Best Headers for $$$$ BBK,HOOKER

**jsremmos** · 11-03-2009, 11:41 PM

Ive got to check out this frost tune... It sounds like a good idea. Ok and I think Ive finally made up my mine know Ima make my own headers... I have a bunch of stainless steel tubing at my shop and Ive bean working with pipe and pipe fabrication for years so I just dont think i trust anyones attention to detail more than mine. Ive made all types of headers and manifolds before (gas pipe, oil pipe ect.) I won 1st plase in a miller pipe welding comp in Dallas. Ive just never built any automotive headers. So lets see how I do. The Y pipe is a peace of cake but I think I am going to run my own true duals. Ive been dong alot of reading on TD's for the LS1 and the sound about right for my tastes. Not to slam anyone but I got a chance today to see some main stream LT's today and I gotta be honest the welds looked like crap. And the guys on ebay are having probs with there freakin egr's just falling off... but they are tig welded... that shouldnt be possible short of beating it with a hammer

not saying that any of them do not know what the are doing because its apperent they do but I just want to slap some sick ass welds on them

**importhater81** · 11-04-2009, 03:21 AM

Originally Posted by pewterz55

sounds good importhater. you take any emmisions test in chicago with your setup yet? or wat are your plans for that?

and to the OP also ive read into the ebay headers alot. seems like everyone on here is satisfied with em, and a lot of people are running them. im gonna play it safe and go with pacesetters though. ive always felt u get what u pay for so im gonna drop a lil extra $ on em.

I have two options with emissions,o2 simulators or send out the pcm to be tuned,either way there is a way around emissions.

**importhater81** · 11-04-2009, 03:39 AM

Originally Posted by mitchiels1

ok....i know im new here and all but when you guys say you got headers, that means you replaced the y pipe too right?...because to me it looks like the y pipe is the most restrictive part...

and as far as headers and a handheld tune netting you almost a whole second in the 1/4...is this true? Are the factory manifolds that restrictive, is there THAT MUCH to be had in the factory tune? Or is this just total B.S? Im new to the whole LSx thing, but definitely not to modding cars...no disrespect importhater81....im just trying to get the facts straight...because if this is the case, my camaro has ran a 13.1 with just an SLP lid and magnaflow cat back and i've only had it to the track twice...so if i put headers, a y pipe and get a tune....i would be looking at a low 12.0s-12.2s car?

No B.S. best run stock was 13.5 at joliet back in August,was about 80 degrees air temp.Car already had a slp loudmouth exhaust on it,sorry I left that out.I bought the headers after that run,installed them on the car,went back and ran 13.2s all 4 runs I made and again at route 66 air temp was about 70.After that bought the programmer ran at Byron and ran 12.67,temp that day was in the low 50s,so maybe that had something to do with it,but I don't think that much.Bottom line is the factory tune in an f-body sucks,That is why vetts from the same years with the same engine have a higher hp rating,along with the b.s. factor as well

**Frost** · 11-04-2009, 09:25 AM

The vette's tunes are conservative as well; the cars are just lighter and a shade better at slicing through the air. To see REALLY conservative factory tuning, have a look at this graph of an 09 LS3 vette and see what it picked up: http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123501

**jsremmos** · 11-04-2009, 12:03 PM

Sooooooo.... Frost. what do you think you could get out of my car????? I have a 2001 trans am ws6 with all the free mods its a A4 and I am soon to be putting on headers 3/4 and true duals 2 1/2. Im starting the project tomorrow. So how does it work do I just PM you with my specs and you make a custom tune. Sounds like a good price but on average what is the HP return on your tune. Could you screw with my tanny cause it feels like It shifts to slow...

**mitchiels1** · 11-04-2009, 03:10 PM

my plans are to do a set of headers and a y pipe and a custom tune with HP tuners. I have a guy that tuned my GTP with HP tuners and he said he would do the Camaro too. How much HP can i expect with these mods? I also would like to know how thick the flanges are on the pace setters and BBKs because my main concern is that i dont want them to leak...and these 2 seem to be the most used "budget header."

**Speed_kills_WS6** · 11-04-2009, 05:50 PM

I have BBK's. Fitment is excellent. had them for 6 months now, no problems. love em.

**mitchiels1** · 11-04-2009, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by Speed_kills_WS6

I have BBK's. Fitment is excellent. had them for 6 months now, no problems. love em.

what about the y pipe?...i noticed on the SLPs and the pace setters the y pipe is still crushed a bit (maybe this is why people dont run the pace setter y pipe). Is the BBk on the same way?

