MaddHatter

I did a search but couldn't really find anything descriptive enough so I figured I'd come straight out and ask.

On a daily driven LT1 with bolt on's, what are the pro's and con's of Long tubes, mids, and shorties?

TIA

HM Murdock

Long tubes: Pro: Best power made due to the best scavanging of exhaust. Con: can hang low on the car, making you more paranoid about dips/speedbumps. I have coated LT's. Pro:great sounding Con: Not emissions legal, at all.

Mids: Pro: do not hang low on car, make better power than shorties Con: not as good as LT's. Pro: can be emissions legal.

Shorties: Pro: Emissions legal Con: least power made Pro: better than manifolds Con: not much change in sound

If you want the most power, get the LT's. Hands down.

NegativeCreep

Long tubes are the best but you sacrifice ground clearance and are not emmission legal.
Mid length have no ground clearance problems but I'm not don't think any are emmission legal
Shorties are the worst for performane but as you can guess they are emmissions legal
Hope this helps.

murdok beat me too it

Z95m6

midlengths are emissions legal on 93-95 only on 96-97 the best you can do is shorties.

MRBoss429x

What are some good bolt up midlength headers?

94formulabz

slps, mac, rksport, arizona speed and marine

kgkern01

Cant you get Jet-Hot LT headers with the emmissions AIR and EGR hookups? Wouldn't that make those legal as long as you still ran a cat or cats?

HM Murdock

I've heard Good and bad about many, Mac, AS&M, but if they are emissions illegal anyway, i'd say **** it and get some LT's, honestly.

If I had to go mid-length, I'd go AS&M or JBA., in that order

94formulabz

federal law mandates that the location of the cat(s) cannot change. Some places may overlook that and just be happy that you have a cat(s) though.

MaddHatter

So if I wanted LT's with Cutouts and Catback exhaust I'd be paying $100 everytime I needed to pass inspection?

I'd like to stay street legal with this one but I guess it's not that big a deal as long as I can find a place that will pass it.

Any Ideas as far as Texas goes?

Robert95z

Installing headers is a PITA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So go all the way and get LTs, i made the mistake in getting shorties because they were cheaper, emissions legal, and supposed to be easier to install and I totally regret it! For such a PITA to install I dont know if I gained any REAL power from them. I went from a 13.989 (pretty much 14.0)@99.85 to a 13.72@101.xx with hooker shorties and a PCM4Less tune. And I honestly think i gained the most power from the tune rather than the headers.

Aviod the run-around and get LTs, dont make the mistake I made by getting shorties. Sure its gonna be harder to install LTs but installing headers period is a PITA, so go all the way.

MaddHatter

I live in an apt complex so I won't be installing them. I'll probably watch and learn while someone else does it. I'm thinking Jet-Hot/MAC Longtubes

<--- not a mechanic or anywhere close

Robert95z

lol im only 18 and am to scared to do the TB Bypass because of my opti getting wet, so Im no where near a mechanic myself. Thats probably why it took me a whole weekend to install shorties

Anyways, get the LTs.. you wont regret it..

Z95m6

Since you know very little about our cars then did you open up the collectors on the hookers. They are probably one of the worst shorties in terms of performance. I have SLP's which are kind of a midlength and are 1 3/4 primaries and they made a huge diff. Emissions legal too.

Robert95z

No i didnt... I got these headers used and so i noticed the ring where the headers were installed and there were alot of space that could have been die grinded away. Though i didnt because I dont want an exhaust leak. Who knows maybe some day i'll buy a die grinder and go under there and bore it out.

-Robert