. 
Best shortie headers?
Best shortie headers? 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?
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...
Trending Topics
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo
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.
TECH Addict
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,660
Likes: 14
From: England
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.
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.
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.
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.
Board Certified Idiot
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 714
Likes: 0
From: EHT ..New JERSEY
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.
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
From: California
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)
Last edited by sebaSS99; Feb 12, 2006 at 02:36 PM.
TECH Addict
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,660
Likes: 14
From: England
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.
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.
TECH Addict
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,660
Likes: 14
From: England
Originally Posted by GMmexican
for some reason shorties dyno pretty well on 5.0 mustangs why is that???
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
