I was watching a funny car races the other day and I noticed that the engines have headers and that is all.

My question is, would having my Iroc with just the headers cause any type of HP gain or would it do the opposite and cause HP loss?

 

On a stock motor headers increase exhaust scavaging out of the motor. Your motor then makes better use of its intake and in turn will make more power. Headers will add power to your car but you need to address the whole exhaust system to optomize them. A full 3" from the headers back will really wake your car up and get your monies worth out of the headers. Your exhaust will only flow as well as its weakest link.

Top fuel cars run open headers because they don't want any type of restriction out of the motor. They are also turned up to increase downforce as the car runs down the track. That is how much air those motors move.

 

Running open headers is extremely loud, illegal, and sounds like crap when you really get on it

I wouldn't recommend it really...

 

thanx I really appreciate your responses

 

A 305 open headers wouldnt mooove!

 

Its a bored out 305 thank you very much.

 

He was being sarcasitc seeing how a built 305 doesn't yield the results one hopes for.

 

Not just that but a smaller cubic inch V8, in most cases, won't benefit from open headers. Hell, the 302 in my mustang was very reasonably built...heads, cam, tons of bolt-ons...and I wouldnt even consider running open header. My buddy had a 302 that ran 10.30's at 133 mph and did wheelstands....and ran an exhaust all the way out to right before the rear tires, with race bullet mufflers.