I would like to know if a pair of headers would dramatically increase the efficiency of my powerdyne blower, because i dont really feel a big power increase with just the blower and cat back exhaust. I was also thinking about removing the cat, but I am afraid I am going to lose bottom end power. Has anybody gutted their cat? Thanks..
would headers give the blower more power?
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I would like to know if a pair of headers would dramatically increase the efficiency of my powerdyne blower, because i dont really feel a big power increase with just the blower and cat back exhaust. I was also thinking about removing the cat, but I am afraid I am going to lose bottom end power. Has anybody gutted their cat? Thanks..
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power
You need to measure for any back pressure to know. Also if your truck is a 99 or newer youv'e got some torque managment taking out power your trying to put in.
You need to measure for any back pressure to know. Also if your truck is a 99 or newer youv'e got some torque managment taking out power your trying to put in.
I've had the Powerdyne s/c installed on my truck for 15 months now. I highly recommend the headers but keep your cat. You can get either the Edelbrock TES headers or JBAs and the SLP Y-pipe. I have the Edelbrocks which come with the Y-pipe. If you do get headers, get them ceramic or JET coated if they aren't already. The s/c is producing enough heat as it is under the hood.
Read this site for info on the benefits of coatings:
Performance Coatings
Read this site for info on the benefits of coatings:
Performance Coatings
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694 Posts
under pressure
deton8r
How much did you feel after the headers went on (with the blower alread on ?) How much psi you pushing?
vince
Torque managment is a feature in obdII cars (comps). The comp. sences pwr (torque) & any more than it's programed for it starts retarding timing. & we know what that does.:drinkhaha
deton8r
How much did you feel after the headers went on (with the blower alread on ?) How much psi you pushing?
vince
Torque managment is a feature in obdII cars (comps). The comp. sences pwr (torque) & any more than it's programed for it starts retarding timing. & we know what that does.:drinkhaha
I had the headers done about a year before the supercharger was installed so I can't give you a before/after comparison. I originally ran 7lbs and then put the 9lb pulley on but max out at around 8. The new pulley spools up faster and much earlier.
Even with the headers and catback, the cat still provides plenty of back pressure. Low end torque is not a problem for me
Even with the headers and catback, the cat still provides plenty of back pressure. Low end torque is not a problem for me
I have the Powerdyne system. I added an MSD 6 BTM ignition and use NGK TR6 plugs gapped at .035" with Magnecor KV85 race wires. The kit comes with an FMU. I bought the Powerdyne in-line fuel pump that they use with the fullsize Chevy kits but I haven't installed it yet. With the 9lb pulley I have the BTM set to 1 degree of retard just to be on the safe side.
For a while I was considering an Aquamist water injection system but I've got mixed responses from the turbo ricers so I decided to hold off on it.
For a while I was considering an Aquamist water injection system but I've got mixed responses from the turbo ricers so I decided to hold off on it.
The $.50 Intake Air Temperature Sensor Mod
The IAT mod is just a tweak to the Intake Air Temperature sensor located right behind the Mass Airflow Sensor. There is a plug with 2 wires on it. Basically, you unplug the wires from the sensor and put a Radio Shack 4.7K Ohm 1/2 watt resistor in the plug at the end of the wires. This fools your truck into thinking the income air temp is only 59 degrees which is much colder than the actual underhood air temp it would otherwise detect. What this does is dump a little more fuel into the engine because it thinks it's cold and gives you sharper throttle response and a little HP. Best of all it only costs $.50.
The IAT mod is really easy. Here is what you do:
- Got to Radio Shack and get a 5-pack of 4.7K Ohm 1/2 watt 5% tolerance resistors for $.49 Part #271-1124
- Disconnect negative battery cable
- Unplug the IAT sensor right above the MAF
- Tape off the socket in the air inlet tube with electrical tape to keep dirt out
- Take 1 resistor and put each end in the 2 holes in the IAT cable. I just tucked the cable under the MAF where it was out of the way and not touching anything that might get hot.
- Use electrical tape around it really good and some between the 2 wires of the resistor so it doesn't short
- Re-connect battery
- Drive and watch for the SES light and performance differences. It never came on when I did it.
Good luck. You may loose approximately .5 MPG but the performance gain more than offsets this IMHO.
If you run a supercharger you will not want to do the IAT trick. The timing will be too advanced and you may experience detonation which is very bad.
The IAT mod is just a tweak to the Intake Air Temperature sensor located right behind the Mass Airflow Sensor. There is a plug with 2 wires on it. Basically, you unplug the wires from the sensor and put a Radio Shack 4.7K Ohm 1/2 watt resistor in the plug at the end of the wires. This fools your truck into thinking the income air temp is only 59 degrees which is much colder than the actual underhood air temp it would otherwise detect. What this does is dump a little more fuel into the engine because it thinks it's cold and gives you sharper throttle response and a little HP. Best of all it only costs $.50.
The IAT mod is really easy. Here is what you do:
- Got to Radio Shack and get a 5-pack of 4.7K Ohm 1/2 watt 5% tolerance resistors for $.49 Part #271-1124
- Disconnect negative battery cable
- Unplug the IAT sensor right above the MAF
- Tape off the socket in the air inlet tube with electrical tape to keep dirt out
- Take 1 resistor and put each end in the 2 holes in the IAT cable. I just tucked the cable under the MAF where it was out of the way and not touching anything that might get hot.
- Use electrical tape around it really good and some between the 2 wires of the resistor so it doesn't short
- Re-connect battery
- Drive and watch for the SES light and performance differences. It never came on when I did it.
Good luck. You may loose approximately .5 MPG but the performance gain more than offsets this IMHO.
