I live in Sacramento where they are really started to crack down on illegally modified cars so I was wondering what the best shortie headers would be??? Is there a big difference between shorties and mids?

 

I would like to know as well, I'm down in Fresno .

 

The best shorty header is probably the factory manifolds on the 2000-2002 cars. I don't think I've ever seen a post on shorties making more than 5HP and even that could be attributed to tuning. Somebody please prove me wrong, but I wouldn't waste the money on anything less than mid-lengths...

 

 

What kind of gains would I see with mids? Would it be worth it?

 

more than shorties but less than LT's

 

thx lol

 

surely a shorty will make more than 5hp!

 

I quote Camaro Performers magazine "Our experts agree that shorty headers don't do an F-car any good. Go long, or go home."

Good Luck,
Alex

 

Well that is hard to do when you are restricted by emissions.

 

Just because you get long tubes dosen't mean you have to get rid of your cats. Atleast I don't think it does.

~Alex

 

Even if you keep CATs you will still be illegal because they are moved back. It all depends on how detailed your visual inspection is. The only legal headers are shorties with a CARB number. But as stated above don't bother with anything other than long tubes.

 

Shorties can make great power, but you need an engine that probably revs well beyond 8000-10,000rpm. That's why they don't work.

It's not about flow either, it's about scavenging. And due to the primary lengths on shorties they just don't work with push rod V8's.

Mids still work best at high rpm, so if a cam is in your future you could make pretty good power with them. But LT's are still best as the match the engines operation rev range better and will make more power and torque through-out the entire range.

The difference between 98-00 and 01-02 cars is not worth the hassle of changing. Nor is going to shorties.

Mac mids are a compromise, but if you're going that far might as well get LT's.

TSP does good deals on Pacesetter LT's and a catted Y pipe. It may not be 100% legal, but it will pass a sniffer test.

 

I went from 104 to 107mph in the 1/4 with my Edelbrocks but the 98-99 manifolds suck compared to the 00 and up.

 

if i were you i'd keep your stock manifolds and just get an STS system. carb approved mods are far and few on the fbody and the ones that are, are just as expensive as there non emissions counterparts. you'll be spending just as much as the emissions illegal guy but making much less power.

its not worth it anymore to try and cheat the system and run LT's even with cats, trying to find a smog shop that will pass you, ect.

 

Though that the MAC MId lenght headers Produced good # And JBA CAT4ward headers. i dont have them but was thinking of looking into them. some 1 that has them maybe could chime in.

 

Yea, I'm going to be installing an ATI ProCharger soon and was wondering if I would benefit from installing JBA's or just staying with the stock manifolds. ('99 Camaro SS)

 

for some reason shorties dyno pretty well on 5.0 mustangs why is that???

 

The best thing is to learn the WHY about headers. Click the link in my sig (MOD GUIDE) and read posts 6 & 13 onwards.

Supercharged engines apply to the same laws of physics as n/a engines. So no shorties will be no more beneficial with a blower than without.

Remember the key to good header design is scavenging ability more so than flow.

 

I would guess it's due to other mods and tuning performed at the same time. Combined with different dyno types and conditions.

If the stock manifolds are very restrictive, then shorties may flow better which will help HP, but they will not scavenge very well due to the lenght of the primaries.

As I say if you want a more techy explanation click the link in my sig (MOD GUIDE) and read posts 6 & 13 onwards