After installing Pace Setter headers (I know, I know) on 2 different ’87 pickups with 22RE’s, I get a check engine light (code indicates 02 sensor) after several minutes of driving. The light can be extinguished by momentarily closing the throttle. Both 02 sensors are known to be serviceable and exhaust systems have been checked for leaks.
Anybody have experience with this problem?

 

pacesetters are junk does the mount for the sensor have a tube lookeing thing or is it straight in the exhaust flow

 

Wait, why are Pacesetter's bad?

 

all the pacesetters ive seen are terrible the flanges are warped and the collector ends up in a weird place and there painted and that paint doesnt last long at all. this is atleast with the celica headers i have an obx and mine is stainless steel but the o2 location is a tube off to the side and the stock unheated o2 sensor doesnt get hot enough because its not in the exhaust flow and it throughs a code. so the remady is to cut the tube off and mount the o2 flange to the collector thats what i did and mine doesnt throw codes. im pretty sure the truck headers have the tube for the o2 sensor too but i could be wrong.

 

I have Pacesetters, and they are just fine. Expect the paint to peel. No big deal. Just pull them off in a month or two and spray them with high heat paint after they flake.

Problem you are having is your O2 is not heated, so it is throwing codes. Easiest thing to so is get a heated O2, and you should be fine.

 

Pacesetters are the most economical for sure. I am considering header brands now... good info to look at.
BamaYota... you say there is a heated O2 sensor available??

 

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116/single-wire-02-sensor-heated-sensor-255971/

Btw, it happens to guys who don't have heated O2s and brand of header doesn't make any difference.

 

Also, headers really do not make much of a difference with a 22re. They typically only add power at the high rpm range while sacrificing low end torque. Personally, I think I will be removing mine soon and replacing with a factory manifold to see if I get better mpg and low end torque. My header was on my truck when I bought it, and mine is a 93, so it already had a 4 wire from the factory.

 

the tri-y from what i remember has better low end torque but your right about long tube headers they only really help on the top end, and im use to the 22re headers for celicas not the trucks, the celica pacesetter headers are awfull

 

Northwest Off-road Specialties offers a CNC built 4-2-1 header with O2 sensor mount in it's proper place to avoid all the head aches... at 579.00 it aint cheap but is the way I am going... They boast high torque gains in the 2000-4500 RPM range. Hopefully I can post soon how they work in real life applications.

 

doug thorley still makes a tri-y header for the 22re trucks, there between 350-500 dollors