[Teem0s42]

I have some questions regarding Headers... I currently live in CA and want to get headers for my car.. I noticed there are a lot of variations and wanted to get a better understanding of them


First question is, What are connection pipes? Do you need them in order to install them to your car?

Second, What are catted connection pipes? Will these pipes prevent me from having a CEL??

Third, what are Green catted connection pipes? They are almost double the price of a regular Header so wanted to know their purpose.

Thanks guys. Looking forward to hear your feedback

[Tr6]

This should help, it's in Laymen's terms as well to make it easier.



When it comes to cats, it all depends on the state you live in and being able to pass emissions if you have them, either plugged in or just visual testing. Having primary cats on headers should eliminate CEL but there is no guarantee as every place, every car is different. Like AFE told me the other week that their new cat pipes for c7s, it's a 50-50 chance it will cause a CEL without tune.

Connection pipes are just as they sound, connecting A pipe to B pipe like headers to the xpipe (unless you just flatout get a full on long tube headers (with or without cats etc) + xpipe + catback from let's say Borla, as they do not need a connection pipe). If you look under the camaro, stock shorty tri-y headers (1st pipe)+ primary cats (2nd pipe) + xpipe and axle back (3rd pipe, muffler+tips) are 3 separate parts and do NOT have a connection pipe. So connection pipes come into play if you are mixing different company's products really or they just designed em that way. Some also have connection pipes right after the headers for people to just install cats later on.

[Teem0s42]

Is there a way for me to just connect the new headers to the stock primary cat? if i was to do that which connection pipe would I opt for? I already deleted my secondary cats

[USP45]

Originally Posted by Teem0s42

Is there a way for me to just connect the new headers to the stock primary cat? if i was to do that which connection pipe would I opt for? I already deleted my secondary cats

No, not without a lot work there isn't. You will be much better off, and fewer headaches, buying the cats which are designed to work with the headers that you choose.

On my ZL1 I am going to run ceramic coated ARH 2" primaries with normal cats to the stock suitcase muffler. They call it their "long" system. I am keeping the stock suitcase muffler to avoid drone and the consensus amongst many, many build companies (I.E. Vengeance Racing) is that the stock muffler flows very well, and there is little to nothing to be gained by replacing it other than more sound.

[MAGAUSA]

I question this as well. Why not use the stock cats? It may require a shop to weld a connector but so what? Typical header is a 3 inch collector? What is the stock cat on the intake side? Is it 2.75 like the exhaust? The kooks green cats can throw CELs. For those who don't want to tune, why not fab stock cats to kooks and extend o2 wiring? I'm not after max hp. Where am I going wrong here?

[Teem0s42]

^^ yeah im wondering the same...

[MAGAUSA]

Besides the fact that there may be little material to work on in and out side since the stock cats are positioned on a bent section. There may be little to work with without a lot of effort.

I'd rather use the stock cats if I could, perhaps better chance of no CELs without a tune if welded well. I want headers.

[USP45]

I understand where you are coming from, but if you do headers you will have to tune anyways... There may be a *chance* that the afr's would still be safe, I however would not want to roll those dice.

And being in a bent section of tuning was what I was getting at. Not a lot of material to work with.

[MAGAUSA]

Yeah I'm inclined to agree with you, which sucks from my standpoint (I know I can't have it all).

[Atomic Ed]

Since you live in CA, the first question you need to answer is whether you want to run something emissions legal in CA or take a chance and run a header system that will be clean running, but won't meet the letter of the law.

To be completely legal, the only header I know of is the Hooker Blackheart shorty header. This header is a shorten version of the long tube header and mates up with the stock primary cats. I'm expecting some folks to jump in here and say they aren't worth the cost and effort, and they are probably right. But nobody I know has actually installed these and done a before and after dyno runs, other the Hooker themselves. We're talking around 8 rwhp for $700 worth of headers.

If you are looking for headers that bolt up to your exhaust system without cutting, then Dynatec headers do this. But, they are not legal in CA, even though they do fine from an actual emissions standpoint if you install Dynatec's cat with them.

Bottom line is anything that messes with your stock cats aren't legal in CA. Your decision on if you want to take the risk.

The other consideration is that the exhaust system on these 6Gens is hard to improve on a stock, or near stock engine. Adding any header should be followed with a tune with of a gain of around 15 to 25 rwhp. Adding all of this together can cost around $2.5K to 3K if installed and tuned by a shop. The supercharged guys are making over 700 rwhp on the stock exhaust system. Yes they can make more with headers, but it does demonstrate how well designed the stock exhaust system works.

[Fraxum]

Originally Posted by MAGAUSA

Besides the fact that there may be little material to work on in and out side since the stock cats are positioned on a bent section. There may be little to work with without a lot of effort.

I'd rather use the stock cats if I could, perhaps better chance of no CELs without a tune if welded well. I want headers.

Sorry once you move the cats further downstream with LTs you WILL get CELs. The only way to avoid this is to tune out the rear O2s. Technically, moving the location of the cats and the tune, is tampering with emissions equipment and illegal in all 50 states.

[MAGAUSA]

Yeah well....

[Illmaticz]

Agree with Atomic Ed I plan on getting headers as well only trouble is the cost of parts, install and tune and the debate goes on with off road pipes/catted connection, it’s confusing as Im still learning this. Im not expecting much of a gain from this but better tone yes.

[SSDanny]

As another member just stated, since you're in Cali, Long Tubes are going to be illegal (if you care lol) and shorties are just not even worth what they cost! Since you're already 'breaking the law' by installing long tubes, just go without the green cats and get the high flows. Also, you're going to want to tune the car if you want the benefits of the long tubes and no CEL's