Are headers a thing anymore?

[RoadDukie]

Aftermarket headers enhance performance but on street cars can create issues with heat soaked starter motors, cooked power steering and trans cooler hoses/lines, almost inaccessible oil filter, and melted upper control arm bushings. Seen that happen on the last Chevelle (big block) that I owned. If (and that’s doubtful) I ever did use headers again I would wrap them with the header insulation wrap. It ain’t pretty but it’s effective.

Welcome to the modern world of technology!

Ceramic coated headers are amazing in their ability to control under hood heat. I've got a set of them on the LS in my Avalanche. They run as cool, maybe cooler than the OEM manifolds with the heat shields. Additionally, the coating is "said" to keep the exhaust gases moving at a greater speed than non-coated creating better scavenging.

 

[RazorsEdge]

They are still available and still used. Where have you been?!

 

[Pew]

Aftermarket headers enhance performance but on street cars can create issues with heat soaked starter motors, cooked power steering and trans cooler hoses/lines, almost inaccessible oil filter, and melted upper control arm bushings. Seen that happen on the last Chevelle (big block) that I owned. If (and that’s doubtful) I ever did use headers again I would wrap them with the header insulation wrap. It ain’t pretty but it’s effective.

Seeking every once of power then yes go with headers but all the other aggravating issues that are created ain’t worth the less than 10 lb ft that was recognized. (Referring to street cars) IN MY OPINION.

Yea, the Evo's exhaust manifold was in the back of the engine. Removing the manifold required removing the strut tower bar, downpipe, turbo, and loosening the catalytic converter, then making sure your new manifold was wrapped/coated because of the proximity to the strut tower bar, valve cover, and back of the engine bay. You can't really get it from under the car either because of the transfer case. The downpipe removal itself is at least a 6-hour job with no rust. It wasn't worth the time for a ~3hp gain on stock turbo but tube manifolds on big turbos worked out pretty well.

 

[Trav]

Well stated!

Yes, a good set of headers promotes much better flow via scavenging, which is the result of the pulse-draw effect, as you've mentioned. Properly balanced, the pulses create a bit of vacuum, aiding in evacuation of the next pulse in line, improving velocity and creating a "draw" effect, which as you note, improves cylinder evacuation (reduces EGR).

I had the same experience as you, though mine was more accidental. My '87 GT T-top barely passed emissions. I wasn't rolling in money at the time I had the car and the smog pump added weight and complexity. When it seized up, I deleted it and all associated plumbing, blocking off the air injection holes in the back of the heads with plugs. The emissions place didn't know this stuff was supposed to be there, so that was good. I maintained the EGR. It wasn't until I went to do the exhaust on the car that I discovered that the PO had hollowed-out the cats. I was shocked, delighted and amused that it had passed emissions in that state. It passed yet another time as well.

Good place to put the PCV tube too. On early Chevy small blocks that had a pcv draft tube hanging behind the engine on the side of the bell housing putting tubes and check valves in long headers was a common thing, get all that crap out of the engine.

 

[Shel_B]

Good place to put the PCV tube too. On early Chevy small blocks that had a pcv draft tube hanging behind the engine on the side of the bell housing putting tubes and check valves in long headers was a common thing, get all that crap out of the engine.

Doesn't that mean that all the "crap" goes out of the exhaust pipe and into the atmosphere? Or does the exhaust temp burn it?

 

[ZZman]

They are still available and still used. Where have you been?!

Could be all the non performance cars I have driven over the last few decades....

 

[Snagglefoot]

Headers are fine for all hotrodders out there who are willing to live with the downside. I was actually quite pleased to see this exhaust manifold on the front bank of a boring 2005 Ford Taurus V-6.

My Chev 6.0 makes 352 net HP with stock exhaust manifolds. I won’t bother with headers unless I pull it and put it into an older hotrod.

 

[TiGeo]

Back in the day we were into putting headers on our cars and turbo exhaust systems. Is this still a thing anymore? Can modern cars benefit from headers?

"Downpipe" is the new "header".

 

[Carmudgeon]

BMW M42/M44 stock exhaust manifold (circa 1989-1997)

 

[Jetronic]

BMW M42/M44 stock exhaust manifold (circa 1989-1997)

That's what the manifold on my 1992 Alfa 155 looked like aswell, cast though. the 2 pipes would join up about 3 ft further, just before the Lambda sensor and cat.

 

[chrlsful]

My '68 Cortina GT came with factory headers. Not mine pictured but loved that car.
View attachment 126281

Kent X-Flow?

 

[jkasch]

Kent X-Flow?

Yeah, flat cylinder head with bowl-in-piston combustion chamber and 2-bbl Weber carb. The engine used in Formula Ford.

 

[1 SX]

I always wondered what was under that heat shield on the 2.4L forte. Looks something like this. not headers - kia oem calls it exhaust manifold.

 

[wtd]

The factory exhaust manifolds on my 2014 Mustang GT look like headers.

My 1970 Monte Carlo had headers on it when I bought it and it was running the stock 400 small block. Worst experience ever. Always burning up wires and couldn't keep the header bolts tight so I always had exhaust leaks. Spark plug changes were a nightmare and after the original starter gave it up, I couldn't keep a parts store starter in it. They always burned up.

I ended going to factory exhaust manifolds and was so much happier. The car didn't sound quite as good but the negatives far outweighed the positives.

When I had the 396 big block installed, I kept the factory exhaust manifolds on it.

 

[Carmudgeon]

That's what the manifold on my 1992 Alfa 155 looked like aswell, cast though. the 2 pipes would join up about 3 ft further, just before the Lambda sensor and cat.

Also familiar with the cast 2-piece manifold on an old Twin Cam…because it cracked and had to be replaced, LOL!

 

[hank2]

Yeah, flat cylinder head with bowl-in-piston combustion chamber and 2-bbl Weber carb. The engine used in Formula Ford.

I had an early '67 Cortina GT. First year for the Mk 2 model. Mine was an early enough '67 model to still have the non-crossflow 1.5 lt. engine from previous years. That had the factory headers as well and a 32/36 Weber. A PO had installed higher compression pistons and a Lotus Cortina 4.7 differential. I knew a guy with a 1.6 crossflow Cortina GT and we'd occasionally swap cars. Mine was somewhat quicker.

Long ago I read that the Cortina 1.6 Kents were strongly favored for Formula Ford over the weaker block Kent from a Pinto.

 

[paulo57509]

The only car that had an honest, butt dyno improvement after headers were installed was my friend's '68 Camaro Z-28 (302ci). Running the stock manifolds, the engine felt like the secondaries never opened.

I always felt that that engine was ordered with an off-road cam. I've never heard another Z-28 that idled as bad.