Tuned vs Untuned headers

BEWOLD · #1 (**permalink**) 12-15-2007, 03:23 PM

Are tuned headers much better than untuned? Im all for every little bit of gain but the cost difference seems to be significant. Ive read that untuned is ok for stock or mild mods and tuned is more for all out competition. Seen some tuned hooker super comps for my truck and made me curious. Any thoughts?

Bear River · #2 (**permalink**) 12-16-2007, 10:23 AM

Yes, tuned headers are designed to the top tier of performance enthusiasts. Great for racing applications, where winning is important. I would get untuned headers. I would also make sure that what you are going to get is smog legal. There is just no point in wasting money on headers if they are not designed for the vehicle. Smog legal headers have the attention to detail and you can opt not to use the smog features if you wish, but vehicle with smog legal headers have a better resale value. Smog legal headers are easier to install and require little or no modification to the vehicle. They should give you all the performance you need on a street vehicle, and they are in general more durable than the original cast manifolds.

BEWOLD · #3 (**permalink**) 12-16-2007, 11:16 AM

Thanks for the input. I will be running the full emissions equipment on my 96 5.0 truck. But I think I will be going with long tubes (not hard to do like some people think). I will pass the sniffer no problem but not a mechanical inspection like they have in some states. Although I have absolutly no form of emissions testing in my area, yet. I have looked at the hooker super comp emissions compatible truck headers and they are of a tuned design with longer primarys than other shortys. I know hookers products are top notch but I am still concerned that they wont give me as much of a gain as I would like to see (compared to full length). I was originaly comparing the regular long tube hooker comps to the long tube super comps. the super comps are tuned, with longer primarys than the standard comps (dont remember if there is much of a collecter difference) but then realized that extra length and shape of the super comps will not fit my 4x4. Ive heard some of the cheaper brands of headers do well, but I dont like the fact that I havent seen full specs on there headers, they are usually missing the primary length as well as the collecter length. So that is why I have been doing my comparing with hookers. And Im kind of curious to know that stuff.

Bear River · #4 (**permalink**) 12-16-2007, 01:55 PM

Go with a triple y header. For street use it will probably maximize your gains. A long header is harder to do, because it will not bolt up the the factory exhaust system which means things will have to be either modified or redone to match. Its not that hard to have done, but you will be replacing components that otherwise had nothing wrong with them. I'm not trying to tell you how to do things, I'm just saying that you have to consider the cost of additional modification if you go that route.

BEWOLD · #5 (**permalink**) 12-16-2007, 07:05 PM

I kind of understand what your saying, but its a 96, stock original exhaust, with very rusty pipes, muffler already fell off, crappy Y pipe, broken manifolds, and probably cats in need of being replaced, with about 180,000 on it. So I should have mentioned earlier that its going to be new from one end to the other. Im pretty handy with the welder as well, so installs no problem. Just need to decide on a good header and go from there. Do you know who makes a Tri-Y that will fit my 96 F150 5.0 4x4?

Bear River · #6 (**permalink**) 12-16-2007, 11:58 PM

Ahh, well in that case, have at it. The cats probably don't NEED to be replaced (they don't wear out) but since the pipes are rotted, it is both a good idea and it is easier to repair the rest of the system if you get new cats too.

On header, JBA makes awesome headers, at least from my experience. It could be a fluke, but I have seen Thorleys and Pacesetters crack over time, and have not observed the same thing with a JBA yet. But again I repeat, it may have been a fluke, and I would agree that there are tons of Thorleys and Pacesetters don't fail ever. So it could have been an unusual case, maybe they were getting overheated due to an engine problem, or perhaps the exhaust system was too rigid and the motor mounts were wearing out.

My main issue with long tubes is the common collector. A common collector acts as a restriction point in that the gases are suddenly expanding into a much larger area which slows the gases down and also causes the gases to start dumping their heat. A triple y design combines the gases incrementally, reducing turbulence and increasing exhaust scavenging at lower rpms. Common collectors require high RPMs and large volumes of airflow to overcome the sudden expansion and increase in turbulence. The long tube do help overcome this, so long tubes do tend to perform well in most applications.

I did a very brief search and I didn't have much luck finding any triple Ys for your application, but long-tubes are available from several manufacturers, so I guess that settles that. Since you need to replace enough other components to justify redoing the whole exhaust system long-tubes are as good a choice as anything.

"Beemer Nut" · #7 (**permalink**) 12-22-2007, 08:04 PM

Bear, you must be talking about Thorley's now made by Jardine I believe vs the original Doug Thorley's that were made up to around 7 years ago. I was told by many that ran both Doug Thorley and now Thorley headers that the Thorley headers were of lower quality than the orignal Doug Thorleys. Sad that
the publics still thinking quality and get fooled by past reputation.