Long tube vs. short tube headers...
 

Can anyone tell me what the difference would be between long tube and short tube headers?

One is longer the the other? :rofl:

j/k im sure someone will post the real differnce :thumbs:

:bigears

I'd like to know the difference also. I'm always hearing about "long tube" headers. Do they make "short tube" headers for 'Vettes?

Answer to the short tube ones, yes they are made and they are not worth the money over a stock setup and the Long tube ones are what they say and the collector ends up under the car and therefore worth the mod:cheers:

So I'm assuming what you are saying is that the long tube headers are the way to go, do a better job of "scavaging" the spend gases, and they offer the most performance gain.

My understanding is that the short tubes are not worth the money and time.

I have LT's on mine....Great sound and they added over 20 RWHP to my car.

Yes. Long tubes are real performance parts. Short tubes are placebos...

:cheers:

yes they make 'shorties' but your best bet is to go with lt's.. they add more power than shorties and sound awesome.. a little harder to install but well worth it

Exactly, when you force more in if you can exhale better than it is more effiecent and therefore more power, the shorties are very close to the stock exhaust lenght and that mean not much improvement exhaling. So not only do LT headers sound mean they work at moving out the exhaust and does burn the gases better:cheers:

There are some legal issues with long tubes though right? is that just in California or are there other states where you might run into trouble?

No issues here in Texas and one good reason not to live in Lib country of Calif:D

it'll only fail the visual, IF they visaully inspect it. I've seen 470 rwhp vettes with Headers H/C pass in California.

Hmmm, I got real good potatos at +24 HP with pace setter shorty headers on my 98. 322 hp and 336 TQ

!/4 mile 12.87 at 110

IMO

Heads/cam = LT
Stock Motor = shorty

It would be advisable to seek out those who have experience with both set ups.

:cheers:

Long tubes - designed specifically for racing and high rpms. The best models have equal length primaries however the scavenging effect isn't affected as much by equal primary tube length because the primaries themselves are longer which means the speed of a single exhaust pulse can produce a stronger vacuum in it's "wake" in the higher RPM range
Pros:
- excellent for High rpm racing
- look cool
Cons:
- rather expensive compared to shorties
- sacrifice's a little in the lower RPM range compared to shorties
- if you have to work under the car, they're a pain to get around

Short tubes "shorties" - A happy medium between exhaust manifolds and long tubes. They offer the benefit of having good lower RPM torque but ONLY if they have equal length primaries (such as Borla) otherwise the scavenging effect is drastically decreased. They are good for people who don't plan to see much track time but want a decent improvement over stock.

Pros:
- relatively easy to work around above and below the car
- happy middle of the road header
- less expensive than LT headers

cons:
- lacks power in high rpm range
- don't look nearly as cool as LTs

your wasting your time and money on short headers...you'll love LTs I promise...check out LG LTs...you can't go wrong...among other brands too. you'll gain some hp and great noise...how could you go wrong??

OOH! OOH! I wanna chime in too!

Short tube headers are designed to scavenge exhaust gases quicker by shortening the exhaust gas pulses, which increases torque and HP lower in the rev range. They are real good on auto-equipped cars. Long tube headers, particularly tuned-length headers(each primary tube from the header flange to the merge are the same length), lengthen the exhaust gas pulses, which move the torque and HP farther up and wider throughout the rev range. Follow so far?

Aftermarket headers generally provide superior exhaust gas scavenging, which in turn allow the engine (which is basically a big air pump; more air out allows more air in, increasing HP and torque) to breathe better.

You can find much more information in the C5 Tech section. Do a search for "headers" or "long tubes". Hope this helps! :thumbs:

I've always heard shorties aren't worth the time/effort. LTs are the way to go... however they must be unbolted from the mid pipes and heads to gain access to drivetrain work.

I wanted long tubes to start with, but got a great deal on JBA shortys. I paid $350 for them new in box locally. I am impressed at how much they improve the sound, and I'm sure there was at least a small power gain. I have yet to get my car on a dyno, but for $350, it sure feels like I got my moneys worth.

I haven't installed either on my 'Vette, but I run BBK ceramic shorties on my '04 Mustang. I picked up 12 WHP when all was done, and the exhaust is 50 states legal, and I don't have collectors cutting grooves into my gravel road. If you do shorties, make sure the company offers a tuned, equal length tube setup. I agree, your best gains will be with long tubes, but some folks take the middle of the road approach due to road clearance, and emissions laws. Ceramic coated headers are well worth the $$$$, I've had mine on 2 years, no rust, and it's amazing how well they hold the heat in!

John

John

Despite what people say B&B shorties ARE worth doing.....That being said, I do have AR longs now because I can. Too many people criticize shorties but don't have any realexperience with them. The B&B's will give an honest 10 rwhp proven in my case on the Dyno..........