I was glancing through the Jegs catalog for the seventeen-trillionth time the other day and noticed that on some of the headers they were labelled as "Gas Saving". I checked around here on the internet and noticed that it's an arugeable subject. What's everyones opinion on headers and gas mileage?

 

Well, your making you engine more efficient by letting it "breath" better. This is why headers and an intake are a couple of good corresponding mods.

 

You could also argue the "theory" that by increasing the engine's HP, it would therefore not have to work as hard to get/keep your car moving, so you could maybe see better mileage??

I'll be installing headers on my car within the next couple months (they should be arriving by next week!! ) so I'm curious to see if there will be a difference ..... although, come to think of it, that'll be hard to gauge, since I'm going to be swapping gears to 3.90's before then ... ok nevermind?!!

BUT, I know with my old '81 Z28, when I built the 383 for it and put it in, the car was actually getting better mileage ("normal" driving) than the 350 that it replaced in the car! The 350 wasn't the factory original, but the 383 certainly out-performed it by a long shot, and yet the mileage was noticably better! So that sort of formed my "power/weight" theory .

 

After installing my long tubes, I did indeed notice an increase in my average gas mileage. However, if you can't keep your foot of the accelerator pedal after putting on those nice headers, you won't notice very much fuel savings.

 

Since it looks like they do improve gas mileage, and not to hi-jack your thread, but I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one VERY familar with the Jeg's catalog. I think it's sad but if you ask me to find an item I think I could, within one page, turn right to where it's at.

 

After my LT install the fuel mileage went thru the floor... THEN I got it tuned. I had better mileage w/ a tune and the LT's than I did before the install.

 

Yes, a tuneup while your in there(plugs, wires, fuel filter, air filter, O2 sensors) and a tune will definitely improve hp and mpg. Just do O2 sensors about a week after you install the headers because there is a coating on the inside of the headers that will burn off and foul the sensors. If you really want improved mpg and hp, you can change out your coil(LTX) or coils(LSX) and/or optispark, it needed, and change your fluids to synthetic.

 

Huh.. I never heard of the O2 sensor fouling due to the burnt coating. I think I'll get a set of o2's this check. My gas mileage sux! 160miles to a tank. -good mix of city and HW.

The opti, no idea there. The coils in general are designed to last. Replacing them might be a waste of money on an LSx.

 

Yep, for some reason on initial startup, the coated headers have a tendency to take out older 02 sensors.

 

The LS1's don't use the LT1's Opti-Spark, and their coils (individual per cylinder) are pretty much good for life (until/unless guys start building up extreme HP applications, in which case MSD makes nice upgrade pieces! ) ...

... new plugs/wires are really the extent of an electrical "tune-up" for an LS1 .

 

Yeah, I meant to put and/or optispark, I was looking out for you LSX guys by putting coils.

 

I did headers, and 3 inch duals and i noticed a 2-3 mpg increase. My in town mpg is awesome! i drive in town tons now and then down the highway at about 90 most of the time and i still get 300 miles to a tank most of the time. i average about 20! My best yet is 27! that just blows my mind! You cant get that off of a stock car, unless you are damn lucky! I even "get on it" more than i used to because of the wicked sounding exhaust.

As for a tune up, all i did was put in some NGK TR55's,not even a tune. As for fouling the o2 sensors,, i wouldnt know. i had to splice my o2 sensor wires so they fit in the o2 bung on the heder. the bung is farther back on the pipe than stock, so you need to extend them. I just spliced mine together while i waited for the real harness extensions to come in the mail. Once i got them, i took the other set that i wasnt using now (the front ones) and connected the harness to those ones.

Oh, my bad, i actually "tuned" my car with a jet handheld tuner a while back. its on stage two now. but even before that...

 

they're sounding like a better and better investment every day...

 

2-3 mpg increase? Really? Is everybody else getting that too? If so, I might get a set myself.

 

Right on Gord . Spend about a ~grand to save a few pennies at the pump!! Although that seems fitting, since anything and everything to do with "energy efficiency" (whether it's cars or light-bulbs for your house) comes with a higher price .