Got my EXHAUST parts!

[PHOENIX]

Question:
Once the entire exhaust system is installed and ready to tune the carb, how do I make sure that I dont cook the headers and the coating on them? I remember Mike saying something about this and I dont want to ruin the coating. Was it because Mike changed a lot of stuff and the carb wasnt close to the proper setting? How much tuning of the carb should be expected?
Thanks

This is all the major parts I plan to use for my exhaust.
The only things missing are the collectors and copper gaskets for the passenger side header (so I can eliminate the efe valve).
I also plan to get some 90degree elbows for the air tubes, so the air from the pump comes in from the side instead of the top.
I also need exhaust hangers.

I hope to have it all in by the end of next month.
Going to install it all myself and will probably get the headers coated so the truck may be down for up to a week.
I am going to see if my dad will let me borrow one of this trucks so I can get to work.

For those who dont know. I going to run the headers to the y-pipe, have a collector at the end of the y-pipe so the pipes can be removed. Then 3" pipe into the cat, 3" pipe from cat to muffler, 3" pipe 90 degree bend out of muffler and exit drivers side before rear tire. The end of the exhaust will be in a little bit, not really visible from the outside but close enough for the emissions people to stick the sniffer on it.

Headers are Edelbrock TES, Cat is Catco 3", Muffler is Aerochamber 3", all gaskets are SCE copper, header bolts are stage-8 locking, 3" pipes are aluminized.

[twoodson]

sweeeet!!! Where did you score the Edelbrock TES Headers & how much did they set you back? I have an '87 SWB and I was wanting the Edelbrock TES headers as well since I have all the emissions and air injection. Let it rumble!!!!

[Slonaker]

That's some nice looking hardware. Expensive, too, no doubt...

Slonaker

[Tom]

Eddie- just make sure your running really rich when you start. Cooking off the coating on headers requires a lean mixture to really run hot exaust. Everything looks great, hope you enjoy!

[1FaastC10]

Eddie, are you sure those are the coated headers? they look like my Edelbrock headers i had on my TA. they were just painted black.

[PHOENIX]

twoodson:
I bought the headers off ebay thanks to a member on this forum giving me the heads up. I bought them and had them shipped for $270.00. You can buy them from Jegs for $375.00.

1FaastC10:
The headers are not coated, I plan to get them coated.

Tom:
If I were to start the truck that way it is tuned (with stock manifolds) now would I be running leaner because I have the headers installed or would I be running richer?
In other words if I replaced my stock manifolds with the headers and made no changed to my carb settings would I be running richer or leaner due to the headers?

[twoodson]

Thanks Phoenix. Damn you got lucky. I also know that Summit Racing has them for about the same price. I am going to be ordering me a set real soon. Thanks again!!!!

[Tom]

If it changes at all it will go leaner because it will be moving more air threw the motor. But I dont think it will change the mixture

[79BIG10]

YOu should be fine Eddie as long as your engine is tuned with teh carb. I think Mike started his truck's break in with those headers on there and that's why the lean condition. I know when we got the ZZ4 started up first time we were running lean and the headers were defintely showing it but I didn't get coated.

[79BIG10]

YOu should be fine Eddie as long as your engine is tuned with teh carb. I think Mike started his truck's break in with those headers on there and that's why the lean condition. I know when we got the ZZ4 started up first time we were running lean and the headers were defintely showing it but I didn't get coated.

[low 84]

you should be fine man. i've broke in a new cam, put on new heads, and then broke in a new motor, all with my coated headers. even glowed them a couple times. coating wasn't effected. not saying it can't be effected by breaking in a new motor ect. but with what your doing you wont have any problems

[swervin ervin]

Copycat.

You will be fine on the coating. My problem was my own stupid mistake. I broke my cam in and had the timing retarded a tad. My headers were glowing red at all 8 tubes, out about 6-8 inches. In all the excitement, I couldn't get it cut off quick enough.

Anyway, they were covered against anything except this. Sent them back to HPC, fully expecting to have to pay to get them coated again. Nope, they coated them for me again and sent them back at no cost to me except me having to pay for shipping to them. Can't beat that with a 10 foot stick.

I like what you are doing. You will love it for sure.

Why are you wanting to come in from the side with AIR hoses? What are your plans for the EFE? I just removed the flap in mine. Are you going to get a machine shop to make you a spacer? I've thought about this many times trying to figure out the best way to get around using the stock piece, modified. Maybe you are on to something I need to know about.

