Are Headers Worth It? Donut Media
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Date: 2020-06-24
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Comments and reviews: 8
JuanLeMod
It s my understanding that it s not as simple as adding new hardware to a car and expecting the stock ECU to automatically give you more horsepower. Don t you need you need to take your car to a tuning shop with a dyno and recalibrate or modify the ECU to take advantage of the new hardware?
Also, Donut, if you don t mind, would you mind sharing how much these Dyno shops typically costs? Like what sort of services do they typically offer? I know you guys probably get the hookup, but what would the average pleb like me get charged? Also, I m also from Southern California. Perhaps you make ab episode specifically on Dyno shops, if you haven t already done so.
Again, awesome video: )
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It s my understanding that it s not as simple as adding new hardware to a car and expecting the stock ECU to automatically give you more horsepower. Don t you need you need to take your car to a tuning shop with a dyno and recalibrate or modify the ECU to take advantage of the new hardware?
Also, Donut, if you don t mind, would you mind sharing how much these Dyno shops typically costs? Like what sort of services do they typically offer? I know you guys probably get the hookup, but what would the average pleb like me get charged? Also, I m also from Southern California. Perhaps you make ab episode specifically on Dyno shops, if you haven t already done so.
Again, awesome video: )
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Pontiac
As someone who dailies a four banger, I knew this was gonna happen. Four cylinders just don't have enough potential power gains for headers to do anything. In order to make any significant amount of power from headers, you need two banks. As I mentioned, I daily a four cylinder (a base model vibe) that has very few mods done to it because I know it doesn't have any power gain potential besides forced induction. My full list of mods include, as of now: strut bar, canuck lowering springs, manual swap, short throw shifter, 18 inch TRD wheels (till one was bashed) and I have a hotchkiss front sway bar but I'm looking for the rear so I can install them at the same time.
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As someone who dailies a four banger, I knew this was gonna happen. Four cylinders just don't have enough potential power gains for headers to do anything. In order to make any significant amount of power from headers, you need two banks. As I mentioned, I daily a four cylinder (a base model vibe) that has very few mods done to it because I know it doesn't have any power gain potential besides forced induction. My full list of mods include, as of now: strut bar, canuck lowering springs, manual swap, short throw shifter, 18 inch TRD wheels (till one was bashed) and I have a hotchkiss front sway bar but I'm looking for the rear so I can install them at the same time.
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Civil
Granted your factory manifold looked to flow really well. Not much different from your headers. Kinda makes sense you didn't gain much. Putting headers on we'll say a 3000gt that clearly gas poor flow characteristics because the manifolds clearly don't flow well and neither does it's downpipe. Has a straight 90 degree angle from the rear cylinders straight down into the downpipe. So flow from the front banks interferes with the rear. You should gain significantly more from headers than your miata.
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Granted your factory manifold looked to flow really well. Not much different from your headers. Kinda makes sense you didn't gain much. Putting headers on we'll say a 3000gt that clearly gas poor flow characteristics because the manifolds clearly don't flow well and neither does it's downpipe. Has a straight 90 degree angle from the rear cylinders straight down into the downpipe. So flow from the front banks interferes with the rear. You should gain significantly more from headers than your miata.
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The
I think a tune should have been done in between each mod to capitalize, so that we do know exactly how much it made a difference. Now when you get it tuned well, you'll probably see an insane gain compared to what you would have gotten stock. I've gotten more from mild stock tunes with my own meager abilities than I ever did messing with bolt on mods with no tuning. Still nice to get any improvement, but it becomes wholly worth it when they all work together in harmony.
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I think a tune should have been done in between each mod to capitalize, so that we do know exactly how much it made a difference. Now when you get it tuned well, you'll probably see an insane gain compared to what you would have gotten stock. I've gotten more from mild stock tunes with my own meager abilities than I ever did messing with bolt on mods with no tuning. Still nice to get any improvement, but it becomes wholly worth it when they all work together in harmony.
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Air-headed
Hmm. between the cost of the headers, the cost for using the dyno, and the gains. I guess I won t be changing the headers in my car. At least not unless I go that supercharger route
Still though, things like straight piping and even a drop in filter give you more peak power for less(at least from what I ve researched, it kinda just reinforces the rule: unless you are adding forced induction to your car you will not get any significant gains of power.
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Hmm. between the cost of the headers, the cost for using the dyno, and the gains. I guess I won t be changing the headers in my car. At least not unless I go that supercharger route
Still though, things like straight piping and even a drop in filter give you more peak power for less(at least from what I ve researched, it kinda just reinforces the rule: unless you are adding forced induction to your car you will not get any significant gains of power.
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Cory
For anyone still new to building cars, pay attention to how your stock exhaust manifolds are built. Sometimes the money for headers is completely unnecessary. For example, the stock miata actually has a very well designed manifold (it looks like a shorty header already) so there really isn't much room for improvement. Compared to a smog era manifold which are an atrocity when it comes to getting exhaust gasses out the tail pipe.
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For anyone still new to building cars, pay attention to how your stock exhaust manifolds are built. Sometimes the money for headers is completely unnecessary. For example, the stock miata actually has a very well designed manifold (it looks like a shorty header already) so there really isn't much room for improvement. Compared to a smog era manifold which are an atrocity when it comes to getting exhaust gasses out the tail pipe.
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dolfowolfo1
This dudes statement about justifying the stuff you're doing to your car somehow is spot on. I'm a novice at working on cars but so far I've done: slotted/drilled rotors and pads all around along with spark plugs here soon.
I bought the car used, so I hear alot of this things getting expensive from people, but I want to know it's my flavor and want to know the basics are new/look good!
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This dudes statement about justifying the stuff you're doing to your car somehow is spot on. I'm a novice at working on cars but so far I've done: slotted/drilled rotors and pads all around along with spark plugs here soon.
I bought the car used, so I hear alot of this things getting expensive from people, but I want to know it's my flavor and want to know the basics are new/look good!
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Hardy
I hope you guys intend to replace the catalytic converter aswell. The old one is quite restrictive and might even be clogged. Replacing it with a high flow 100 cell (or 200 cell) converter will make these magical 5 buff horseees appear. Deleting it entirely is probably no option as this might be a capital offense ein California.
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I hope you guys intend to replace the catalytic converter aswell. The old one is quite restrictive and might even be clogged. Replacing it with a high flow 100 cell (or 200 cell) converter will make these magical 5 buff horseees appear. Deleting it entirely is probably no option as this might be a capital offense ein California.
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