Damage from running open headers

[wayfast1500]

I have heard that with the electric cut outs the motors tend to burn out and the valve freezes in whatever position its in.  A much cheaper and more reliable version is the cable operated one.  I think their around $40-$50 and you can still close it down around cops in the car.

[68X426]

i've heard if it's really cold out and you shut it off that's not a good combo..potential engine damage

Solution: only shut off inside a warm garage. Run the motor for a while so the garage is really really warm. No worries about the cold air on the valves.

and take deep breaths?    no, don't   carbon monoxide poisoning is serious, can kill ya    

_{psssttt. seattle, it's a joke, don't tell nitrox.}

[flyinlow]

The cold air is suppose to travel up into a set of "shorty" headers while full lengths are safe. Did you have full length?

Yes ,long tube.

I would think that if you ran the engine at a low power setting for a couple minutes before shutdown you would not have problems.

[Nitrox]

I have heard that with the electric cut outs the motors tend to burn out and the valve freezes in whatever position its in.  A much cheaper and more reliable version is the cable operated one.  I think their around $40-$50 and you can still close it down around cops in the car.

What manufacturer would you recomend?

[Nitrox]

Just an update...

Its the middle of January and Ive been running open headers every day for a week now and nothing bad has happened.

Oh, and yes, these are full length headers that dump just under the fire wall.

[tan top]

Just an update...

Its the middle of January and Ive been running open headers every day for a week now and nothing bad has happened.

Oh, and yes, these are full length headers that dump just under the fire wall.

need vidoe/sound clip 

[wayfast1500]

I've never tried them, but I know summit usually has the cable cutouts.  I've heard a bunch of bad stories about the electric ones so that would be what I would do.

[68X426]

I've never tried them, but I know summit usually has the cable cutouts.  I've heard a bunch of bad stories about the electric ones so that would be what I would do.

What kind of bad stories?
I'm thinking of treating myself to some units, so is there a brand or two that has a poor reputation?

[wayfast1500]

I just read mccord cutouts are good, but quick time performance cutouts stop working.  The cable cutouts go for $50.00 in jegs, and the cheapest electrics are $210.00.  Not sure on the price of the Mccord.  I looked into them when I built my chevy a few years ago and remember people talking about their motors burning out. 

[Ghoste]

I bet it had more to do with their engines leaning out than it ever did with cold air running back up the header tube. 

[68X426]

The cable cutouts go for $50.00 in jegs

Cable sounds like a great idea, except that the only ones I can find are for 2 inch exhaust (I have 3 inch, lots of us do) and it's cast iron. The experts can weigh in but I don't think cast iron matches up/welds up well to aluminum, steel, or stainless.

But thank you for the tip anyway.

[wayfast1500]

Your correct I'm a welder cast cannot be welded to any of those.  Like I said as far as electric goes the mccord ones are great from what I've read.  All my info came from a chevy site I was on when I built my chevy a few years ago, and surprisingly a lot of those guys run cutouts so I'm going by their word.  The site I was using is thirdgen.org if anyone wants to read up on it.

[oldrock]

just an fyi, lots of my hotrod buddies back in high school ran cable operated cutouts on long tube headers all the time back in the late 70s. We had camaros, mustangs, chevelles, etc and nobody ended up with engine damage from that. On the other hand our local officer was keeping his ticket quota without any trouble issuing tickets. Also I will say that running open headers is horrible on the hearing so I would not recommend it. I have tinnitus and will tell you if you want to end up with constant ringing in your ears when you reach middle age, go ahead and run those open headers just dont' say nobody warned you  

[lisiecki1]

I ran open headers once for about a 45 minute drive with a friend pacing me.  On the way to the exhaust shop we'd both get on it and he'd leave me at a decent clip (in a mazda mx6...sad...).  After having the full exhaust and h pipe done on the way home we'd get on it and I'd walk him, rapidly.  Non race engines like some backpressure.  Open headers sounds a whole lot cooler and faster, but on the non-race motor quiet is quicker.

[derailed]

Not really buying the cold air rushing up into the short tube headers but somehow not in the longtubes. I think the damage could have more to do with a street motor not tuned to run open headers and possibly burning up valves by running lean.

[SeattleCharger]

how much does lack of backpressure matter?    If you don't have huge chambered heads and huge intake/carb set up, could that mess things up with straight headers? 

[rp23g7]

Dont know if this is the place for these stories, but they deal with headers and exahust.

I replaced my collector gaskets last night, i started the 440 up with open headers, boy was that loud in the garage.

When i was rebuilding my 383 in my satellite, i got pissed at the rusted bolts on the pipes, and hack sawed the pipe off at the down pipe, level with the oil pan, and firewall.

I stored the car about 30 miles away from my house.  Got the engine back, put it in, fired it up etc.  I had to drive it home, on the freeway.  The Satellite had no carpet in it, just bare sheetmetal..

It was like driving a friggen bass drum down the road, and being baked in a oven at the same time with the heat blowing right on the firewall.