If you run a supercharger you will not want to do the IAT trick. The timing will be too advanced and you may experience detonation which is very bad.
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I don't have headers or a bigger y-pipe. It's going to 8 psi I think the FP goes up to around 80.
Have any belts gone bad on your powerdyne. So your going to 7-8 psi on the stock fuel pump, sounds real dangerous. Have you checked your air-fuel with a wide band?
Have any belts gone bad on your powerdyne. So your going to 7-8 psi on the stock fuel pump, sounds real dangerous. Have you checked your air-fuel with a wide band?
:bash: too bad,i have a supercharger and that means im f***.
Hey syclondave, I have a powerdyne blower also running a 9psi pulley with stock fuel pump and no timing retard whatsoever, the belt is fine. There is a little detonation at about 5000 rpms, but I am working on that now. I checked my plugs and seems that there is too much heat in the combustion chamber and also found a very wide gap on the plugs they are at .070:scary: . I am going to go with a colder plug and smaller gap, about .040, I am going to also build my intake from ABS plastic 4inch pipe. I will cut a six inch hole on the fenderwell to run the pipe out of the engine compartment to grab some real cold air. I also have ordered my headers from Gibson and will install those:evilg: I think that with that it sould get rid of my detonation. Another problem is that the tham oil companies here in CA went down on octane to 91 instead of 92,real BAAAAAD.I guess i will now have to add octane boost from my local auto parts to boost up my octane, that is if it works. Has octane went down in any other state? I now have one more thing to do, it is that my driver motor mount went out because of to much torque :bah:
so i will replace the mount and will have to build a torque strap to strap the beast down .
Hey syclondave, I have a powerdyne blower also running a 9psi pulley with stock fuel pump and no timing retard whatsoever, the belt is fine. There is a little detonation at about 5000 rpms, but I am working on that now. I checked my plugs and seems that there is too much heat in the combustion chamber and also found a very wide gap on the plugs they are at .070:scary: . I am going to go with a colder plug and smaller gap, about .040, I am going to also build my intake from ABS plastic 4inch pipe. I will cut a six inch hole on the fenderwell to run the pipe out of the engine compartment to grab some real cold air. I also have ordered my headers from Gibson and will install those:evilg: I think that with that it sould get rid of my detonation. Another problem is that the tham oil companies here in CA went down on octane to 91 instead of 92,real BAAAAAD.I guess i will now have to add octane boost from my local auto parts to boost up my octane, that is if it works. Has octane went down in any other state? I now have one more thing to do, it is that my driver motor mount went out because of to much torque :bah:
so i will replace the mount and will have to build a torque strap to strap the beast down
.
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214 Posts
You don't need them, but they're good for a substantial power increase on forced induction applications. Exhaust scavenging is even more important on forced induction applications than on a naturally aspirated combination. In layman's terms, the cylinder needs to be as thouroughly evacuated as possible in order for the blower to fill the cylinder as completely as possible. As a result, you'll typically lose about a pound of boost, even though you're making moer power. The nice side result is that you can pulley down to more boost and make even more power. Typical results on f-body applications with mild blower setups show that shorties on these cars produce around 50 horsepower or more BEFORE pulleying down to more boost (results are typicl of LT1 f-bodies, NOT s-10s).
As far a losing the cat or not, there is just no such thing as too little backpressure on a well designed exhaust system. Let me say that again. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TOO LITTLE BACKPRESSURE ON A WELL DESIGNED EXHAUST SYSTEM. That is to say, if you have a decent set of headers and a good exhaust, there is no power or torque to be lost by getting rid of the restriction. Would I recommend it on a vehicle with stock manifolds? No. But if you have headers and a good exhaust and you can stand the extra noise, then it's in the best interests of power to ditch that cat.
-Chris
As far a losing the cat or not, there is just no such thing as too little backpressure on a well designed exhaust system. Let me say that again. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TOO LITTLE BACKPRESSURE ON A WELL DESIGNED EXHAUST SYSTEM. That is to say, if you have a decent set of headers and a good exhaust, there is no power or torque to be lost by getting rid of the restriction. Would I recommend it on a vehicle with stock manifolds? No. But if you have headers and a good exhaust and you can stand the extra noise, then it's in the best interests of power to ditch that cat.
-Chris
Well I ditched work and installed my Gibson headers, which were a pain on the rear, did not feel much of a power increase, sooo much for the $400, and the money I did not make today, and last but not least the pain and 6hrs of work it took.Now really, do you guys think I should remove the cat? I just dont want to be dissapointed again.
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694 Posts
power???
Hey Vince
Like I said .. measure for any backpressure. You might still have some from the cat(s). I heard of someone who had 9psi of backpressure @ 10 psi of boost. If there IS some relieving it might make your headers come alive.
Hey Vince
Like I said .. measure for any backpressure. You might still have some from the cat(s). I heard of someone who had 9psi of backpressure @ 10 psi of boost. If there IS some relieving it might make your headers come alive.
A good exhaust is essential with a blower. With my combo I went from 14.15's all day to 13.88 by just swapping in a new exhaust which included headers, 3" cat, 3" catback with a dynomax bullet muffler. The headers are a pita, yes, but they are well worth it...3 tenths you wont notice around town but at the track they can be the difference between winning and loosing by a car lenth.
lata
Bill
lata
Bill
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2,186 Posts
Re: under pressure
GM needs to not do things like this to its loyal customers!:bash:
how do you stop the computer from "learning" your mods? i have a hypertech programer for my '98 4.3, does this fix it?syclonedave said:
GM needs to not do things like this to its loyal customers!:bash:
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