headers

[ighettoboyi 10+ year member]

all of you who say performance mods help milage are dumb. obviously you guys aren't readjusting your a/f ratios like you should. intakes and catbacks cause minimal changes in parameters and can be adjusted, but headers require some computer work (assuming your car is relatively new and is ecu operated not mechanical). anyways, once you readjust you shouldn't be getting better milage. also headers makes it more difficult to pass smog. and the performance (and loudness) is usually greater w/headers as opposed to just catback/exhaust

 

[soundstreamer 10+ year member]

all of you who say performance mods help milage are dumb. obviously you guys aren't readjusting your a/f ratios like you should. intakes and catbacks cause minimal changes in parameters and can be adjusted, but headers require some computer work (assuming your car is relatively new and is ecu operated not mechanical). anyways, once you readjust you shouldn't be getting better milage. also headers makes it more difficult to pass smog. and the performance (and loudness) is usually greater w/headers as opposed to just catback/exhaust

it does make the motor more efficient, which means it takes less fuel to make it respond in the same manor. it is like a sub(it is ca.com) going from a sealed enclosure to an free air setting. less wattage(fuel) is required to make the sub bottom out(ok, that may have been way out in left field...i'll just quit now).

it has never increased my fuel mileage only because i get a little more interested in keeping the accelerator pedal down after a few upgrades. i have also never installed headers onto a vehicle with a computer(it has been completely removed from my current truck) and never had to pass an emissions test.

 

[BDIDDY 10+ year member]

it does make the motor more efficient, which means it takes less fuel to make it respond in the same manor. it is like a sub(it is ca.com) going from a sealed enclosure to an free air setting. less wattage(fuel) is required to make the sub bottom out(ok, that may have been way out in left field...i'll just quit now).it has never increased my fuel mileage only because i get a little more interested in keeping the accelerator pedal down after a few upgrades. i have also never installed headers onto a vehicle with a computer(it has been completely removed from my current truck) and never had to pass an emissions test.

I could agree.....

But... If you look at it like that then at supercharger and everyother aftermarket part would get you better gas mileage....

If you look in the trucking magazine, the sell packages that show how much better your gas mileage can get with a intake, exhaust, headers, etc...

Maybe I'm just lost..

 

[ighettoboyi 10+ year member]

like i said, things that change the flow quite a bit will require extra FUEL to maintain correct burn ratios. mods may be less RESTRICTIVE but there's a lot more to fuel efficiency than that

 

[1972chevelle 10+ year member]

I agree........ from what i have seen you either get one of two things........... better performance which basically is a casue of more air and fuel to the engine... which casues more fuel to burn quicker and your not going to get better gas mileage by burning the hell out of all ur fuel..... or theres products that are made to give u better gas mileage which do not burn as much fuel but keep there normal performance and are not supposed to give you more performance ...... a lot of those mags have a whole lot of bs ad's in them that just wanna catch your eye

 

[1972chevelle 10+ year member]

also just like car audio everything comes down to the set up and the car

 

[ighettoboyi 10+ year member]

the only reason you gain milage with some basic bolt ons is cuz of the often times overlooked fact that you are LOSING low-end power for high-end power, so in regular driving conditions you're getting better milage cuz your car is actually not performing as well as stock. of course these losses are negligible to the butt dyno

 

[Polecat 5,000+ posts]

headers help, only if the rest of the motor has changed made it it...because headers do indeed help flow, and will change settings. Hence why companies ask that make chips on all your mods...on a carb's vehicle, you will need to change A/F ratio, and possibly jets.

Now headers have come a long way, but get some good headers with a solid flange, good copper or type gaskets, and some Stge 8 locking bolts and your fine...

headers on a race car is fine, daily, I personally won't do again...

 

[cheeseburger35 10+ year member]

i'm with polecat with this one.. i've had 2 sets of headers on 2 trucks.. both chevy's both hooker headers.. on my 79 i must have gone through 4 or 5 gaskets before i changed to copper.. and i haven't had a problem yet do not cheap out.. they're like 50 bucks a set but they're worth it. ... if you're going to get headers atleast use lock washers or some loc-tite make sure you use the right kind.. (the kind that'll hold.. but you can still break lose with a wrench) .. wrench that brings up another point.. putting headers on and off can be a really big *****.. especially on my 79 on the back end bolts.. just no room to turn a wrench.. find you a really small 7/16 wrench and it'll help loads.. another thing.. tighten the bolts in the middle and then do the outsides...