header choice

Rosco · 06-21-2003, 02:49 PM

I'm looking to do some work on my exhaust but i'm not sure what kind of headers to go with. At first I was thinking about long tubes, but considering that i'll be building up my car piece by piece as I put money away for it, longtubes wouldn't be for me yet. What i'm wondering is what is the difference between the shorty headers and the equal length shorties? Is there a noticeable difference for another $30 or $40? I was also wondering what people recommend for this. I plan to go with a 2 1/2" off-road H-pipe , and 2 1/2" flows. Thanks

Rosco

Rosco · 06-22-2003, 09:00 PM

anyone at all?

glenn95gt · 06-23-2003, 12:29 AM

If you have the money for the long tubes I say go for it. Save yourself the hassle of buying shorties, then wanting long tubes later. You won't regret. But if you can't afford them, just go with the un-equal lengths. Equals are a pain to work around.

cyberstang5.0 · 06-23-2003, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by glenn95gt
If you have the money for the long tubes I say go for it. Save yourself the hassle of buying shorties, then wanting long tubes later. You won't regret. But if you can't afford them, just go with the un-equal lengths. Equals are a pain to work around.

I totally agree!!! Longtubes will make your car happy and equal length headers are a pain in the @ss to work around. I have BBK longtubes and love them. I recomend BBK

RoadWarrior · 06-23-2003, 10:14 AM

Right now i have a set of flowtech unequal shorties on mine and i love them. They do a great job but now i am planning to go to longtubes in order to hopefully see a few extra ponies out of them. Which ever way you choose i HIGHLY reccomend getting them ceramic coated. Your headers will last forever that way.

cyberstang5.0 · 06-23-2003, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by RoadWarrior
Right now i have a set of flowtech unequal shorties on mine and i love them. They do a great job but now i am planning to go to longtubes in order to hopefully see a few extra ponies out of them. Which ever way you choose i HIGHLY reccomend getting them ceramic coated. Your headers will last forever that way.

Yes, I agree with the ceramic coated too. That is what I bought. It cost me an arm and a leg ($400 with a discount) but it is well worth the extra few bucks.

RoadWarrior · 06-23-2003, 10:19 AM

By the way how did the BBK longtubes fit in there. Im just wondering how hard they are to install since hopefully i can manage a set soon.

cyberstang5.0 · 06-23-2003, 10:24 AM

They fit like a glove

I have a Lakewood bellhouseing and a TKO tranny. I did not have any kind of clearance problems on either side of the tranny. They also tuck up under the chasis real good. I have heard that MAC headers hang real low and people have complained that they hit them on everything and their car wasn't dropped.

88fivepointoh · 06-23-2003, 10:20 PM

UN-equal lengths or long tubes... and Definetly BBK or MAC... equal lengths are a nite mare.. cooked my speedo cable and to mant sets of plug wires..

Rosco · 06-26-2003, 01:36 PM

Yeah, i was actually looking at the BBK Longtubes 1 5/8". Not to bad of a price on them either. I was wondering, for those of you who might have them, how did the install go? I've heard a bunch of stories of it being a pain in the @ss. Major thing i heard was having to jack up the engine a bit, also loosening the tranny bolts? This will deffintaly help me make a decision. Thanks alot

cyberstang5.0 · 06-26-2003, 03:17 PM

I didn't have to do any crazy stuff when I installed my headers, but I don't have the stock cross member so that helped out a lot. I would recomend getting "Stage 8" header bolts. They are locking and won't back out like a lot of head bolts do. Well worth the 40-45 bucks from Summit. If you opt to stick with the standard bolts, then make sure you keep checking them just so they don't back out on ya.

Dark_5.0 · 06-26-2003, 05:35 PM

I have the BBK equal length headers and I love them. They are not hard to install, they do not get in the way. And if you tie back your plug wires they wont get cooked. Not to mention they look cool. I pulled and reinstalled my engine with the Equal length headers still attached.

I have no regrets at all.

Now longtubes on the other hand are a pain in the ***. They are hard to install. You have to get a different H or X-pipe. They scrape everything you drive over. You have to extend the wires on your O2 sensors and they are very hard to use with aftermarket bell housings etc....

Thats my 2 cents,

06-21-2003, 02:49 PM	#1
Rosco Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Vestal, NY Posts: 307	header choice I'm looking to do some work on my exhaust but i'm not sure what kind of headers to go with. At first I was thinking about long tubes, but considering that i'll be building up my car piece by piece as I put money away for it, longtubes wouldn't be for me yet. What i'm wondering is what is the difference between the shorty headers and the equal length shorties? Is there a noticeable difference for another $30 or $40? I was also wondering what people recommend for this. I plan to go with a 2 1/2" off-road H-pipe , and 2 1/2" flows. Thanks Rosco __________________ 1989 Mustang 5.0 Conversion, Full Saleen ground effects and spoiler, '94 saleen decal set, '93 Saleen Seats, Black interior from a '93, Steeda quadrant, smog pump delete, a/c delete, Steeda Tri-Ax shifter, '97 rear differential, aluminum driveshaft, 5 lug conversion, '97 rear disc brakes, southside upper and lower control arms, '99 GT Anniversary wheels, flowtech longtubes, flowtech offroad H-pipe, saleen lowering springs, kyb shocks, caster/camber plates

