Header Question( yes im a morron)

[Askidracer]

What exactlly will the benefits be if i get headers for my 3.4? And what type of gains could i expect?

[camaro_zach]

benefits....better throttle response, due to the faster exit for the exahust, and obviously more HP, and a sound enhancement, gains on a 3.4, i wouldnt know.

[shortdog273]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by camaro_zach:
benefits....better throttle response, due to the faster exit for the exahust, and obviously more HP, and a sound enhancement, gains on a 3.4, i wouldnt know.<hr></blockquote>

I also have a 2000. What differences did you notice after installing your headers? I'm asking because I heard the 2000+ already came with better manifolds.

[stagen]

On the 3.4L you'll notice about a 5hp gain with stock exhaust. You would benefit more with ported heads,intake, and different exhaust.

The 2000 has pretty good air flow on the stock manifolds

[camaro_zach]

just the sound really, and a bit better throttle response.

[RacerJ]

I will tell you that in my personal opinion, after having done it, that the "benefits" of putting on headers is not worth the pain of the install. You'll need them if you're going to run NOS, turbo, blower, or maybe heads/cam package where you'd NEED better than stock exhaust flow at the manifolds. But for regular NA driving it's really a waste of money, especially if you already have the '00+ tubular manifolds.

But here are the benefits:
-Sound: Will make exhaust a bit louder. (Actually flattened my exhaust note after about 2k rpm, so now I need a new muffler...Dynomax time :cool: )
-Almost no performance gain. A little better top end acceleration.
-Quick spark plug & wire changes. As far as I'm concerned, this is the best benefit. I can (if I were so inclined) change all my plugs in about 15 min.
-Bragging Rights. (You can say you did it.)

But basically, my opinion (after the fact) is that it's money better spent other places.

EDIT: Almost forgot to balance the argument.
Since those were the pros, here are the cons:

-Pain in the @$$ install!!! Took forever. What's sick is that it's actually harder to take off the stock stuff than it is to put on the new headers. And before you try to choc it up to it, no this wasn't due to inexperience. I had a friend helping me and we both have experience with working on cars, and it was just flat-out ridiculous.
-Not legal. At least not in CA. They don't have those pretty CARB numbers. (Side note: Aftermarket cats aren't legal on '95+ vehicles with OBDII here, either!)
-It's quite a chunk of change to be spending on the exhaust, especially taking into consideration that your catback will make the most difference in sound. Also if you're going the ceramic coated route, which I would strongly recommend if you're going to go the header route at all.

Be an informed consumer!

[ February 19, 2002: Message edited by: RacerJ ]</p>

[Liquid Silver]

I'm going headers, high flow cat, and catback all at once... so I am hoping that it will be a night and day difference than the stock exhaust system with a borla mufflerback exhaust...

[RacerJ]

I don't know; you might be surprised. (But then again these mods will all act and sound differently on a 3.4 than on a 3.8).

But I had put the headers and cat on at the same time, and had already had the Flowmaster on. I didn't get that big a difference. That was just my result.

[Mike Wenski]

3.08s to 3.42s is a lot more wild a difference than headers and exhaust and intake, combined.


buy a shiney muffler and an aluminum driveshaft, that's my 2 cents