I recently put Pacesetter longtubes on and I of course had to take it down the road. I only drove it 2 miles or so. With open headers, my car seemed like it was a dog, low end and top end. I thought it woulda been a little faster. Then I got to reading on the forums. Some people say my car needs to have the y-pipe on to flow right, and the open headers can screw with my stock LT1 knock sensor, and also the o2's are right at the end of the header, causing the motor to run rich. I havent put my y-pipe on, or my new hooker catback on yet. Is all this stuff true I heard? I sure hope my car isn't this "sluggish" when I get everything on.

Rob

 

Pickup and LT4 knock module to take care of one problem, but if theres nothing done to your engine and you are running open headers now your O2 sensors probably dont know what the hell is going on so your air/fuel mixture is probably a mess. I did the same thing with my camaro back in HS because i wanted to hear it, but it only made it sluggish so either go with true duals or get a y-pipe and correct your air/fuel

 

The O2 sensors are seeing the backwash of fresh air into the collectors. Then the outside of the sensor, which is supposed to be exposed to fresh air only, so the sensor can develop a voltage based on the difference in O2 content between the air and the exhaust, is seeing exhaust instead of clean air and throwing the sensor voltage completely out of whack. Its going to run pig rich, and erratic. If it runs rich enough, you could see the fuel wash the lubrication off the cylinder walls and cause damage.

The headers don't have to have a Y-pipe to flow correctly. If they did, no one at the track would be running open headers. I've run my car on the dyno with open headers, then with the Borla XR1's bolted to the collectors, then with a 3" pipe back to the rear axle, and there's no measureable difference.

You just have to protect the O2 sensors (which I don't use).

 

Some people have no idea of what they are talking about. THe corvette came with no Y-Pipe and makes more stock HP so lets toss that one out. Now for your problem Injuneer has stated it perfectly Your O2s are excposed to fresh air telling the ECM the car is way way lean when it is not so it keeps adding fuel. Get some pipes on the thing and it should run fine

 

This is exactly why I am about to leave this board! People are so quick to criticize and bash someone for every little thing. Here you say that some people have no idea what they are talking about but if you read the posts BIG says essentially the same thing as Injuneer did just worded differently and not as "in depth". As for the people who told Green that he needs to a Y on aren't wrong either. I am sure that if he had a corvette then they would have told him to put an h on. I hate it when people post this sort of garbage when it offers no useful information. And now you made me do it!

 

Didn't mean to get your panties in a bunch but there is a big difference between a Y pipe and an H pipe so that is not an argument worth addressing. You are right the car wil run better with the exhaust back on but not because its a Y pipe but because it keeps fresh air from the O2s

 

Sorry about coming off bitter and all. It just seems like all I see anymore is someone giving his opinion and then someone else chiming in and saying that his opinion is crap. I can only take so much before lthe panties start binding! So once again sorry for my venting and also sorry to Green for walking on his thread.

 

no problem walking on my thread , I was just curious why my car seemed liked it ran worse than when it had the stock manifolds on it. Tomorrow night the y-pipe and catback is being put back on. I can't wait!!


Rob

 

Not sure which one of you that you're directing your attack at.... you seem to drag everyone into it. I can't see what's got you so upset..... jeezus.