Headers Are Worthless On Street Engines

[English Power]

We Europeans have always known steel tubing exhaust manifolds (aka "headers") are worthless when used on street engines unless they are run OPEN ("uncorked"). And as you can't run OPEN headers on the street they are nothing but worthless ornaments with a fancy name and an even fancier price.

You gullible Americans have been convinced headers actually "produce" power when in fact they don't produce anything. Power is produced inside the cylinders and once the hot exhaust gasses get blown out of the cylinders the power "event" is over.

When "headers" were first used in the early 1960's their collectors had 4" diameter cover plates attached so they could be opened "uncorked" so the exhaust gasses could be blown to the open air. But sometime after the 1960's ignorant people began attaching their exhaust pipes directly to the ends of the collectors which made the headers worthless other than looking racy.

Headers are intended to be run OPEN to bypass the restrictions of the exhaust pipes, mufflers, and tail pipes. But as street engines require mufflers what good are the headers when they have to be run corked?

So why do you goofy Americans love your headers so much?

[flash]

Im sure Im in the minority but I hate headers ,they leak ,make it hard to change plugs ,and you normally have to ding them to fit.I only have one truck that still has headers and it came with them when I bought it .

[chevymaher]

You gullible Americans have been convinced headers actually "produce" power when in fact they don't produce anything. Power is produced inside the cylinders and once the hot exhaust gasses get blown out of the cylinders the power "event" is over.



True but if the gasses can't be scavenged out effectively. The cylinder is not empty. You can't fill it if it isn't empty. So the cylinder can't produce peak power if it isn't a complete fresh charge of gas and air. Burnt gasses do not magically reburn.

May want to check a few dyno test out of stock exhaust and then changed to headers with matched exhaust systems. Before getting rude.

There is another chevelle site Team Azzhole go there and start things. Here we like to get along.

[Hank70SS]

Headers definitely reduce back pressure on the engine. The headers cool the exhaust gases faster than stock manifolds so they condense quicker and create less back pressure. If you think back pressure is a good thing then stuff some raw potatoes up your tail pipes and go for it.

[Hank70SS]

Im sure Im in the minority but I hate headers ,they leak ,make it hard to change plugs ,and you normally have to ding them to fit.I only have one truck that still has headers and it came with them when I bought it .

Only leaks I've had are from stock manifolds on a 454 in our old motor home. They heated up so much they cracked the manifolds and busted the bolts. After installing a set of headers, no more leaks and a definite increase in power. Just my experience John and I do run headers on the Chevelle.

[carpoor]

Great first post. :rolleyes:

[mestorod70]

Goofy troll

[Hank70SS]

I guess headers don't help a lot on the 3 cylinder engines developing 87 HP they drive in Europe.

Think we may know a little more about American Muscle than him.

[RBeckman]

Typical euro rudeness, trust me I deal with it daily.

[mestorod70]

Perhaps the guy banged his head under the bonnet of his hillman imp estate.
Those pesky big end knocks from the 65Hp monster. maybe adjusting the 1 bbl carb will help.
POME subjects like this fine gent give us true red white and blue brits a bad rep.

Funny thing is....i got a 500 hp chevelle. lol lol.

[Ken Hayes]

Hey Hank, your a Moderator here.........block that rude ass douchbag.

[flash]

Maybe my problem with headers was that whoever owned the cars and trucks before me put cheap ones on ,they all leaked no matter what I tried .My truck that used to be Chuck Hansons has good headers on it as it does not leak and it runs like a champ .It would be real easy to get in trouble with that bad boy.

[Hank70SS]

Ken, I can't block anyone. I can delete posts but only in certain forums. There are different moderators for different forums. Mr and Mrs Grumpy and the admin can block people, ban, or moderate any forum.

