If 1 7/8 headers make more power then...
I'm glad I'm not the only one that laughed when he didn't understand what I did there.
This is simple to break down...
One person is arguing about stuff he reads..... Theory.
The other person is arguing about real world data and what happens on every motor .. even with the junk cams we run. Lol!
This is simple to break down...
One person is arguing about stuff he reads..... Theory.
The other person is arguing about real world data and what happens on every motor .. even with the junk cams we run. Lol!
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,797
Likes: 322
From: Wilmington, De
A 1 3/4"-1 7/8" stepped Kooks header is what I run in my GTO.
I went with ARH mainly for a few reason. The first is that they have a unique design all their own. Kooks, tsp, pacesetter, speed egn, etc all have the same primary design more or less modeled after the early grot headers. ARH is a fresh slate design. They seem to make a touch more power than other ls stuff but that's debatable but they do have a long primary length by a little. Their design hugs the block VERY tightly my 1-7/8 aren't even in the same hemisphere with my steering shaft, aka tons of room whereas my buddies kooks hit the steering shaft right out of the box. They also slide in very easily because of this reason, no removing the steering shaft or oil filter or whatever mine just slide right in. The collector on the ARH was unique up until kooks redid theirs a few months ago. The collector necks down and then opens up to help scavenging.
Finally though all my friends had kooks and I wanted to be different lol. Plus if you ever need anything Nick is a super nice guy who is very accommodating, I asked for a wideband bung and he did it for me at no charge. Even when I thought I might have an issue with my msd starter he offered to modify the headers to fit. Btw ARH will not work with aftermarket starters like the msd or power master the headers hug the block too close
Finally though all my friends had kooks and I wanted to be different lol. Plus if you ever need anything Nick is a super nice guy who is very accommodating, I asked for a wideband bung and he did it for me at no charge. Even when I thought I might have an issue with my msd starter he offered to modify the headers to fit. Btw ARH will not work with aftermarket starters like the msd or power master the headers hug the block too close
It's been said that a few of the guys that previously worked for kooks opened their own shop and called it ARH. I'm not sure how true it is but it was a reliable source that told me that, and he happens to live in the area in which one of the shops is located.
Your right the ARH's are tight on the passenger side. I actually had to take a sawzall to the factory alignment tab on the block so I could get the damned starter off
lol I decided to get rid of the fbody starter and put a smaller truck starter on the car as I up'd the compression and wanted two through bolts. 
Thanks buddy... I'm enjoying it again, in small doses. LOL 
Velocity and flow is what it is all about, no doubt... Edelbrock? Maybe, had a very cheap stepped header years ago. Don't know much about it and no first hand experience but I'd bet it does good.
When real life **** comes into play is when theory gets screwed.
Thanks for the kind words.
I'll be around more often now... Not as much as I once was, but around.
Collector most definitely matters.. As well as the over all design of the header. I've seen good 1 3/4 headers gain over junk 1 7/8.
Until I slap it in the dick.
Stepped headers are best, the problem is they're just so expensive compared to the gains you get. A 1-3/4 to 1-7/8 header will usually make more power than just a straight 1-7/8 header. The reason as lemons touched on earlier is velocity. The 1.75 part on the very top of the header speeds up the exhaust pulse as it exits the head port then as it opens up into 1.875 the venturi effect takes hold and almost sucks the exhaust straight out of the smaller section creating much better scavenging with the more free flowing pipe. There are a couple threads over on camaro5 about it. Not many people buy them because,
A. theyre clueless and anything 1-7/8 is just voodoo.
B. they're just too expensive
btw that also blows dckmn or whatever the names' theory about all exhaust gains being done at the collector out of the water. anytime you can gain flow with velocity you will make more power the motor doesnt care where it is.
He's been coming and going lol I wish he'd stick around because his advice is always good lol
A. theyre clueless and anything 1-7/8 is just voodoo.
B. they're just too expensive
btw that also blows dckmn or whatever the names' theory about all exhaust gains being done at the collector out of the water. anytime you can gain flow with velocity you will make more power the motor doesnt care where it is.
He's been coming and going lol I wish he'd stick around because his advice is always good lol
When real life **** comes into play is when theory gets screwed.
Thanks for the kind words.
I'll be around more often now... Not as much as I once was, but around.
Very true, also I'll add a couple things to that....
The merge collector like on ARH / Kooks headers also plays a huge role in better exhaust scavenging. A lot of "old school" LS headers like SLP's, hookers, pacesetters etc. did not have them. The research and development of LS headers has come a long ways since the late 90's early 2000's. I gained 5whp alone going from an SLP 1 3/4 LTs to ARH 1 7/8 on a bolt on car lol that's just changing headers and doing nothing else.
The merge collector like on ARH / Kooks headers also plays a huge role in better exhaust scavenging. A lot of "old school" LS headers like SLP's, hookers, pacesetters etc. did not have them. The research and development of LS headers has come a long ways since the late 90's early 2000's. I gained 5whp alone going from an SLP 1 3/4 LTs to ARH 1 7/8 on a bolt on car lol that's just changing headers and doing nothing else.
Until I slap it in the dick.