**35th-ANV-SS** · 11-04-2009, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by importhater81

No B.S. best run stock was 13.5 at joliet back in August,was about 80 degrees air temp.Car already had a slp loudmouth exhaust on it,sorry I left that out.I bought the headers after that run,installed them on the car,went back and ran 13.2s all 4 runs I made and again at route 66 air temp was about 70.After that bought the programmer ran at Byron and ran 12.67,temp that day was in the low 50s,so maybe that had something to do with it,but I don't think that much.Bottom line is the factory tune in an f-body sucks,That is why vetts from the same years with the same engine have a higher hp rating,along with the b.s. factor as well

What was your 60' time and what tires are you running?

**Speed_kills_WS6** · 11-04-2009, 09:05 PM

No, the y-pipe was nice and fat. No flattened part anywhere.

**importhater81** · 11-05-2009, 12:34 AM

Originally Posted by 35th-ANV-SS

What was your 60' time and what tires are you running?

60' was 1.923 on stock goodyear 275/40/17 f1 eagles.1/8-8.194 at 88.02mph and 1/4 was 12.674 at 109.51mph.

**redbird555** · 11-05-2009, 04:51 AM

The flanges on my bbks look to be 3/8" I bought mine used and they are chromed so have turned a blueish near the top. No rust as of yet and I must say the blueing when polished looks pretty bad ass under the hood lol.
Dan-

**Frost** · 11-05-2009, 06:04 AM

Originally Posted by jsremmos

Sooooooo.... Frost. what do you think you could get out of my car????? I have a 2001 trans am ws6 with all the free mods its a A4 and I am soon to be putting on headers 3/4 and true duals 2 1/2. Im starting the project tomorrow. So how does it work do I just PM you with my specs and you make a custom tune. Sounds like a good price but on average what is the HP return on your tune. Could you screw with my tanny cause it feels like It shifts to slow...

Mail order tuning is a lot of bang for your buck, particularly with headers and an auto. The autos pick up over a MPH in the 1/4 just getting rid of tq mngmnt, and that's before any of the HP tuning. Every car is different, but 12-20rwhp (NOT 'K&N HP') on a boltons car is norm. You get lowered fan temps, greatly improved shifting, slight bump in cruise fuel economy, and improved knock handling as well.

Just shoot me a PM or click on the link in my signature.

**Fabian** · 11-05-2009, 07:49 AM

Frost just tuned my cammed/stalled Z28. It runs awesome.
BTW Frost, I've referred a few local guys from New Mexico/El Paso are to ya. Hopefully they'll be contacting you soon

Oh and to answer the original question, I dig my Pacestters. I've also had experience with LPP and they are very nice as well.

**jsremmos** · 11-05-2009, 09:20 AM

OK cool... soon as I get these headers in ill PM ya

**Spaz** · 11-05-2009, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by jsremmos

HOLLY SHIT

i was just in the ebay header section on this site and everyone was talking about them.... the are ss headers for 189 shipped. i am a steel fabricator and tig welder I know how exspensive stainless is and it freakin lasts for ever.. to importhater81 ima eat my shorts you are right i dont give a damn if they fall apart in two years but they wont there stainless steel. this is un beatable

$220.00 had mine shipped to my door...

for the OP tuned length isn't some magical thing that makes more power over other headers... read reviews from others about the headers they have instead of falling for market gimmicks...

**jsremmos** · 11-05-2009, 11:58 PM

Originally Posted by Spaz

$220.00 had mine shipped to my door...

for the OP tuned length isn't some magical thing that makes more power over other headers... read reviews from others about the headers they have instead of falling for market gimmicks...

I dont think Ive ever followed a marketing gimmick in my life... Thats why I had asked If there was a power gain in tuned VS un-tuned. Anyways I decided to make my own anyways... Im almost finished and then im going to run my true duals in a month or so. Im going to use 3" Stainless prossess tubing.I have a hole bunch left over from one of the contracts I just finished Ill post pics soon

**jsremmos** · 11-06-2009, 12:13 AM

I also ordered the ebay SS headers to pull some angles from them to speed my fitting( DNA,Option,ect Headers are all the same manufacture). I spoke with them and Im going to be building the custom Y pipe for them. Shouldnt take me long and then these headers will be able to be picked up as a set (header & Y pipe)

**Frost** · 11-06-2009, 03:19 AM

Originally Posted by jsremmos

I dont think Ive ever followed a marketing gimmick in my life... Thats why I had asked If there was a power gain in tuned VS un-tuned. Anyways I decided to make my own anyways... Im almost finished and then im going to run my true duals in a month or so. Im going to use 3" Stainless prossess tubing.I have a hole bunch left over from one of the contracts I just finished Ill post pics soon

What is "prossess tubing" ?

**Spaz** · 11-06-2009, 05:15 AM

all long tube headers are going to give gains that are very close to each other... the collector (imo) and the tube size is more important that tuned length...