Headers For 4.9l
Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 39
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From: TX Coast
Your '88 has 2 seperate exhaust manifolds already, not one long one like my '81 has. Theres been a few discussions on whether or not headers offer any real improvement over the fuel injected manifolds. I would suggest having your stock exhaust changed over to true duals (I assume you want dual exh). When I finally get around to swapping my '81 to dual exhaust, I'll be buying a set of manifolds like your stockers.
I believe Summit has headers for almost 1/2 the price of Cliffys. around $140 I think. But for your motor you'll need the O2 sensor, & I don't know if any headers come w/ that option.
I believe Summit has headers for almost 1/2 the price of Cliffys. around $140 I think. But for your motor you'll need the O2 sensor, & I don't know if any headers come w/ that option.
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 4,496
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I will offer up this bit of advice if you have the money and just want to blow it then get the headers from clifford or whomever you wish. Does it make a difference? Yeah but nothing too noticable as far as power it will change the feel of the truck hard to explain but the overall power isn't going to be any real gain. Been there and done that. The best gain I got was from an electric fan $80 from summit and it made a difference. You might wanna just put duals on the truck with the existing exh manifolds and put a powermax truck cam in it, there is where your gonna see the truck make real power differences. Good luck hope this help
Postmaster
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 3,241
Likes: 3
From: Broken Arrow, OK
My experience was the opposite of JW's. I installed headers and got a huge improvement and got nearly nothing from removing the fan. The headers and exhaust system were worth about 2 seconds and 7 mph in the 1/4, the fan was worth a tenth and negligible mph. However, the headers are a PITA to install because of the modifications required and they are not smog legal.
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 4,496
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Silver Streak
Maybe then it was the combination, maybe it should read if you go with headers and an electric fan it will make a difference. I am serious believe it or not. Because I did the opposite of you I installed the headers and thought okay then did the fan and thought yeah I can feel a difference. So maybe we stumbled upon something.
Either way I would still recommend just going with a cam and then do the headers and fan if you have the money. Later
Maybe then it was the combination, maybe it should read if you go with headers and an electric fan it will make a difference. I am serious believe it or not. Because I did the opposite of you I installed the headers and thought okay then did the fan and thought yeah I can feel a difference. So maybe we stumbled upon something.
Either way I would still recommend just going with a cam and then do the headers and fan if you have the money. Later
Postmaster
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 3,241
Likes: 3
From: Broken Arrow, OK
I put my fan back on after running without it and didn't feel like it hurt performance. I had been running the headers for two or three years when I tried it without the fan. I was disappointed with the headers for the first 100-150 miles while the computer was relearning, but after that the difference was night and day. I just wish I had dyno numbers from before the headers. I also considered that it might have been the better flowing exhaust I installed after the headers, but I had gutted cats and 2.5" exhaust before.
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Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 4,496
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silver streak
I had dual 2 1/4 pipes with generic turbos no cat for about a year then put the headers on did notice a difference then put the electric fan on and felt a difference again. Would have been nice if you had dynoed it though just to see. HOw about you dyno it then put in a powermax cam then dyno it again and I will see if I want to go to the trouble of putting a cam in it. haha. LIke how I am directing you do waste money for the sake of others. You know you wanna be a pioneer on the ford six forum. haha. later
I had dual 2 1/4 pipes with generic turbos no cat for about a year then put the headers on did notice a difference then put the electric fan on and felt a difference again. Would have been nice if you had dynoed it though just to see. HOw about you dyno it then put in a powermax cam then dyno it again and I will see if I want to go to the trouble of putting a cam in it. haha. LIke how I am directing you do waste money for the sake of others. You know you wanna be a pioneer on the ford six forum. haha. later
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Postmaster
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 3,241
Likes: 3
From: Broken Arrow, OK
I would love to put a cam in my truck, but not with an engine that has nearly 250k miles on it. Besides, the computer is pretty strung out as it is. I won't do anything drastic until I get some software to tune it with.
