I was looking for a set of headers for my 82f150 and I noticed that
there was a big diff in price and quality.
The big diff was on tuned headers ,is it that big a deal as far as power
I have a 302 bored 40 over with a mild cam .
Any help is welcome

 

Hedman elite thermal coated headers are a good value. Unless you're planning on some serious engine mods you wouldn't notice any difference between cheapies and $500 headers - other than quality of workmanship. JBA makes the best I've seen but they're fond of them.

 

There isn't much difference between shorty headers of any type or price.. performance wise, and if the rest of the exhaust is stock they're generally a waste of money. Longtubes on the other hand provide real gains across the powerband and particularly at low and high rpms, this is the only type header I will ever use.

 

In conclusion, there’s more to selecting a header than the power it makes. If you are making 350 hp or more, and live in a state that allows the use of two-cat H-pipes or off-road H-pipes, then the long-tubes are the header that will make the most power. However, if you have a stock or mildly modified car, live in a state that requires the stock H-pipe, or just want the simplest installation possible, the short-tube would be the best choice.

Short & Long-Tube Headers Test - 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords Magazine

 

Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see an answer to the OP's question. He was asking if TUNED headers were worth the extra money.

 

The only "tuned" headers I'm aware of that are widely available are equal length shorties and Tri-Y longtubes. These work better than the unequal length versions, but on a street vehicle the motor never sits at any rpm for very long, and a header can only be tuned for a ralatively narrow rpm range, so the benefit isn't hugh. Of greater concern should be the quality of contruction and material used. A header with a thick header flange and higher quality metal will last longer, ceramic coated and stainless steel will last much longer than painted metal.

Race teams actually hand build headers that are tuned specifically to the rpm the motor will run at a particular track to maximize HP, I doubt that's what the OP was talking about.

 

it might also be good to note that a lot of meaningless jargon is used to sell a product.....if you cant dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bs. A lot of what are referred to as "tuned headers" or "race tuned exhaust" fall into the later category

 

True tuning of headers is accomplished by adjusting the length and size of the primary pipes and the collector, many people don't think the collector size really matters but it does, to your specific engine and needs.

The "tuned headers" to be purchased off the common market are a couple hundred bucks more. My guess (that's all it is) is that the engine c.i., possible hp with a few upgrades (such as performance headers) and a few other generic operating peramaters for a specific engine are actually considered instead of just throwing out some pipe of equal length that will fit in the specific vehicle. The "tuned" model is probably a little better quality for flow.

I don't recall many builders of headers advertising the actual length of the primary pipes. Hooker is the only one that comes immediately to mind. There is a formula on the net for getting close to the best headers for your application. With that information you can buy headers with a better idea of the size and length that you need rather than the cheapest ones or the "coolest" ones.

Hopefully these meanderings are helpful and not just more B.S. ;-)

 

I am building the truck for a cruiser I want it to perform
But it is not going to be a race truck
So is eveyone saying long tube and a good brand name
Will do the job that I want
Thanks for all replies and info