06-22-2003, 09:00 PM	#2
Rosco Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Vestal, NY Posts: 307	anyone at all? __________________ 1989 Mustang 5.0 Conversion, Full Saleen ground effects and spoiler, '94 saleen decal set, '93 Saleen Seats, Black interior from a '93, Steeda quadrant, smog pump delete, a/c delete, Steeda Tri-Ax shifter, '97 rear differential, aluminum driveshaft, 5 lug conversion, '97 rear disc brakes, southside upper and lower control arms, '99 GT Anniversary wheels, flowtech longtubes, flowtech offroad H-pipe, saleen lowering springs, kyb shocks, caster/camber plates

06-23-2003, 12:29 AM	#3
glenn95gt Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Bay Area, Ca Posts: 86	If you have the money for the long tubes I say go for it. Save yourself the hassle of buying shorties, then wanting long tubes later. You won't regret. But if you can't afford them, just go with the un-equal lengths. Equals are a pain to work around. __________________ StAnGaHoLiC!!! 1995 GT S-Trimmed 306, with H/C/I, and some other stuff. It just sounds fast. My Car

06-23-2003, 10:14 AM	#5
RoadWarrior Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Edmonton,Alberta,Canada Posts: 317	Right now i have a set of flowtech unequal shorties on mine and i love them. They do a great job but now i am planning to go to longtubes in order to hopefully see a few extra ponies out of them. Which ever way you choose i HIGHLY reccomend getting them ceramic coated. Your headers will last forever that way. __________________ Fast Company

06-23-2003, 10:19 AM	#7
RoadWarrior Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Edmonton,Alberta,Canada Posts: 317	By the way how did the BBK longtubes fit in there. Im just wondering how hard they are to install since hopefully i can manage a set soon. __________________ Fast Company

06-23-2003, 10:24 AM	#8
cyberstang5.0 347ci of HORSE POWER!!! Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 1,416	They fit like a glove I have a Lakewood bellhouseing and a TKO tranny. I did not have any kind of clearance problems on either side of the tranny. They also tuck up under the chasis real good. I have heard that MAC headers hang real low and people have complained that they hit them on everything and their car wasn't dropped.

06-23-2003, 10:20 PM	#9
88fivepointoh Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Rochester Posts: 553	UN-equal lengths or long tubes... and Definetly BBK or MAC... equal lengths are a nite mare.. cooked my speedo cable and to mant sets of plug wires..

06-26-2003, 01:36 PM	#10
Rosco Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Vestal, NY Posts: 307	Yeah, i was actually looking at the BBK Longtubes 1 5/8". Not to bad of a price on them either. I was wondering, for those of you who might have them, how did the install go? I've heard a bunch of stories of it being a pain in the @ss. Major thing i heard was having to jack up the engine a bit, also loosening the tranny bolts? This will deffintaly help me make a decision. Thanks alot __________________ 1989 Mustang 5.0 Conversion, Full Saleen ground effects and spoiler, '94 saleen decal set, '93 Saleen Seats, Black interior from a '93, Steeda quadrant, smog pump delete, a/c delete, Steeda Tri-Ax shifter, '97 rear differential, aluminum driveshaft, 5 lug conversion, '97 rear disc brakes, southside upper and lower control arms, '99 GT Anniversary wheels, flowtech longtubes, flowtech offroad H-pipe, saleen lowering springs, kyb shocks, caster/camber plates

06-26-2003, 03:17 PM	#11
cyberstang5.0 347ci of HORSE POWER!!! Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 1,416	I didn't have to do any crazy stuff when I installed my headers, but I don't have the stock cross member so that helped out a lot. I would recomend getting "Stage 8" header bolts. They are locking and won't back out like a lot of head bolts do. Well worth the 40-45 bucks from Summit. If you opt to stick with the standard bolts, then make sure you keep checking them just so they don't back out on ya.

06-26-2003, 05:35 PM	#12
Dark_5.0 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Staging lane Posts: 4,337	I have the BBK equal length headers and I love them. They are not hard to install, they do not get in the way. And if you tie back your plug wires they wont get cooked. Not to mention they look cool. I pulled and reinstalled my engine with the Equal length headers still attached. I have no regrets at all. Now longtubes on the other hand are a pain in the *. They are hard to install. You have to get a different H or X-pipe. They scrape everything you drive over. You have to extend the wires on your O2 sensors and they are very hard to use with aftermarket bell housings etc.... Thats my 2 cents, __________________ 92' LX-Big brakes, Lots and lots of suspension, GT40X heads, Ported cobra intake, stock cam, Vortech SC trim. 00' Lightning-Stock 88'CRX**-13 second ego killer

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