifold bolts from up top. The ARH headers with cats look nice. I might get the Loud Mouth cat back while I'm at it. Should be about $2k.

i wouldnt recomend SLP with headers......

**Redegal** · 12-17-2009, 11:14 PM

Originally Posted by basballny2

i wouldnt recomend SLP with headers......

I think ARH has their version of it I'll have dig up the link.

**Redegal** · 12-19-2009, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by jsremmos

<<<< What ya guys think about these

Nice!

ARH sells the long tubes with cats and Y-pipe but it's all welded together. SLP sells the kit but everything is separate. Which is better?

**basballny2** · 12-19-2009, 10:42 AM

the SLP headers have some clearance issues. If money isnt a concern for you I would go with kooks or ARH, if you want cats get the cats if not an ORY and then choose your exhaust. I would stay away from SLP exhaust with the headers though ESPECIALLY if you dont put cats back on. However, if your set on getting an SLP exhaust try it out, you can always switch out the resonator for magnaflow or dynamax bullets as well as other brands.

**Redegal** · 12-19-2009, 11:10 AM

These look nice too:

http://www.thunderracing.com/catalog...&vid=3&pcid=52

**tatertot91** · 12-19-2009, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by Redegal

These look nice too:

http://www.thunderracing.com/catalog...&vid=3&pcid=52

Which ones?
Dynatech headers are real nice, not a big fan of the collectors, Kooks and ARH are great if you can afford them, hooker and flowtech are a good affordable header and are practically the same (same company), and the JBA and MAC headers are hardly worth looking at IMO. LTs are the best you can get.

**1MileCrash** · 12-21-2009, 12:24 PM

okay...so i have a question on this. i'm digging a little deeper and gettin some prices and whatnot here. here's the deal.

i'm looking at a set of hooker ceramic headers which have the egr hook ups and the O2 bungs on them. the y-pipe that i'm looking at is just a standard y-pipe. i'd like to keep the car with cats on it if possible without having to spend $400 on a catted y-pipe.

could i get a standard y-pipe and install cats on it? i mean...i'm sure that i could...but...would it work as a regular catted y would?

the reason i'm asking is because where i work i can get headers and other stuff 10% off a couple times a year and i'm saving up for headers right now. the only issue is that the ceramic headers that i can get by hooker are egr hookup only...no non-egr...which for me isn't an issue. if i really want rid of the egr i can always get block off plates later.

**tatertot91** · 12-21-2009, 12:41 PM

If you installed cats on a Y pipe it should work
have heard of some throwing codes but its rare

**Too Fast** · 12-22-2009, 04:12 AM

Originally Posted by 1MileCrash

okay...so i have a question on this. i'm digging a little deeper and gettin some prices and whatnot here. here's the deal.

i'm looking at a set of hooker ceramic headers which have the egr hook ups and the O2 bungs on them. the y-pipe that i'm looking at is just a standard y-pipe. i'd like to keep the car with cats on it if possible without having to spend $400 on a catted y-pipe.

could i get a standard y-pipe and install cats on it? i mean...i'm sure that i could...but...would it work as a regular catted y would?

the reason i'm asking is because where i work i can get headers and other stuff 10% off a couple times a year and i'm saving up for headers right now. the only issue is that the ceramic headers that i can get by hooker are egr hookup only...no non-egr...which for me isn't an issue. if i really want rid of the egr i can always get block off plates later.

I don't see why it wouldn't work, since that is all a catted Y is anyway. The people who make them, tho, have made a few so they know where to put the cats. And, an ORY from Hooker is what, almost $175? And convertors are $50-75 each? Then you have the time fabricating and installing your bought convertors. If you want to keep cats on your car, my vote is to just buy a catted Y for the Hooker LTs. I don't know if catted Y-pipes have the downstream O2 sensor bungs, if you want to install those also, another thing to consider.

**1MileCrash** · 12-22-2009, 04:59 AM

Originally Posted by Too Fast

I don't see why it wouldn't work, since that is all a catted Y is anyway. The people who make them, tho, have made a few so they know where to put the cats. And, an ORY from Hooker is what, almost $175? And convertors are $50-75 each? Then you have the time fabricating and installing your bought convertors. If you want to keep cats on your car, my vote is to just buy a catted Y for the Hooker LTs. I don't know if catted Y-pipes have the downstream O2 sensor bungs, if you want to install those also, another thing to consider.

true...true...good points.

**lsgunner28** · 01-08-2010, 07:33 AM

First off, excellent thread Hi-Po, thanks you for doing the research and leg work!
Does anyone have the TSP headers? how do they work and sound? Any ground clearance issues? I'm open to other brands, as long as they are 1 7/8" and coated or stainless and in the $500 range. From there I will probably run true duals. Any feedback will be helpful!

**Hi-Po** · 01-08-2010, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by lsgunner28

First off, excellent thread Hi-Po, thanks you for doing the research and leg work!
Does anyone have the TSP headers? how do they work and sound? Any ground clearance issues? I'm open to other brands, as long as they are 1 7/8" and coated or stainless and in the $500 range. From there I will probably run true duals. Any feedback will be helpful!

I have heard only good things about the TSP headers.

**pajeff02** · 01-15-2010, 04:40 PM

It's time to order up the exhaust -- thanks again Hi-Po for the great write up. I think I have this figured out, but just to be sure... Is the only difference between Kooks "race headers" and "emission headers" (for an '02) whether or not they have a secondary air tube?

I am deleting the secondary air system and rear O2's, and the PCM will be taking a trip to Frost. Therefore, I think I want to go with the headers you posted the pic of in order to gain an extra O2 bung for later use. This would be the 1-7/8" to 3" headers into a catted Y so I stay at least semi-legal. Any known concerns with the Kooks cats?