Question on Headers

[Shinobi]

Questions:

 

I read this article about “How engines work”, which was very informative. It then lead me on to read a short article about headers. I wanted to pick some brains of CR members as I am debating about doing a header on my car.

 

Does the header bolt up to the exhaust manifold? Does it replace it? Do I need to consider if my car uses back pressure? Would doing a header thus reducing the back pressuse have a negative affect on performance?

 

How hard is it do a header? What garage could do it for me? That and how does it bolt up, does it bolt to the manifold and from there to the cat converter?

 

Thanks!

[1Quik7]

if the car you are reffering to is the one in your sig, then sorry dude, it would be a huge waste of time and money to even consider a header...not that anyone even makes one for your car?

 

but to answer your questions, the header bolts directly to the engine block and flows to the converter. you can gain and lose HP depending on what diameter and design your header is, usually its give and take. for instance you take a "shorty" style or "4-2-1" design, you will generally pick up low & mid power, but lose out on top-end potential....and it is just the opposite for "full-length" or "4-1" design, you will generally lose some low-end but gain more on the top.

 

a header isn't a difficult install, it just depends on the application, some cars are difficult to get to, and some are literally fused onto the block after years of abuse. i would say a majority of 4cyl cars are the easiest to do a header change on.

[Shinobi]

Where on the engine block does it bolt on? If I understand you right, it bolts on to the engine then to the cat converter?

 

Thanks!! smile.gif

[ORourke]

It doesn't bolt to the engine block it bolts to the head, hence the name "header". On an inline 4 it's usually pretty easy when the stock manifold faces foward, at least compared to doing headers on a 4th gen f-body. Anybody with basic automotive skills can install headers, assuming somebody makes a direct fit header for your car.

Depending on the design it will either bolt to the head and flow into the cat or replace the cat entirely. I doubt you'd see much, if any, gain on a sonata.

[Guest Tony_K]

Just to fill in a couple of gaps here:

 

Shinobi, a header is used *in place of* the exhaust manifold. The exhaust manifold is usually cast iron, and a header is made by bending and welding steel tubes. The header helps horsepower by allowing freer flow of exhaust gasses out of the system. It does this by means of careful, more graceful bends, as well as careful choice of lenghth, arrangement, and routing of the tubes (as Pimp7 suggests).

 

When O'Rourke mentions the "head," he is referring to the "cylinder head," the top portion(s) of the engine that seal the combustion chambers and house the valves.

 

Cheers,

 

Tony

[Shinobi]

Gotcha. That makes sense. Basically though for my applicaiton, (V6 Sonata), I would see minimal if any increase in HP if I did a header. I think that I could either have one custom made, ($$ anyone?), or shark racing has a 4-1 header.

 

Still though, at least now I know! graemlins/thumb.gif

[Guest Tony_K]

Okay, one more thing.

 

Since your car is a V6, you have two cylinder heads, one for each bank of three cylinders (V6 = two banks of 3 cyl. arranged in a V-shape). ...So for your car you would need a pair of headers, and they would most likely be 3-1, although I admittedly know nothing about arrangement on V6 headers.

[Shinobi]

ahh ha! I was doing my reading and they didn't mention v6 engine type. They said for 4 and 8 cylinder they used one. I thought I may have to use two.

[still2hi]

yes you will need a set of headers if your have a v6. it will not be worth your time or money to put them on, unless you plan on doing some serious mods to your engine. not just an intake and manifold. im talking porting your heads, bigger valves, bigger cam and what not. it would be more of a hasle them what it would be worth.

[Nitrousbird]

Originally posted by Shinobi:

They said for 4 and 8 cylinder they used one.

V8 = 2 heads = headers. Only inline motors use a header.

 

Regardless, 100% waste of time/bloody knuckles/money doing headers on that car.

[Shinobi]

Poop

[Cougar1647545494]

Headers helped my car......... a bunch!!!!

 

........but a hyundai, uhhhhh