Headers
- Thread starter Glenn
- Start date
What is your goal for switching to headers? Which headers long, short , 2.25” 2.5”, adding h or x-pipe, increasing exhaust tubing size from stock? What mufflers do you have - flow rate (how restrictive are they)? Just switching to shorties and keeping everything else the same you might gain a few ponies, long tube maybe a few more. To optimize gains you really have to plan from carb to tailpipe as going with too large a header can result in decreased performance. What is your budget as headers can range from fairly inexpensive ie Hedman to expensive McJack. On a stock system going with McJack’s would not likely add much of anything over the much less expensive Hedmans. Any seat of pants increase you might experience would likely be more psychological. Your neighbours would not be aware of a simple header swap.
Do you plan on making any changes in the engine ie, cam, heads etc to boost output? if so then you should go to 2.5“ (or larger depending on the build) exhaust tubing and something like Magnaflows (I have been running Ultraflows since early 2000’s). Depending on what your planned hp/tq and when it all kicks in will help determine whether you go with short or long tube headers. Some have issues with long tube headers as they will hang lower. If you are content with your performance levels now I wouldn’t bother spending $ on a set of headers the original headers are a bit restrictive but then again so is the exhaust piping and mufflers. Have you done a compression test on your engine and or dyno’d it. Once you have a base you can start planning out your exhaust. If the majority of your time in the car will be spent cruising around town or down the highway that will also determine the size of headers, piping and muffler - bigger is not always better. Over the years I have read many stories of guys adding headers, increasing the size of the exhaust tubes and a very low restrictive muffler and spending a fair amt of $ only to be very disappointed. In some cases performance has gotten worse. Determine what you want performance wise from the car then work with someone credible to build your system from carb to tailpipe. You will be happier with the outcome and usually spent less $.
Be wary of mktg claims of added performance.An easy example of this is to have a friend swap out the K & N filter for a regular one that you can pick up for a few bucks at Cdn Tire WalMart etc. Have your friend do the swap so that you do not know which air filter is being used. Make a few runs then identify which ones used which filter. k&N used to claim 15 to 25 hp increase but in your essentially blindfolded test did you notice the difference? I’m not saying that a K&N filter is not good but you need to plan out the entire air flow to max. perfromance given your engine requirements.
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