Headers
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Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 149
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From: Alberta, Canada
Headers
I would like to know if I need a chip for my 1995 F-150 (351w) when I put some headers on?
I plan on putting on some Bassani EquiLength Ceramic Coated Steel Headers, Bassani high flow Catalytic Converter/Y-Pipe Combination, and a Bassani Cat-back. I am going to be putting on some Edelbrock heads, intake, Mass Air Flow Sensor, injectors etc.... (basically building the engine up) and don't want to have to get the chip re-burned for those mods. So I would like to know if it would be ok to use the headers for a few months until I buy those mods and then get a chip for it all.
Thanks!!
I plan on putting on some Bassani EquiLength Ceramic Coated Steel Headers, Bassani high flow Catalytic Converter/Y-Pipe Combination, and a Bassani Cat-back. I am going to be putting on some Edelbrock heads, intake, Mass Air Flow Sensor, injectors etc.... (basically building the engine up) and don't want to have to get the chip re-burned for those mods. So I would like to know if it would be ok to use the headers for a few months until I buy those mods and then get a chip for it all.
Thanks!!
Former Sponsor
Joined: Mar 1998
Posts: 13,385
Likes: 4
From: Virginia
Hi Don,
You can run the headers on the factory program, and just wait to get a custom program done for *all* your modifications, just as you mentioned.
Headers *do* lean the motor out a bit, but when you're running on the factory program, it's not enough to hurt the motor, so you can drive it like that on the factory program while you're getting all your other mods lined up to do.
Fel free to give us a call to go over all of this in detail, & we can also have your custom tuning done to coincide with the timing of the installation of all the other mods you're doing.
I would suggest not using the Basanni high-flo catalytic converters, as a number of people have had problems with them not holding up. You'll get a better quality unit and may also spend a bit less money by using the higher quality stainless steel high-flo cats from Magnaflow. Feel free to give us a call about that, or anything else.
Good luck!
You can run the headers on the factory program, and just wait to get a custom program done for *all* your modifications, just as you mentioned.
Headers *do* lean the motor out a bit, but when you're running on the factory program, it's not enough to hurt the motor, so you can drive it like that on the factory program while you're getting all your other mods lined up to do.
Fel free to give us a call to go over all of this in detail, & we can also have your custom tuning done to coincide with the timing of the installation of all the other mods you're doing.
I would suggest not using the Basanni high-flo catalytic converters, as a number of people have had problems with them not holding up. You'll get a better quality unit and may also spend a bit less money by using the higher quality stainless steel high-flo cats from Magnaflow. Feel free to give us a call about that, or anything else.
Good luck!
Former Sponsor
Joined: Mar 1998
Posts: 13,385
Likes: 4
From: Virginia
Hi Beastie (and Don),
We don't recommend going tru-dual (unless pipe diameter is going to be decreased front to rear) in many cases in these F-150's, Expy's, etc. due to the loss of torque below 3000 rpm if it's a street-driven vehicle, like a daily driver. The loss of low end torque is the result of opening up the flow too much, as the *velocity* of the spent gases slows down when that is done & that reduces scavenging, thus torque suffers noticeably below about 2800-3000 rpm.
The exhaust sytem you've posted here is almost the exact setup we sell on the 1999 & up supercharged Lightning SVT F-150's (and in other F-150 vehicles when it's appropriate, such as with Neal the HP Freak's truck), due to the large Eaton M112 supercharger providing gobs of instant torque off the line, and this system being able to flow the volume of air needed to support 500+ hp.
In Don't case, because he intends to install aftermarket cylinder heads & other engine mods that will significantly increase it's airflow needs, he may be able to make good use of that tru-dual setup (which is a dynamite flow setup with the high-flo cats & the X-pipe), that will also depend on how he intends to use the vehicle, where the power band of that engine will be with whatever camshaft he'll be using, as well as the rear gear ratio being used.
A tru-dual setup can almost always be made to work well, but in many cases it's just too expensive compared to a good 3" single cat-back bolt on system like the Magnaflow for the late-model F-150's, because it requries downsizing the pipe ID to not more than about 2 inches to keep flow velocity up to maintain torque. This is of course in stock and mildly modified trucks. Once a supercharger is installed, or ported cylinder heads, etc., in other words, major mechanical modifications that will significantly increase the engine's basic airflow needs, *then* a nice tru-dual setup like this can be used effectively.
If Don would like to give us a call to go over this in detail, we'll be happy to cover this, go over the heads, the cam profile being used, the gear ratio and how the vehicle is going to be used, etc., so that we can advise him properly on this.
This true dual setup will certainly support a lot of power and work well at higher power levels, in fact I'm using that setup on my personal Lightning (long-tube headers, Magnaflow cats, Magnaflow X-pipe & Magnaflow mufflers, etc.), and I love it. It's just a matter of whether or not the torque results below about 3000 rpm will be acceptable with the rest of his setup & how he'll be using the vehicle. That aside, it's a very nice looking setup that sounds great, and one we've used for some time now.
Thanks for your post, Beastie, and for calling again yesterday too, always fun to talk with you.
We don't recommend going tru-dual (unless pipe diameter is going to be decreased front to rear) in many cases in these F-150's, Expy's, etc. due to the loss of torque below 3000 rpm if it's a street-driven vehicle, like a daily driver. The loss of low end torque is the result of opening up the flow too much, as the *velocity* of the spent gases slows down when that is done & that reduces scavenging, thus torque suffers noticeably below about 2800-3000 rpm.
The exhaust sytem you've posted here is almost the exact setup we sell on the 1999 & up supercharged Lightning SVT F-150's (and in other F-150 vehicles when it's appropriate, such as with Neal the HP Freak's truck), due to the large Eaton M112 supercharger providing gobs of instant torque off the line, and this system being able to flow the volume of air needed to support 500+ hp.
In Don't case, because he intends to install aftermarket cylinder heads & other engine mods that will significantly increase it's airflow needs, he may be able to make good use of that tru-dual setup (which is a dynamite flow setup with the high-flo cats & the X-pipe), that will also depend on how he intends to use the vehicle, where the power band of that engine will be with whatever camshaft he'll be using, as well as the rear gear ratio being used.
A tru-dual setup can almost always be made to work well, but in many cases it's just too expensive compared to a good 3" single cat-back bolt on system like the Magnaflow for the late-model F-150's, because it requries downsizing the pipe ID to not more than about 2 inches to keep flow velocity up to maintain torque. This is of course in stock and mildly modified trucks. Once a supercharger is installed, or ported cylinder heads, etc., in other words, major mechanical modifications that will significantly increase the engine's basic airflow needs, *then* a nice tru-dual setup like this can be used effectively.
If Don would like to give us a call to go over this in detail, we'll be happy to cover this, go over the heads, the cam profile being used, the gear ratio and how the vehicle is going to be used, etc., so that we can advise him properly on this.
This true dual setup will certainly support a lot of power and work well at higher power levels, in fact I'm using that setup on my personal Lightning (long-tube headers, Magnaflow cats, Magnaflow X-pipe & Magnaflow mufflers, etc.), and I love it. It's just a matter of whether or not the torque results below about 3000 rpm will be acceptable with the rest of his setup & how he'll be using the vehicle. That aside, it's a very nice looking setup that sounds great, and one we've used for some time now.
Thanks for your post, Beastie, and for calling again yesterday too, always fun to talk with you.