Downsides to headers?

[Swims350]

uumm I always heard the opposite, long tubes make good low end torque, more so then shorties, and them make upper rpm hp.

 

[FastOrange]

uumm I always heard the opposite, long tubes make good low end torque, more so then shorties, and them make upper rpm hp.

Thats wrong, Longtubes are good for High RPM, Shorties for Torque, Sorta like a Single Plane VS Dual.

 

[FastOrange]

agreed but there's a line btw a great exhaust and overkill

Why is Longtubes with a mild exhasut Overkill?

 

[Mike]

Downside is cost and the inability to get the gmt400 computer to properly deal with the modification. A good set of headers will cost well over $800 plus all the rest of the pipe to do the rest of the exhaust. Upside is a nice low end boost when properly tuned and combined with other mods.

 

[blue96]

Why is Longtubes with a mild exhasut Overkill?

Well, it depends on primary size, exhaust diameter and the overall condition of the engine. For instance, a fresher motor will make more hp than a high mile (lazy valvetrain, diminished compression, etc) engine. Also, if you take a stock engine and another with a popular HCI combo. Put the same exhaust on each engine and the built motor will see a larger gain. That's my point.

Example: 1 3/4" LTs on a 350 stock heads will make lots of noise and likely see somewhere btw a 10-20 hp gain. The same setup on a 350 with trick flow heads may see 20-30 hp.

 

[blue96]

It's all relative to airflow demand.

 

[Swims350]

I always see in the summit books saying the long tubes boost low end torque, never say it on shorties.

I have heard or scavenging and too big of pipes etc. but NEVER that headers hurt performance. I just don't see it happeneing. I have heard overkill on pipes like 3 inch on a stock motor and it won't flow, it'll ruin it. It was as menationed about air is easier to flow out of a smaller pipe since it has some compression/force to PUSh gasses out, instead of wide open where they can swirl and hang up and not flow out.

never heard anything about headers though.

 

[blue96]

This will help:

http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/148_0404_best_headers_shootout/index.html

 

[borahshadow]

so what's the verdict? Which is better for low end power/ torque: Long tubes or Shorties?

 

[blue96]

Well, on a bone stock engine, I'd say shorties but ten people will give you ten answers. The argument of shorty vs long tube headers is almost as heated as Ford vs Chevy or Yankees vs Red Sox.

Shorty headers = no further exhaust mods

long tubes = grab a torch/plasma cutter/sawzall/etc and a welder...