[76bonanza]

Everyone talks about tuning your carb What exactly does this intail?

[swervin ervin]

It intails quite a bit. Not anything hard about tuning a carb, but may be one of the most irritating things to do, especially with no experience at it.

What you are wanting from whatever carb you are running is great driveability in the cruise/off idle range. No surging or flat spots, or richness. At idle, you want it to be smooth with great response when you when you mash the pedal smoothly. Not rich here either, or lean. For the other parts, when you stomp it, you want it to go instantly with no bog or weakness.

Every different style of carb or brand has different ways of accomplishing this. But basically, it's the same thing. You have three circuits in them all. Idle, off idle/cruise, and wide open throttle (WOT)

For stock applications, this is pretty easy to get. Nothing much to do, except adjust the idle mixture screws for highest vacuum at idle. Turning the screws out makes it richer, in leaner. Too lean, and it affects plug wear and engine cooling. Too rich, again if affects plugs with fouling, but it will make the engine run cooler, but only at idle. These screws have nothing at all to do with the way it performs off idle, except maybe for the transition from idle to off idle a little. This is only for the idle circuit. There is more you can do to this circuit, but it is really detailed and if done wrong, can ruin the carb, so I won't go into that. Not needed for stock anyway.

The off idle/cruise circuit is controled by the jets. For Q-jets there are primary metering rods too. Again, for stock apps, not much use in messing with these. For above stock where you have much better intake and exhaust flow, you need more fuel to go with all the extra air you are taking in, or else you will be running lean, and thus loosing power.

But, where it all comes in at is the WOT circuit. On a Q-jet, you never worry about making power with the primary side. This is for good driving and economy. The power comes from the big back barrels. This is where you can make or brake how good your engine performs. This circuit is where it pays to dial in even if it is stock.

Best advice I can give you is buy some books on this subject for your type of carb. There are several you could buy, but for Q-jets, there is none better than Doug Roe's book, Rochester Carburetors. It is published by HP Books. No Q-jet tuner should be without this book. IMO, it's the king of Q-jet tuning books. Another book for stock stuff is the book by Haynes. It's in the Haynes Techbook series, called Rochester Carburetor Manual. It will help with the basic stuff and has tips on rebuilding etc.

There are some articles on 73-87.com that are about tuning for power. Written by me and others. Read them and let it soak in for awhile. Ask questions, and read every thing you can on the subject. Then experiment on your stuff.

Check these out.

http://www.73-87.com/7387garage/drivetrain/damon.htm

http://www.73-87.com/7387garage/drivetrain/damon2.htm

http://www.73-87.com/7387garage/drivetrain/myqjet.htm

http://www.73-87.com/7387garage/drivetrain/qjetidle.htm

The point to remember about carb tuning: Every time you increase the amount of air that can be pulled through the engine, means you probably need a tad more fuel to go with it, or else it's going to be running lean. Change to better flowing heads, more air, need more fuel. Change to a bigger cam, more air, need more fuel. Better flowing intake, headers, and even a better flowing muffler. All these will require you to retune the carb. It's real picky work and minor changes make big differences. It gets nerve racking sometimes, but it's most gratifying when you get it right. When you hit a Q-jet hard and it throws you back in the seat and hits with no hesitation at all, there is no better feeling is the world. It will put a grin on your face from ear to ear.

[PHOENIX]

Mike,

I am going to get some header collectors and weld one to the end of the passenger side header and one to the y-pipe where they bolt together. It will be the sames as with the efe, except no efe right there (1-gasket instead of two).

The stock manifold have the air supply hose coming from the side (or front), these edelbrocks have the air supply hose coming from the top. I would rather them lay flat (from the front). So I need to find a 90 degree elbow I can put there (between the header air injection tubes and the check valve).

So if I install all this stuff and start my truck I can:
Hook vaccum gauge to full manifold vacuum
set idle speed
adjust mixture screws in or out to obtain highest vacuum
set idle speed
adjust mixture again
set idle again
repeat till I get highest vacuum at desired idle speed
this is right?

What happens if I screw something up and have to start all over from 1-1/2" turns out (carb mixture screws)?
Will I burn the coating getting the carb set from start (like if I installed new carb)?

I would hate to spend $270-300 on coating just to ruin it. I do not know if I would get as lucky as you did with the free recoating.

I cant wait!