Shorty headers or not?

[07GT]

I've read some posts that say "long tube headers or nothing at all". Are shorty headers (for example, the Ford Racing shorty headers) not that much better than the stock part regarding horsepower and exhaust sound? If horsepower gain was minimal but exhaust sound improved I might still go for it. Interested to hear what some of you have to say.

[PureVenom]

From my understanding, and I am not an expert on headers, long tubes will give both better sound and HP numbers than shortties due to better scavaging of the exuast and what not. I will let some of the more edumacated chime in, but that is what I have always read/been told.

[bullitt482]

Depends on what your plans are. If you are sticking with a bolt on car(mild), I'd stay with shorties, but if you plan on going with forced induction/nitrous in the future i'd go ahead and do long tubes. Beware though, there are some issues with some brands of long tube headers though, like having to disconnect them when removing the transmission, hanging to low and rubbing the ground(in a lowered car), etc. I say pick your poison. I'd go long tubes just because I know I can't leave a car stock, well, ever.

[PureVenom]

Quote: Originally Posted by bullitt482 Depends on what your plans are. If you are sticking with a bolt on car(mild), I'd stay with shorties, but if you plan on going with forced induction/nitrous in the future i'd go ahead and do long tubes. Beware though, there are some issues with some brands of long tube headers though, like having to disconnect them when removing the transmission, hanging to low and rubbing the ground(in a lowered car), etc. I say pick your poison. I'd go long tubes just because I know I can't leave a car stock, well, ever.

That must be why I keep getting told long tubes are better...

And yeah, long tubes will affect ground clearance and tranny access in case you didn't know.

Stainless works makes an amazing set of long tubes...welds are amazing...clean...and haven't heard anything negative about them leaking as of yet.

[07GT]

Just talked to performance shop in Webster, TX. They recently bolted on set of BBK shorty headers and larger throttle body to 05+ GT...pre and post dyno were exactly the same (291 RWHP). Could have been result of larger TB on normally aspirated motor...needless to say I won't be spending $400 on shorty headers though. They also said exhaust sound at rear of car was unchanged; headers only made engine compartment noise louder.

[bbunt302]

Longtube headers will make good gains on nearly any V8, whether it's N/A or boosted. They really are better than shorties in every way other than ground clearance, being pain to install and being a total pain to work around.

[rocknbronco]

at times hard work is worth the trade off and this is one of the times go long.

[MonteCitan]

I had shorty headers on my '02

was a definite gain over stock (at the track..), and it improved the tone of the stock exhaust a good deal, if I got another 99-04 I'd do shorty headers again + they looked a lot better under the hood + if you ever need to service your trans, its a LOT easier with shorty headers than Long Tubes ( most LTs would have to be removed to drop a trans) at least from the rustangs we serviced..