Choking/sputtering After headers install
 

A little background: have a 04 V6 mustang, has a few small bolt on upgrades, exhaust system, and intake, and just recently bbk shorty headers.

The issue is after the headers were installed I immediately noticed a chugging or choking as it accelerated.. I took it to an exhaust shop and they told me the headers weren't leaking but we did notice the rubber plug missing on my intake tube. Replacing the plug didn't fix the issue.

Any ideas? I'm fairly certain it's airflow it feels as if the engine isn't catching it all. It was fine before the header install spark plugs, wires and coils are all good.

Post a pic of the rubber plug your talking about. Sounds like you might have an intake leak.

Check to make sure the MAF was plugged back in. nothing else should of been unplugged to install the bbk shorties.

I took apart the whole intake assembly and put it back to make sure there were no leaks, cleaned the MAF and made sure it was hooked up correctly.

Im pretty much just throwing ideas at it at this point. Maybe TPS? could it be that i need a tune? I've seen other guys in forums running aftermarket headers but didnt require any tuning.

I have the BBK shorties and they do NOT require a tune.

think i found it
 

I took some pictures and because i noticed what looked like the cause to me. On the driver side the headers meet the gaskets flush all the way threw however on the passenger side there are several spaces between the flush points... when i pointed it out to the mechanic he said this was by design...(-__-).. if this were true wouldnt it be uniform for each side. I'm not a mechanic so i didnt call him an idiot but i'm not dumb either and i dont think thats right at all, but maybe im wrong.