Does change the headers require tuning?

[reynierpm]

I have change my OEM catback for the Perrin 3.0. Now I want to move forward and install an UEL Tomei headers, my newbie question is: does change the headers require tuning my car? If so what should I buy besides the part to get it tune?

Thanks in advance

[BFIFE22]

If you are planning on getting a catless header then yes you will need a tune. Your two main options to tune are going to be the OpenFlash Tablet and Ecutek. OFT has preloaded off-the-shelf tunes, and one specifically for running a UEL header. You just reflash the car with the tune and you are good to go. You can fine tune in RomRaider if you would like.

Ecutek will require the license and then you will need to find a tuner that is familiar with it. IMO if you are just running an exhaust and UEL header the OFT will be the more cost effective option.

If you run a catted header you don't necessarily need a tune. I ran mine for around 1000 miles and only had 1 CEL for about 10 minutes. But I ended up flashing it with the OFT using a modified stage 2 tune

[Detroiter]

Originally Posted by BFIFE22

If you are planning on getting a catless header then yes you will need a tune.

You do not need a tune with any header. Getting a CEL for cat efficiency will not do anything other than cause you to fail emissions. If you are in a state that does not check like me then you are fine. If they do check in your state then you're fine until they check it again.

Also I ran my Tomei UEL catless header with no tune for months and never got a single CEL. Maybe I got lucky Regardless you do not need a tune for any exhaust work on our cars, It will just give you more power out of it

[KnightRyderx2]

Are you "required" to get a tune? No. Is it highly suggested to the best performance out of it? Yes.

[reynierpm]

Originally Posted by KnightRyderx2

Are you "required" to get a tune? No. Is it highly suggested to the best performance out of it? Yes.

With performance you mean .... ? More HP? Something else?

I won't like to be throwing money mostly because I have a lot of plans for this car and I need to save but if tune up will help me to gain something and worth it then for sure I'll be acquiring what I need and hiring some one to know about this topic

[KnightRyderx2]

Originally Posted by reynierpm

With performance you mean .... ? More HP? Something else?

I won't like to be throwing money mostly because I have a lot of plans for this car and I need to save but if tune up will help me to gain something and worth it then for sure I'll be acquiring what I need and hiring some one to know about this topic

Yes, horsepower.

When you change out the header you flow exhaust gases faster, when designed right, that alone will create horsepower. Since you now are flowing exhaust faster the ecu will try to change a few things, timing and fuel is the most important. This will sometimes add more fuel and retard timing a little taking away a bit of the horsepower you gained, not all just some.

That is where the tuning comes in. You want to change the timing and fuel, among other things, to levels that will make even more power then just the headers alone will do. Most performance parts that you put on cars are like this. They add power on their own but with a tune you can get a a little more out of it.

[lazyluka]

Do you like the way the car sounds now?

Yes, a header will give you more torque/power, but if you look thru the forums you can actually get fairly good gains with just a tune.

Now I am not saying that just a tune will give the same gains, but if you wanted to save some money or spread out your purchases then the way to go would be:
-Buy OFT and tune your car (as mentioned earlier, the tunes are free)
-When you are ready, buy the header and re-tune (again the tune can be downloaded for free).

If you have long-term plans for your car or planning to run forced induction (SC or Turbo), or perhaps purchasing an ACE header, then it may pay to get an EcuTek tune.
The EcuTek tunes are not free, but they can be of a higher level and there are more tuners that support EcuTek.

Both tuning options will probably give similar hp/torque results with most headers. However, even if both have similar peak figures, the driving feel of the tunes may differ as well.

One more thing in favour of OFT, you buy it, you tune, you decide to upgrade to EcuTek? No problem, you just re-flash your stock tune and sell the OFT (you could buy one used and save even more when you sell it?)

[bfrank1972]

Yes, you should plan on getting a tune. Spend the extra on an OFT, download the stage 2 UEL map and use that. Anytime you significantly change the efficiency of you motor (adding a good header) you should re-tune, or you're not going to realize the majority of the gains.

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[lantsalot]

Originally Posted by reynierpm

With performance you mean .... ? More HP? Something else?

I won't like to be throwing money mostly because I have a lot of plans for this car and I need to save but if tune up will help me to gain something and worth it then for sure I'll be acquiring what I need and hiring some one to know about this topic

Given the fact that you want to keep the car around for a while, I would suggest tuning it (with a reputable tuner/ tuning solution) out of an abundance of caution to ensure reliability and longevity of the engine.