Okay, I plan to get some and have them installed by the end of the month. The wuestion is what to go for? Obviously i dont want to spend a forune.

I saw a feww of the good brands on ebay and were cheaper than say from summit racing.

1) What is the difference between shorty and full length? Does it make a difference performance wise?

2) Is there reallyt a difference between one for 250 and one for 480 or is it just the brand? I think it is the brand.

3) I want to keep the factory settings, the air pump that is. I saw some being sold for the 305 TPI but dont seem to have any assembly for the air tubes like some other headers.

4) I was told that they will begin to leak. ANyone had headers on for a good while and NOT experienced any leaks?


5) Finally, most importantly. What will i expect performance wise? Noticable by the way my exhause is in very bad internal shape so that will be changed to for something regular.


Sam

 

we need to know more about your car first.

but from someone that just put headers in last year i wouldnt go with anything but long tubes unless you have to keep your emissions. pretty soon if i get the money i think ill probably swap my shorties for long tubes. we need to know more first. car and location would be best.

 

1) Shorty headers follow the stock routing and y-pipe routing. Full length ones hang down really low and are generally not used on street cars. Although they will possibly give you a BIT more performance, and are generally cheaper, they are much harder to install, dont have air tubes, and kill your ground clearance. They do not work with factory exhaust.

2)Yes, yes there is. Fitment for one. Primary sizes for another. Flowtech ones use 1-1/2" primaries and a 2-1/2" collector. That means barely any gain at all. Hooker and most others use 1-5/8" primaries and a 3" collector. This means more power.

3)Some do, some dont. if they dont say they do, they probably dont.

4)Yep. Probably will. The better quality ones you get though, the less likely you are to have them leak. Get locking header bolts and that will greatly help. But again it goes back to quality. You dont need to go spend the $600 on the best ones, but DO NOT spend the bare minimum. This pretty much means no flowtechs, and possibly no edelbrocks either. I like Hooker 2460s, 2055s if you can afford. Or headmans. I think the part number for those is 68470 but I am not sure.

5)if you upgrade the rest of your exhaust, and get good headers, you will feel a difference in the low end and up top.


Hope that all helps. If you need pics of shorties versus long tubes I can show you.

 

thanks for the quick replies

I am in north Idaho. The car, an 88 305 TPI has had nothing done to it. basically stock.

I found this
Header on Ebay it has all the things i would need and t is by PaceSetter.

However if that is a decent price for the product or not i dont know.

 

2-1/4" y-pipe?!?! 2-1/2" collectors?!?!? Not only does that make no sense at all, it sucks. Unless you wont be revving it up at all, you need 3" collectors and y-pipe. Or if you want an extra ~8 ft-lbs down low at the cost of about the same number of ponies up top, go with 2-1/2 collectors and a 2-1/2" y-pipe. But an exhaust system only flows as well as it's most restrictive part, and if you have a 2-1/4" y-pipe, well that's no better than stock. I reccomend against. Especially for that price.

 

thanks for seeing that and letting me know How about EDL-6872 on summitracing. It is 2 1/2 though.

hmm anyone know of a site selling such stuff and at the same time having the most compettitive prices?

Sam

 

Summit is good, but because I live in Canada it's still better just to go to the local store. Or you could watch the classifieds.

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=152269

and

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=204967

are both stickies at the top of the page. Read these and you'll know which ones to get

What you choose is dependant on your budget. But the difference in headers is definetly different within each header. Dont bother getting anything less than 3" collecters, you'll just be restricting yourself.

 

Everyone keeps saying to go for a 3" collector and y pipe.

Since i want it to stay emissions legal, i found this EDL-68723 at summit racing but it is 2 1/2.

It seems the 3" only come with no air fittings at summitracing site.

Also I see most site say like 15-20 Rare wheel HP. Can this be true? I was thinking more 15-20 at the crank.

If anyone knows of any good site that sell headers with Y pipe combo. please post it

 

If you get the cat back, those numbers will be at the wheels. Proven. Like I said before, a 2.5" y-pipe wont hurt a 305 much. Most of these guys have 350s and forgot or ignored or whatever that you have a 305. It wont make too much of a difference. And also, like I said, more down low for less up top.

 

Just put on a set of the Edelbrock TES on my 88. Exact precise fit. I put mine on the engine and set the engine in the car and it's tight. But compared to the stock manifolds I'd say it's worth the work and money. The Y pipe that came with the headers fit to the converter fine, no problems there.
See picture and more info on this thread:
https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=283511

 

sounds good

One final question.... Do Ireally need the ceramic coated ones or is the painted ones just as fine? They want rust cause they will be hot always.... How much more durable are the coated compared to painted?

 

The coating is supposed to cut underhood heat a bit, flow some better, last longer and look better. Probably not worth the extra money. When in the car you can hardly see the headers anyway, but I'm pretty particular and thought I'd go for it.

 

Thanks tom,

I have purchased a set for 399. I took the coated ones I figured I dont want them to get hot and against all ods crack.

Now, I will not be doing the work myself since i have no place to work on the car and dont have the appopriate powerful tools. Besides it would be a pain to try to crawl underneath the car and work on it.

I was given a price estimate of 260 dollars for labour but that included changing the cat back sytem. since I am capable of the cat back system on my own I will have the mechanic do the headers and Y pipe only.

What would be a reasonable price? Obviously I dont want to be bent over. I gues it is only fair to pay them based on how many hours it is suppose to take by a prof. Anyone know?

Thanks,
Sam

 

I got quoted 4 hours.

 

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Thats how i feel right now . I took the headers and ypipe to a local mechanic. and got quoted 175-225 (2.5-3 hours)

Well, they have been working on it since 09:30 this morning and they will continue tomorrow.

They say the problem is that the passenger side doesnt fit and the y pipe is not that perfect either. o they will modify things to make it fit.

I just wana pull my hair out



anyone install edelbrook header with y pipe on a trans am with no problem? I did not expect this from headers for 400 dollars.

Sam

 

I feel your pain. I attempted to install headers in my camaro last night, same problem your mechanic is having. I have two sets both droped into my firebird no problems but this car doesent seem to want them put on. Some cars are just wierd.

 

Done Wasnt charged extra over the quted price

Ifeel though that maybe I lost a little torque at low rpm....

Otherwise it is nice I will now get an exhaust. system

 

You will gain that lost tq back once you have pipes on. So what did they have to do, I'm curious?

 

I dont exactly know. If you want i can PM you with the tel. and you can talk to them while it is fresh in their mind .