Would I be okay to drive my car with open shorties to the muffler shop 7 miles away? Probably not? Last thing I want to do is damage the engine.

 

I highly doubt its safe though I'm not 100% sure

 

Wouldn't this technically be like driving with cutouts before the cats? I am assume you mean driving with the headers on but nothing afterwards? I know for track use a free flowing exhaust is alright but for seven miles it might be a bad idea. Not to mention the noise level would be screaming "pull me over and give me a ticket!"

 

Probably will throw codes but I doubt it will hurt anything. The main thing is for it not to be exposed to the cold air after it is shut down. Could do some valve damage. I've run open headers before but not in this engine.

 

I wouldn't worry about it. Just don't drive like you think your the next coming of Andretti and everything will be ok. Valve warpage comes from running the car really hard and then just cutting it off, and doing it repeatedly over time. I had a Regal with a 350 on it that I ran as a daily driver with open headers for 6 months with no issues.

 

Alright, thanks. I'll wait til its 70-80 degrees outside just to play it safe warp wise.

Of course open long tubes are far different than shorties.

Hmm.. What if I just unbolted before the cats but after the shorties (is that the downpipe?) That'd be the same as longtubes pretty much backpressure wise, right? Maybe im missing something.

 

I dont think the car will run right since the o2 sensor that controls your a/f ratio on the passenger side is on the mid-pipe after the header. The drivers side is on the header put the pass side is on the mid-pipe unless your after market shorties relocates it? Either way I dont think its a good idea. Someone correct me if im wrong.

 

I drove my 94 z28 over 100 miles with open shorties. Didnt hurt anything other then my ears![]

 

Once you shut down, the cold air will not be as heated coming back into the headers. Down pipes will help warm this air and no valve warpage should occur with them.

 

I would not recommend it but really you shouldn't have any issues besides the volume maybe a code unless you turn the o2 sensors off.