funtoy

I'm just wondering. Why would anyone who is doing a engine swap, upgrade, not consider putting on a set of headers? The only reason I could think of is to keep the entire car stock.

CA1992C4

In California - you need the car to pass smog, and to do that - you can't change anything that effects your smog devices unless it's CARB certified.

GTs 58

Hmmm, I can think of three good reasons why I wouldn't after running headers on all my drivers from the mid 70's till Y2K. The biggest and never ending problem was blown out gaskets. I'm too old now to be constantly fiddle farting around with replacing header gaskets and bolts. The exhaust manifolds on my Z06 are not like the old rams horn manifolds of yesterday so I see no reason to create an ongoing PITA.

DriveV8Faster

The annoyance of burning spark plug wires one after another(esp lt1)...

CorvetteCam91ZO7

my biggest problem with Headers is the endless Cooked Starter Solenoids !!! Have tried special Race Starters Heat shields Heat wraps for Headers all three at same time and the last set of Headers was Three Starters Heat wrap around headers w/Heatshield some Crazy money Race Starter from a shop that only built Starters and Alternators ? Also had Guy put a jumper wire with a button up on dash under ignition to jump solenoid because that how sick I was reaching under car with screw Driver ! along with all the heat shield precautions might have got a month before I was using the button because solenoid was Cooked !There are better ways to get a few ponies for me Headers are not one ! Just say No

GTs 58

How about all the fried starters? Aaaah, the good ole days.


Whoops, took the dog out and someone beat me to it.

OzyC4

Unless you're after the maximum horsepower you can get from your engine, I wouldn't bother with all the problems that come with fitting them. Clearance problems are the first problem along with heat issues etc made me return to stock.

grandspt

I agree that back in the day headers were unreliable (gaskets blowing, headers rusting out, pain to install, ground clearance issues, etc.)
But I have owned my ARH headers for several years now and absolutely no issues (still not the easiest to install)!
I think the fact that the ARH headers have thick flanges, are stainless steel and the gasket material is vastly improved from the days of old make newer headers more reliable.
I am happy with them

CorvetteCam91ZO7

Your probably Right that Headers are made better along with High Tech Gaskets and Coatings to disapate Heat but I always remember yanking out the A/C Bracket because it was going to be in the way ? Now I would not make that same decision I need my A/C ! I had a 68 Coupe that would get so hot inside the Cab of car that you could have fried an egg on shifter Console it was either Cast iron or pop metal but you could not keep your hand on it for more than 10-15 seconds it started to hurt car was a 350 w/TB400 Had headers SidePipes which if you weren't careful would burn unsuspecting Passengers Ankle every now and then ! And yes it sounded Awesome and I couldn't tell you how many Tickets I got because of the SidePipes one 9 day stretch pulled over 3 different times and about $450 worth of fines and that was in late 70s it might be all the fines and surcharges because if the cop didn't right the ticket properly it would be considered a moving Violation in MA. So I will leave headers to the young guys and I'll go for a cold air Kit a Chip maybe a Cam swap and if I had the money a roots style Supercharger that is were you can find a few ponies in my opinion ? I like turbo concept but again with excessive HEAT not a fan ! I think the factory's have cracked the turbo application! But not the aftermarket Kits the Air Coolers are like a second Thought !

rocco16

If you are doing an engine swap or upgrade, the entire car is no longer stock.
As you can read in the above posts, there are plenty of reasons for not installing headers.....I can add several more.
Cost.
Little power benefit. Unless you've done several other critical changes to the engine, headers will not give you much power boost.
Noise. As I get older, my tolerance for obnoxious noises in my vehicles has diminished.

QCVette

I like headers. I have had them on quite a few cars.

I did not have the problems with starters or gaskets or even notice more heat.

They helped with both performance and mileage.

However I don't have them on my current C4s simply because the headers are expensive. On many old muscle cars years ago they were cheap, but I think the Corvette tax is working. I see a few examples of stainless headers for other cars for about 1/3 the price of ours.

I will probably put some on mine in the future, but so far I haven't got around to it.

ghoastrider1

just put them on mine and I am happy.

hcbph

Mines a cruiser, street driven only. No mods to the engine and I'm getting too old to climb under there for things like headers. I've left mine stock and do not plan to do headers now or in the future.

383vett

I've had headers on my 84 for decades. Never had a blown gasket or a starter issue. Can't win without them.

MrJoelieC

I'll add my $2 and 50 cents worth:

If you are in fact going to the trouble of replacing the motor, what are you replacing it with? an LS? a 383 stroker? another L98? or another LT-1?

Now, we can argue till we are blue in the face about the benefits of a set of headers all day... But here is the thing:

Sure put on some headers... But what did you do after the headers? and More importantly: What did you do before the headers? Put it another way:

Imagine yourself looking in the mirror... Take in a breath... And now exhale more air than you took in... Well, how do you do that? How to expel more air from your lungs than you took in? (Let the fart jokes begin.)

It works the same going the other way and is easier to illustrate:

Look in the mirror.. Take in a breath throw both your mouth and nose as fast as you can. And now, exhale only through your nose... You cannot expel the air as fast as you brought it in...

The bottom line is, Sure you can make the breath going out easier with a few drawbacks... But what's the point if you cannot bring in just as much as you are able to expel? Are you also putting in a bigger intake? Bigger injectors? Bigger air box?

Wise men, and some Jedi, call it "Ballance."

73n95

I put a set of Hooker headers and side pipes on my 73. The Vette guys said the noise would drive me crazy, the vibration would get to me, they would come unbolted and rust out. That was 20 years ago. I find the sound and looks of the headers/side pipes more than makes up for the lack of power. Its an L48 (200HP). My only issue is repeated leg burns from passengers who don't heed my warning.

DGXR

Maybe the engine being swapped in is loud enough already? What is wrong with the existing manifolds?

James84vette

Me too. Really like the gain I've seen from them as well as the deeper sound.

ChumpVette

Heavy and restrictive.

Cool Runnings

I say no because that money may be needed for maintenance/ repairs. Furthermore, in a couple years I may sell and look for either a C5 or C6. Any money put into mods is pretty much a money loser. But then again, nothing better than a good exhaust system. I'm running a Corsa on the Dodge sedan and it sounds like music to my ears, I never get tired of it.