which headers are better?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 3,186
Likes: 10
From: New Smyrna Beach Florida
The general consensus around the forum seems to be that long tube headers out perform the shorties. I know from personal experience that the long tubes are a good bang for the buck performance enhancer.
Pro
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 504
Likes: 0
The stock exhaust manifolds are as good as the shorties. Save up and put the long tubes on if you got the hankerin. I did and if I was to do over I'd leave it stock. Mod fever passes but man it can be intense. Shorties aint worth the trouble of install let alone the money. Best of Luck
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
Likes: 33
From: Not on either liberal coast.
Where do you live? Do you live in a state that requires annual emissions inspections?
Read you state statutes about exhaust system requirements.
The shorty headers are generally favored because they're 50 state CARB legal, can be installed by the owner w/o great difficulty, mount up to and don't require any other changes to the exhaust system, remove weight off the front end, are usually less expensive and don't require a tune.
You may only achieve 10hp with shorty headers. Long tube headers may achieve more but come with caveats.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,554
Likes: 2
You know Hotwheels57, seems only you and I defend short tubes.
Don`t forget dropping about 20 lbs. off you engine block also, not to mention the sweet looks over rusted OEM manifolds!
Me, 03. A4 3.15, twin cone, (poo-poo they say), Flowmasters (poop again), and BB shortys (whata waste), Charlie at RPM tuned me to 331 RWHP and , get this, 347 RWtorque. I quess I have a freak car then cause those numbers match or exceed the long tubes and X pipes and real CAI, etc. etc., wonder where all that torque is coming from anyway??????
CARB legal with an EO number supplied regarding the BB shortys. The only issue I see is these particular ones are VERY expensive, maybe shop used?
Don`t forget dropping about 20 lbs. off you engine block also, not to mention the sweet looks over rusted OEM manifolds!
Me, 03. A4 3.15, twin cone, (poo-poo they say), Flowmasters (poop again), and BB shortys (whata waste), Charlie at RPM tuned me to 331 RWHP and , get this, 347 RWtorque. I quess I have a freak car then cause those numbers match or exceed the long tubes and X pipes and real CAI, etc. etc., wonder where all that torque is coming from anyway??????
CARB legal with an EO number supplied regarding the BB shortys. The only issue I see is these particular ones are VERY expensive, maybe shop used?
Last edited by 50th@50; Dec 9, 2008 at 01:04 PM.
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Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
Likes: 33
From: Not on either liberal coast.
There's more than just you and I...and many of those who elect to use them have documented dyno evidence as well.
They'll be my choice soon for the reasons I enumerated. I don't have emissions requirements in my county...YET...but, it's only a matter of time. I like them mainly for the weight off the front as we both mentioned.
Most just don't want to get into the never ending debate...
They'll be my choice soon for the reasons I enumerated. I don't have emissions requirements in my county...YET...but, it's only a matter of time. I like them mainly for the weight off the front as we both mentioned.
Most just don't want to get into the never ending debate...
Advanced
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 59
Likes: 0
From: marietta ga
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,554
Likes: 2
No doubt, LT by far trump the shortys for HP, but they are NOT worthless as people like to say. Torque I think is better in mid range with shortys and higher end power with LT`s, I forget, but anyway, if anyone who is concerned about emission laws wants a nice up grade I would not hesitate to recommend good QUALITY shortys such as Billy Boat, but again,I do feel a litttle quilty they cost a fortune compared to a complete LT exhaust package. Frankly mine cost 1,200 including having them jet coated. A friend and I installed em thankfully. So if you can, by a good used set maybe. Again with my chincy mods how do you explain SAE corrected Dynojet at 347 RWtorque, very high for my lightweight mods, IMO.
Chow huh,
Last edited by 50th@50; Dec 9, 2008 at 04:19 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 2,151
Likes: 6
From: Oceanside Ca/ Tampa FL
You know Hotwheels57, seems only you and I defend short tubes.
Don`t forget dropping about 20 lbs. off you engine block also, not to mention the sweet looks over rusted OEM manifolds!
Me, 03. A4 3.15, twin cone, (poo-poo they say), Flowmasters (poop again), and BB shortys (whata waste), Charlie at RPM tuned me to 331 RWHP and , get this, 347 RWtorque. I quess I have a freak car then cause those numbers match or exceed the long tubes and X pipes and real CAI, etc. etc., wonder where all that torque is coming from anyway??????
CARB legal with an EO number supplied regarding the BB shortys. The only issue I see is these particular ones are VERY expensive, maybe shop used?
Don`t forget dropping about 20 lbs. off you engine block also, not to mention the sweet looks over rusted OEM manifolds!
Me, 03. A4 3.15, twin cone, (poo-poo they say), Flowmasters (poop again), and BB shortys (whata waste), Charlie at RPM tuned me to 331 RWHP and , get this, 347 RWtorque. I quess I have a freak car then cause those numbers match or exceed the long tubes and X pipes and real CAI, etc. etc., wonder where all that torque is coming from anyway??????
CARB legal with an EO number supplied regarding the BB shortys. The only issue I see is these particular ones are VERY expensive, maybe shop used?
High torque ='s converter spike on the dyno
JK. Nice numbers for a A4. I went with American Racing 1 7\8 Long tubes.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 883
Likes: 971
From: NW Burbs of Chi-Town
2025 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Better or Cheaper? Kooks and American Racing are the best that I have seen and the LG's are said to be good.
Cheapish, Chineasium and easy to install is SE:
https://speed-engineering.com/collec...s1-ls6-engines
I put Jet Hot Coated SE on my Corvette after speaking to many people about the quality and fit of the SE headers.. They went in easy, with nice fit/clearance in the engine bay and good ground clearance. If money was no object I'd do the American Racing headers + Jet Hot, as I have a set on the Oldsmobile I used to race. Those Olds headers were $600-650 for the Olds when they were 1st offered for the 86 gbody SBO Olds around 2007. At the time you get cheap Flowmasters for less than $200 on the Olds. $2k for the Corvette plus the Jet Hot was a little steep at the time when I was purchasing all the other parts for the Head/Cam/ Header swap I did last spring. No regrets.
Cheapish, Chineasium and easy to install is SE:
https://speed-engineering.com/collec...s1-ls6-engines
I put Jet Hot Coated SE on my Corvette after speaking to many people about the quality and fit of the SE headers.. They went in easy, with nice fit/clearance in the engine bay and good ground clearance. If money was no object I'd do the American Racing headers + Jet Hot, as I have a set on the Oldsmobile I used to race. Those Olds headers were $600-650 for the Olds when they were 1st offered for the 86 gbody SBO Olds around 2007. At the time you get cheap Flowmasters for less than $200 on the Olds. $2k for the Corvette plus the Jet Hot was a little steep at the time when I was purchasing all the other parts for the Head/Cam/ Header swap I did last spring. No regrets.
Pro
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 622
Likes: 169
From: Montgomery Texas
Better for what?
Shorties are cheaper, easier to install and some of them carry an emissions compliance certification. They offer a modest power increase at best.
Long tubes are more expensive, more difficult to install and are illegal in all 50 states. They offer a more significant power increase at very high RPMs.
Shorties are cheaper, easier to install and some of them carry an emissions compliance certification. They offer a modest power increase at best.
Long tubes are more expensive, more difficult to install and are illegal in all 50 states. They offer a more significant power increase at very high RPMs.
