Alright, so last night i installed my headers. first off, the friggin instructions that they give only confused me more. second, the sent me the wrong headers!!!! or sumthin. i had my RB straight cat pipe replacement installed. it fit the stock manifold fine!!!!! ****!!! i unhooked the muffler so that i could move and re-arrange down there, but still it did not fit. i was pissed. can someone elnlighten me?! oh yeah, so for now, it's just running straight headers out. hahahahahahaha!!!! it's the loudest thing you've ever heard on the street or even at a speedway!! it's friggin crazy! i told my girl not to breath to deeply at idle though!!! carbon monoxide!!! ahh!! but it's funny, cuz low end power is gone, but the high end power is big time. well, not big time, but man it has changed up top!! good gawd that thing is loud. sound like a big block with unhooked headers at idle, then at 6k it sounds like the old skool fire alarms at full tilt!!! wwwwhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!! jeez loouuiizzz!! i'm gonna get one of the local exhaust shops to cut the pipe for me so it fits. it's still gonna be damn loud!!!
Josh
anybody had the similar experience, or put headers on an 82?

 

Dude, I think the cat replacement pipe is only supposed to work with the stock manifold - it's not supposed to be used with the header system.

Damn right it's loud!!! I had to drive 8 hours one night with headers and a junk muffler, I nearly went deaf. Couldn't even hear the stereo, and everyone on the highway was giving me very nasty looks.

You need to get yourself a presilencer and a good muffler! The whole RB system is pricey, but damn nice. I've had it for 2 years, and love it.

 

yeah, the real muffler is the way to go.
it's pissin me off!! actually, it's lots of fun. geez, it's loud. i just got back from having the exhaust guy cut the straight pipe shorter so it'll fit. i'll put it on tonight.
Josh

 

I told you it would not fit, but does anyone ever listen to me? No....

 

cuz see, i posted a question to see if it was gonna fit awhile back. but some people said it would fit and some didn't. i just took it for granted that it would fit.
bummer. but see, it fits the stock manifold, so why wouldn't it fit the headers?
Josh

 

First, the header was the right one for the car, the cat replacement pipe is used to replace both of the cats, therefore, is the same length as the two cats that you took off. Hence it will only connect to the exaust maniford. The headers, as you probably noted, are longer than the exaust maniford, so it requires that you install a presilenser or a custom highflow cat.

In reality, you can't blame Racing Beat, they were only going by what you ordered. If you had asked Racing Beat the question regarding the headers and the RB straight connecting pipe, they would have told you that it would not work. We all learn from our mistakes and sometimes those mistakes cust os money, but you can probably sell the straight pipe to someone else. So hopefully you have a highflow cat or a custom pipe to put in between or maybe a use presilencer.

 

I believe its because the header will replace both the manifold and at last one of the Cats...

Where the replacement pipe was meant to replace all of the cats up to the manifold. So it won't add up when you try and put them together.

 

All 1st-gen headers are the same length, right?

'Cos my POSetter header bolted straight up to the heat exchanger on the '80. I think the RB header is the same length because the catalog states that it does bolt to the heat exchanger but they recommend that you also use their mini-sized presilencer to replace the heat exchanger. (The H.E. is actually fairly good at reducing noise, though it is restrictive)

According to the RB catalog, you can use your stock midpipe if you use the RB presilencer, which is just the right length to mate the two. Screw that, the presilencer costs $130, you could probably have a muffler shop make you a connecting pipe for less. It's 20" long, and RB even sells the necessary pipe, flanges, and gaskets.

(Open headers rule! )