Long Tube VS Shorty Headers

Lazy Racer

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I have shorties (BBK). I didnt notice much if any power and the sound is not too much different! I think the stock manifolds flow pretty well from what I have read. Longtubes will be happening for me at some point and I shall have to write off the shorties. Hell on earth to fit so I shall wit till the motor is out or I have a tubular front!
 

Boss281

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I went with BBK shorties and the dyno showed 5hp. While the overall sound didn't change much, it tempered the drone from my Mac mufflers.

After swapping them out for longtubes (JBA), I gained 25hp! The car actually got quieter, and now I have little or no drone.

John
 

Lazy Racer

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Bingo! Going to add longtubes to the shopping list for that new motor!:beer::thumb:
 

95PGTech

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From what we've seen on the dyno, shorties are worthless on anything past a FoxBody. But with some states (cough...gay...California...gay...cough) you don't have a choice.

Kooks LTs and catted X we've seen 20whp gains with a tune change even on N/A cars. And the power under peak is just tremendous, not to mention the sound. Not terribly louder with the cats, but boy is the growl meaner.
 

Boss281

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From what we've seen on the dyno, shorties are worthless on anything past a FoxBody. But with some states (cough...gay...California...gay...cough) you don't have a choice.

Kooks LTs and catted X we've seen 20whp gains with a tune change even on N/A cars. And the power under peak is just tremendous, not to mention the sound. Not terribly louder with the cats, but boy is the growl meaner.

Note my longtube set up is N/A with o/r h-pipe. Here's the dyno before and after. Only tune change was for the o2 sensor issues:

100_1149.jpg


The 323 was with comp stage 3 cams, in case you're wondering why the torque was so low...

John
 

marcspaz

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Yea, don't waste your money on shorties. I got zero HP or Tq gains...
 

habu

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I know that shorties are useless for power and near useless for sound.

Here is a really dumb question then. What do they do for heat. I won a set of JBA shorties at a raffle and being in CA they're the only header I can use. If they do nothing for heat, I have the whipple HO, then I'm selling them.

I don't really take it to the track yet and will probably be on the stock bottom end for about a year or so. If there is absolutely no benefit, then I'm using the money to get a set of DRs and wheels.

Like I said dumb question, I know. But still rather new to the whole mod motor thing and it's just hard to stop thinking that headers of any type don't do something.

Thanks
 

marcspaz

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Unfortunately I did not find this out until after my short headers arrived and I went to install them...

The problem with any short tube header on a S197 Mustang is this...Your stock exhaust manifolds ARE short tube headers. Therefore, switching to another short header (even an equal length header) will do little to nothing compared to stock short tube headers.
 

BlueBeast08

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Unfortunately I did not find this out until after my short headers arrived and I went to install them...

The problem with any short tube header on a S197 Mustang is this...Your stock exhaust manifolds ARE short tube headers. Therefore, switching to another short header (even an equal length header) will do little to nothing compared to stock short tube headers.

Yep shorties come stock on the S197's. I noticed that right off the bat, but they do get that rusty look pretty quick. Basically an aftermarket set of shorties would just be the same as the OE ones, only polished.
 

mygt500

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Though I agree that the stock manifolds have a header type design they are NOT short tube headers. I have read on other forums that the equal length shorties can give some low to midrange torque and very little if any HP. Better seat of the pants feel and toned down or smoothed out the exhaust a bit more. I think if you have a show car and want to get rid of those ugly rusted manifolds and want a nice looking shorty for a cheaper price than a LT go for it! Plain and simple the equal length shorties will flow better than the stock manifolds (not by much but they will) and removing the HOT exhaust gases will in turn make for a better performing and healthier engine IMO.
check out this link as it backs what I am saying. It also backs the fact that you will see little to no gains in HP but our stock mainfolds are NOT equal length and the physics make since even if you get minimal gains....http://www.alternativeauto.com/waterbox/wb_archives/supercharging-05-gt.html#05gtexhaustupdate
quote from article above
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular] Even the exhaust manifolds have a header like shape cast into them unlike older 4.6L manifolds which were essentially a tube with 4 tubes leading into one log. The ‘05 manifolds basically have a 4 into 1 header design. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular][/FONT]
Unfortunately I did not find this out until after my short headers arrived and I went to install them...

The problem with any short tube header on a S197 Mustang is this...Your stock exhaust manifolds ARE short tube headers. Therefore, switching to another short header (even an equal length header) will do little to nothing compared to stock short tube headers.
 

marcspaz

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Though I agree that the stock manifolds have a header type design they are NOT short tube headers.


Dude, I had my stock headers and my FRPP "shorty" headers on the bench side-by-side. With the exception of the rust vs SS, they are identical.

If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck...
 

06gt4rad

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Dude, I had my stock headers and my FRPP "shorty" headers on the bench side-by-side. With the exception of the rust vs SS, they are identical.

If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck...

I would not say they look identical that is for sure. Do they have similarities Yes but not even close to being identical.
 

marcspaz

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Considering you were not in my garage, you don't know what I bought, and don't now what I had on my vehicle stock, that's a pretty bold statement.

Well, ok, one was cast and the other is welled so there will be some minor differences...I'll give you that much. But a header is a header...
 
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