Never paid a lot of attention to the actual pipe that my headers were made out of. Since you asked, my curiosity got the better of me and I measured them. 1.5" OD for the actual head pipes (and mine are NOT ceramic coated so there is nothing to subtract for coating thickness) and 2" OD is the size of the Y-pipe left and right arms. The Y-pipe immediately widen's into 3" at the Y just beyond the cross pipe for the O2 sensor. The really nice part is there is no need for a donut gasket with these shorties. They will bolt directly to either the Bassani Y-pipe OR the stock exhuast so the collector (ball-type) reduces small enough to accept the stock Y-pipe. I am not certain what the stock Y-pipe tubing diameter is.

 

The old idea that shorties didn't make as much power and torque as long tube headers is now history....

The long tube headers typically have primaries of equal length....and large, long collectors of 3 inches....

These take up alot of room and are a fuss to install....(alot of fabrication needed) some are just bolt in power adders.

THe shorties came along because of ground clearance issues the hot rods have....and because of engine bay clearance issues many muscle cars as well as trucks had....

The theory behind the equall length headers is that you will get equal thermal
dissapation and exhaust scavenging with equal length primaries.

With the new thermal barrier coatings the exhaust gas temperature is kept even across the entire header thus helping with the exhaust scavenging issue. Headers like JBA and Bassani also have advance design engineering on their collectors to also help with tube exhaust pressure....this helps balance
the exhaust gas pressure across the bank.....and helps keep exhaust gas velocity at a constant....

Via the ideal gas laws, if the temperature is held as close to a constant as possible, and the pressure is also constant...the volume will want to increase......this means that the expansion rate of the exhaust gas will move faster because it wants to expand.....(increase in volume)....if the volume cannot increase....then the gas velocity will remain high....

this is good exhaust scavenging.....and this means a cleaner cylinder for the next intake charge....

Anyhow....take a good look at JBA and Bassani...both have superior design when compared to Headman, Hooker, Flowtech and Dynomax.....

You get what you pay for.

 

Thank you...that was very insightfull....

I am currently looking at the Bassani THC coated shorties, the gison nickel chromed, and the ford racing shorties all of which are on the www.proficentperformace.com site that was mentioned earlier in this thread.

Bassani:
http://proficientperformance.com/Mer...&Store_Code=PP

Gibson:
http://proficientperformance.com/Mer...&Store_Code=PP

Ford Racing
http://proficientperformance.com/Mer...&Store_Code=PP


sorry for the long message I am jsut trying to get my facts straights before i buy something.

 

I have the Flowtech shorties, but have not had real world experience with any of the others. Just by looking at the Bassani, you're going to have a heck of a time changing your spark plugs. Maybe somebody else that has the Bassani's can chime in on that. With the Flowtech's I just needed a 5/8 swivel socket to take care of the two tight spaced spark plugs.

 

Changing plugs with the Bassani's aren't bad at all (as far as changing plugs go). Use a thin-wall plug socket and an assortment of short extensions and you'll be fine.

Randy

 

I've been running a sest of Flowtech shorties on my Bronco for about six years now and have not had one complaint with them. The finish isn't pretty any more, but I don't have a show truck, so I don't worry about that.

Performance-wise: works for me.
Leaks: none yet

I wouldn't suggest using the gaskets that come with whatever header you get. I've never heard of quality gaskets coming with a set of headers.

I replaced my leaky, blown through cheapo gaskets with a pair of Earl's "Pressure Master" header seals. They have an aluminum retainer with graphite inserts (got mine from summit for $35) and haven't had a problem since.

Whatever you do end up getting for headers, make sure that you get a pair with a thick flange (3/8") otherwise its going to warp and leak on you.

 

Ditto to Pigfarmer's post as to changing plugs with Bassani's headers. Only one that deals me a fit is the same one that deals EVERYONE....in back on passenger side.....thing is buried under the A/C bulkhead.

I also beg to differ with the opinion that all header manufacturers send "cheap" or bad gaskets with their headers. The Bassani header-to-head gaskets are top notch. A stainless steel frame with graphite pad gaskets around just the port openings. Can't be overtorqued and since they expand into the seams when they compress, zero leaks. Not to mention the fact that if you use their Y-pipe as well, you don't even need donut gaskets between headers and Y-pipe.

 

Greystreak,
My statement about the gaskets was not meant to offend you or the Bassani corporation. I was intending to forwarn a possible header buyer that the gaskets that come with many headers aren't good enough to use.

I don't race my truck so I have never found it necessary to buy the high end headers. I stick to the middle ground as I mentioned earlier, where I think you'll agree, header companies go cheap with the gaskets.

For my purposes, going with a $400+ header would not benefit me any more than my $200 headers w/$35 gasket purchased seperately, just trying to get another opinion out there.
Brian

 

Brian,

No offense taken my man. Just offering information on a company and product that doesn't go the cheap route. Its all good. Thats why we are all here... to toss around different points of view.