When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
MTI Racing just installed a set of the Pfadt Long Tube Headers on Garry's C7 Corvette and man does it sound good. Not only do the headers add power to the C7 but they also give it the aggressive sound to match it's aggressive looks. The Pfadt Header kit includes long tube headers, catted connection pipes, all clamps, gaskets, fasteners, and x-pipe center section that ties into the factory muffler system at the rear of the car. And to top it all off we installed a set of MTI Racing Hot Spark Plug Wires to handle the most extreme conditions possible under the hood. With the addition of the headers and tuning the power increased to 440rwhp and torque to 433 at the tire. This makes the engine power 517hp and the torque 509.
Great job Guys! Those plug wire covers are definitely a great MTI touch. Had a call from Gary the other day and he couldn't stop talking about how great it sounded.
These headers dont seem to be adding as much power as other brands. Other shops have picked up 25 HP and 34 TQ with just a tune. So these headers seem to have only picked up 15 HP and 2 TQ over what one could achieve with a tune only.
These headers dont seem to be adding as much power as other brands. Other shops have picked up 25 HP and 34 TQ with just a tune. So these headers seem to have only picked up 15 HP and 2 TQ over what one could achieve with a tune only.
Every dyno is a little different. We have been seeing gains of 20hp with a tune alone and 40 to 50 hp with a tune and headers. There is also more to be had if you go catless. If I recall correctly Garys car had a catted center section. We could easily manipulate things so that it looks like we gained more power but we try not to play that dyno number game.
This just once again confirms, headers + tune, regardless of the brand = ~40-50RWHP.
No big surprise here, that is what we've seen with the LS motors for years. Same firing order and the same displacement as a LS3. Yes you have the VVT stuff, which is why the torque curve looks different. If you want more power than 40-50, you have to add a CAI, camshaft, heads, supercharger, ect.
When OBX, TSP, and every other company has their version of headers ready we'll see them all land between 40-50RWHP with a tune. Its been happening for 15 years now...I'm not sure how anyone missed that
More OBX comments While they all may create *about* the same horsepower, there are so many other things to consider other than peak horsepower. The torque curve is one of those things, which I know you already know about from your other posts. Check out this info on why a Tri-Y is a great option for optimizing your torque curve:
"The Tri-Y has long been popular in road racing, favored for its ability to vector hot gases into primary collectors then into the secondary collector. This gets you a broader torque curve, which is ideal for road racing and street driving."
Source: Automedia: Choosing the Right Headers : http://www.automedia.com/Choosing_th.../pht20120401ch
"The benefits of the Tri-Y are that it has a broader power curve, and generally it starts accelerating from a lower rpm and commonly will accelerate longer, creating a flatter, broader torque curve.."
Source:PRI Magazine: New Header Developments :http://epub.performanceracing.com/di...php?id=1095721
"While typical off-the-shelf street 4-into-1 headers do not have secondary pipes, Burns' research has proven repeatedly that his Tri-Y designs make more overall power over a broader rpm range. While traditional lines of thought have street enthusiasts knowing Tri-Y pipes make more bottom-end torque, further research by Burns into the design have resulted in headers making more power all across the rpm range. With more components as part of the Tri-Y design, more tuning possibilities exist, and therefore more potential lives within."
Source:Popular Hot Rodding: http://www.popularhotrodding.com/tec...d_header_tech/
"The general consensus with engine builders is that this design {tri-y} broadens the torque curve while the four-into-one headers tend to be more peaky"
Source:John Lingenfelter: Modifying Small-Block Chevy Engines: High Performance : page 131 http://books.google.com/books?id=GUC...to%201&f=false
Well, that, and the whole matter of OBX stealing designs in the past...
I'll pay more and keep it in the US instead of getting cheaply made stuff. And I have used OBX and Pacesetter in the past to save $... Ask me how that turned out.
it would be perfect if heat shileds would be available for this kit.
any chance to reuse stock heat shields?
The MTI Racing Hot Spark Plug Wires were specifically designed to handle the extreme conditions found under the hood without factory heat shields. We have found over the years that the factory heat shields can actually shorten the life of the stock wire by retaining heat.
this is interesting...
anyway - removing heatshields rease underhood temps quite a bit which can affect a lot of components.
so IMO it's always better to keep headers heat shielded...
this is interesting...
anyway - removing heatshields rease underhood temps quite a bit which can affect a lot of components.
so IMO it's always better to keep headers heat shielded...
I have never seen an LT header on any platform that retains a factory heat shield.
I have never seen an LT header on any platform that retains a factory heat shield.
it's rare indeed with the aftermarket headers (of any type of car).
some workarounds exist in a forms of coating or wrapping.
i just don't get why header manufacturers skip on this.
underhood temps definitely rise significantly and in a long term eveything under the bonnet is slowly coocked...
Well, that, and the whole matter of OBX stealing designs in the past...
I'll pay more and keep it in the US instead of getting cheaply made stuff. And I have used OBX and Pacesetter in the past to save $... Ask me how that turned out.
OK......how DID that turn out for you....not to well right?
MTI Racing just installed a set of the Pfadt Long Tube Headers on Garry's C7 Corvette and man does it sound good. Not only do the headers add power to the C7 but they also give it the aggressive sound to match it's aggressive looks. The Pfadt Header kit includes long tube headers, catted connection pipes, all clamps, gaskets, fasteners, and x-pipe center section that ties into the factory muffler system at the rear of the car. And to top it all off we installed a set of MTI Racing Hot Spark Plug Wires to handle the most extreme conditions possible under the hood. With the addition of the headers and tuning the power increased to 440rwhp and torque to 433 at the tire. ]
OK......how DID that turn out for you....not to well right?
Negatively, to say the least.
Fitment issues, poor construction (bad welds, etc), material is crappy (very thin 409 or less)... One of the sets actually cracked a weld from heat cycling...
I learned a while back that the initial cost savings will cost you in the long run.
Fitment issues, poor construction (bad welds, etc), material is crappy (very thin 409 or less)... One of the sets actually cracked a weld from heat cycling...
I learned a while back that the initial cost savings will cost you in the long run.
Agreed. While you can save money buy purchasing other "budget headers", the weld quality will not be acceptable for a long-term solution. That is why we take such pride in having the highest quality welds in the industry: