I just got my CT headers installed 20 minutes ago. Right as I pulled it out onto the road I did some redlining (probably should have waited on that).

Anyway, when I got it back to my house (7-8 minutes after I picked up the car), white-light greyish smoke was coming out of my engine bay. The engine bay temp was still where it is supposed to be, and the car still runs normal.

Is this smoke incident normal? Is it just because the headers are new and it was my first drive with them in?

 

almost ALL exhaust work especially closer to the engine gets the white smoke, it is basically just the oils/residue on the metal burning off, it should go away after a good run (10 miles should be good, with some good redlining)

 

Ah sweet. Thanks bro!

 

Where did you get headers from?

 

Excelerateperformance

 

Yea probly just all the shit burnin off the steel. Well......hows she rip? As big of a difference as everyone says?

 

Cool bro. I'm in San Diego too by the way. I'm thinking of getting a set too from excelerate since I got the modding bug again. I swear as soon as I fix something, another thing breaks. How does it feel compared to stock?

 

To be honest, at first I just though it was a small gain and it didn't really sound any different, but then I looked at my speedo and realized how fast I was really going. Then the headers started to open up in sound (I guess they were just breaking in before) and I was hauling extreme ass. I see power gains down low, even more up high where everyone else says they see it. The car is just overall more responsive, and it pulls much harder in every gear. It's worth the money.

 

yea i friggin love my ct headers... i wouldn't want a cl without them after knowing how good it can be

 

I wouldn't go that far, but yeah, there a good mod, not to mention they pretty much also "unlock" the power from an aftermarket intake if you have one.

 

i installed mine in 1hr and 45 mins with a busted right hand.. they go on soo easy i love them and i was able to do a true b4 and after test. drove the same area b4 and then right after and yes I wouldn't have a cl now without the headers.


i would really like to see a stock cl-s vs one with, say intake and headers. i wonder how many lengths it'd gain

 

wipe em down with alchohol so that they dont raibow

 

Double rainbow WHOA!

 

What does this mean??? Whoaaaaa

 

How much did you buy them for? They are comptech correct? Just curious..

 

Wait till you get the pully on. That does the unlocking.

 

And if they didnt wipe it down after they installed them any oils that transferred from their hands to the steel will be "burned" on.

 

I'll wipe them down with alcohol right now. They already turned gold. Yes, they are comptechs.

 

I realized that after I asked what brand. If you don't mind how much did you get them for from excelerate? I'm going to buy a set soon also.

 

1100. Fyi though, if you order them, they will most likely be on back order for 3 months like mine were. They are worth the wait though

 

Okay, I have a quick question. The holes on the end of the J-Pipe were slightly off, so my mechanic drilled them out a little bit so he could slide the bolt through.

My question is this: Since the nut won't cover the entire hole does this mean it could leak out of there? Or will it still be fine since the inner pipes within the flanges still line up together?

 

the flanges use metal o-ringws just like the stock components (part of the reason for comptech parts, OEM-level seals and such) so basically all that those bolts have to do is hold the flanges tight, they do not do anything about sealing, BUT i would put a washer under that nut there though, so it can't "pull/dig in" at all in the now larger hole

 

okay, thanks. I don't have any washers though so i'll just put the bolts back on.

 

Wow, your mechanic drilled a set of $1100.00 headers? WTF. Id shit a brick. One for drilling them, and two for the fact that $1100.00 headers had to be drilled. That is what I would expect from some cheap XS headers. Not CT's. I'd question weather they are still made buy CT or if someone purchased the rights to make them under thier name. I would have sent them back to excelerate in a heart beat!

As picky as you are about your car I'd imagine you are not happy either?

 

I honestly don't think it's a big deal. First off, no parts on my car itself were drilled, and second, even if the 3 holes on the CT J-pipe had to be widened a little, it basically just means they were "repaired" so that they would fit right, kind of like cutting and turning break rotors in my mind.

 

You'd be surprised with the fitment issues of some CT parts. It certainly makes you question why you spent all that money for it. My CT B-pipe needed to be tweaked to align properly with their own mufflers. Thankfully, I only dropped $500 on the mufflers and b-pipe, otherwise I would have been much more upset.

 

It's also possible that we may have fitment issues because our cars are old and some of our oem parts could have slightly warped over time Just my theory on that....

 

Well, when the CT mufflers fit on the stock b-pipe fine and then they are crooked with the CT b-pipe, I tend to think its nothing on the car that was warped or tweaked. Ended up having to cut a small sliver out of the driver side pipe after the y-split, bending it slightly and welding it back up so the muffler would sit properly.

 

Gotcha. I think any mods in general are a pain in the ass

 

if they weren't...nobody would have a "stock" car!

 

i'd have to disagree that mods are a pain in the ass. I've done all my own and nothing took longer than 2 hrs to accomplish and no problems have arose from their additions. if i had problems i wouldn't be modding such a nice car.

i'm still scratching my head tho about how ur exhaust collector manifold didn't line up to the cat bolts. makes me wonder if it's ur exhaust alignment or the headers themselves. my bro bought a 250$ header and that's what happened to him, it needed some reworking and he got pissed and just bought some stainless steel DC sport ones and they too fit like a glove.

even my used ct headers fit on like a glove. did them in the driveway with some beers and a mangled hand and even re-used the old exhaust head gaskets.

i'm surprised you're not mad in any way shape or form.. really. I would have been for the 450 i paid for for my headers if i needed to "make them fit". that's why i like doin things myself. that way IF i needed to drill it out i'd do everything in my power to make them fit before having to do so.

oh well as long as u don't have any more things to sort out

 

That's not too bad but damn that's a long wait lol. I might as well buy the axle back at the same time also.

 

i waited like a good month for a god damn replacement air filter