[Hank70SS]

I'm sure the quality of the headers has a lot to do with it. Current set on the Chevelle were installed on a 396 and now on a 454. No leaks on either and I didn't have to ding them to get them in. On the motor home I installed Doug Thorley's. Very good quality headers, better than the ones I put on the Chevelle. Now I need to order a set for the new motor home, when I get the money and the time to install them.

[RBeckman]

You damn Americans and your headers....they do nothing let me repeat they do nothing.

3901

[English Power]

Headers definitely reduce back pressure on the engine. The headers cool the exhaust gases faster than stock manifolds so they condense quicker and create less back pressure. If you think back pressure is a good thing then stuff some raw potatoes up your tail pipes and go for it.


Please explain to me how headers reduce back pressure when the cause of the back pressure (the restrictive exhaust pipes, mufflers, and tail pipes) is still there? Headers are only effective when they are run open or did you Americans forget that little detail? And then headers are only effective when the engine is being run at full power and high rpm; something street engines rarely (if ever) do.

Steel tubing exhaust manifolds do have their place in off road track racing events where mufflers aren't required but when used on street legal vehicles they offer no benefit at all. Just ornaments with a cool name and hefty price tag.

[chevymaher]

Please explain to me how headers reduce back pressure when the cause of the back pressure (the restrictive exhaust pipes, mufflers, and tail pipes) is still there? Headers are only effective when they are run open or did you Americans forget that little detail? And then headers are only effective when the engine is being run at full power and high rpm; something street engines rarely (if ever) do.

Steel tubing exhaust manifolds do have their place in off road track racing events where mufflers aren't required but when used on street legal vehicles they offer no benefit at all. Just ornaments with a cool name and hefty price tag.

Same car same exhaust just headers added. Looks like across the board power increase to me.
http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee363/chevymaher/header%20dyno%20test_zpsfwq0rmiu.jpg

Don't know about where you live but things do get run wide open here alot.

[Hank70SS]

Please explain to me how headers reduce back pressure when the cause of the back pressure (the restrictive exhaust pipes, mufflers, and tail pipes) is still there? Headers are only effective when they are run open or did you Americans forget that little detail? And then headers are only effective when the engine is being run at full power and high rpm; something street engines rarely (if ever) do.

Steel tubing exhaust manifolds do have their place in off road track racing events where mufflers aren't required but when used on street legal vehicles they offer no benefit at all. Just ornaments with a cool name and hefty price tag.

Pretty simple physics. The extremely hot exhaust gases leaving the cylinder create a lot of pressure in the manifolds or headers. As they cool and they cool down much faster in headers than in most stock manifolds, the pressure is reduced. Again, pretty simple, headers have much more exposed surface area to to cool the exhaust gases. Blow up a balloon with very hot air then cool it down to freezing and watch the balloon collapse.

Headers cool the exhaust gases faster, once they're cooled down they require less volume and the rest of the exhaust can handle it. Remember that everything that leaves the exhaust had to come in through the carburetor, which is as at ambient temperature. Know look at the ventures in your carburetor and compare the volume to that of the exhaust system. Simple, the sooner you cool the exhaust gases the easier it is for the rest of the exhaust system to handle it.

If you don't believe, fine. There are plenty of dyno runs available to prove it.

[Ms Grumpy]

The posts of English Power in this thread were brought to my attention as being rude and belittling. It is the policy of grumpy and I to enforce a "suspension" before perminently banning someone.

He has been banned for 30 days and if he starts up again then he is gone.

[English Power]

Corked headers are about as effective as a plugged air filter. Everyone knows a plugged air filter will kill power so why do they think corked headers don't kill power? It's a no brainier.

[chevymaher]

http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee363/chevymaher/no%20one_zpsss6ixef5.jpg

[67-ls1]

I know it’s been 4 years on this post but I just wanted to take this opportunity to point out the fact that the OP is a Moron.

[chevymaher]

I know it’s been 4 years on this post but I just wanted to take this opportunity to point out the fact that the OP is a Moron.

LOL

https://i.postimg.cc/YSdt6m4G/hulk.gif