Open Header run...

[Constable]

So I picked my MM up from LaRocca's Performance at about 1:00am on Monday night (actually Tuesday morning). As soon as I started it up I saw lights coming on at some houses in the area of the shop... oops!! I then began to slowly cruise down Englishtown Road, coasted through Englishtown itself, and then hit 522 real easy.

I didn't want to bring it above 3,000 rpm. I was deathly afraid of causing some kind of damage. Anyway, I got all the way out to Freehold and picked up Route 9 south towards Howell (where the exhaust shop was).

As I'm sitting at a traffic light in the fast lane, I see another set of headlights come up in the slow lane. Can you believe it??? A lowered, tinted out 95 or 96 SS. GREAT!! My MM was just sitting there idling. You couldn't really tell it was much different from stock at idle (obviously a little louder though). So he revs his LT1 up a tiny bit... I could tell he had a bit of exhaust work. I didn't rev... it would be a sure giveaway to the suprise!

The light turns green and I put my foot to the freakin floor. I actually scared myself because it was so loud!! The guy in the SS must have soiled his leather! My MM sounded like a top fuel dragster taking off from that light.
:burnout::burnout::burnout:
I spun 1st quite a bit, then it hit 2nd and barked 'em hard. I wasn't paying too much attention to the SS cause he was behind me... and I was getting pulled over!

Turns out the police officer was a good friend of mine. He said, "What the hell is wrong with you?!" Then I had to ask him to repeat himself because my ears were still ringing unmercifully.

I just wish I could've seen that guy's face when I gunned it. He had no idea. :eek: :eek: :eek:

[Ross]

I would have paid 10 bucks to have seen that!!!

[CRUZTAKER]

Too funny....but you did not explain why the headers were 'open' as you say.

-Barry

[Constable]

The shop where I had them installed doesn't do any bending or custom fab exhaust work. I had the install done there because I trust Tommy & Jimmy LaRocca's work. Tommy did an excellent job on the install and kept my car nice and clean for me.

I had to drive it from there to the exhaust shop (about 15 miles). It ran good without the rear O2 sensors monitoring anything. Didn't throw a code until the second that I pulled into the shop lot. I have an appointment with my L/M dealer on Tuesday to have the code cleared.

[TripleTransAm]

Did you run without cats as well?

[Constable]

OH YEA... I'm telling you, nothing was there. The cat pipes were sitting in my trunk. The mufflers / tailpipes were still attached under the car, but not hooked up to anything. It was straight open headers. LOUD like the end of the world. I had a headache for two days.

[TripleTransAm]

If I'm not mistaken, the primary O2 sensors are close to where the cats hook up. When someone runs an EFI car without cats or anything behind the manifolds/headers, the exhaust pulsations supposedly can suck outside air into the pipes briefly and affect the O2 sensor readings. Perhaps this improper O2 sensor reading made the lack of proper rear O2 sensor readings less noticeable to the PCM, and that's why you got away with being able to drive in this configuration for so long.

Either that, or the PCM has a time delay before it throws the "bad cat" codes. The rear O2 sensors are only there to monitor cat performance.

[TripleTransAm]

Forgot to ask... your pipes must have been POPPING like a b*tch, on the overrun when decelerating...

[TooManyFords]

Constable, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! So, did you just not -see- the cop ?!?

hehehe!

sweet.

[Constable]

Yea... i think i was on sensory overload due to all that wild sound entering my big ears. My vision was a bit shaky.

[GodOSpeed]

Ryan you are one crazy SOB!

[CRUZTAKER]

Thanks for the explaination...and as far as code clearing, you can do it yourself by disconnecting the battery cable for 15 minutes...codes go bye-bye

-Barry

[woaface]

Man, just like a kid who just got his license and FINALLY has no one in the car with him...