I want to start getting serious about hp ,and not really sure what the difference is when it comes to headers. what is the benifit between the two ?
Equal or un-Equal shorty's ????
- Thread starter Jzava50
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ninety15.0
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- Mar 10, 2004
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The difference between equal and unequal is the length of the tubes. Obviously with equal length headers each primary tube is the same length. This effectively lines up the exhaust pulses which supposedly improves flow. i guess if i were to buy shorties i would by equal lengths for this reason.
However, if i were to buy headers i wouldnt buy shorties. There is little to nothing to gain going from the stock headers to a shorty setup. Maybe 5 hp and a little better sound. If i were you i would spring for a set of long tube headers and matching H or X pipe. Long tubes really boost the torque in the low and mid range. The effective area under the torque and Hp curves is much better with longtubes than with shorties. Do the exhaust once and do it right. I hate having to re-buy parts down the road b/c i was being a cheap bastard at the time.
However, if i were to buy headers i wouldnt buy shorties. There is little to nothing to gain going from the stock headers to a shorty setup. Maybe 5 hp and a little better sound. If i were you i would spring for a set of long tube headers and matching H or X pipe. Long tubes really boost the torque in the low and mid range. The effective area under the torque and Hp curves is much better with longtubes than with shorties. Do the exhaust once and do it right. I hate having to re-buy parts down the road b/c i was being a cheap bastard at the time.
samickguy15
Member
Mustang78
New Member
i bought shorty BBK unequal length because they're much better than stock, i didnt want to fuss with longtubes(re-making the H pipe, and fitting them is a PITA you have to lift the motor usually), and equal lengths are a PITA also, they clutter up the engine bay, and transmit more heat..unequal give me apower gain, look nice and clean, and the price was right(225.00 for chrome 351w swap headers)
~Mark~
~Mark~
Flavadave4
Active Member
I have the equal length shorties from MAC, love the way they make the car sound but you definatly get alot more heat under the hood. I am shopping around for a set of BBK unequal shorties, they have a cleaner look and single flange piece.
What every you get I would recomend you buy something with a single flange, not 4 seperate tubes.
What every you get I would recomend you buy something with a single flange, not 4 seperate tubes.
I would just buy unequal lengths. Equal lengths get really hot, and they are close to the frame rails. Most Foxes I have looked at with equal lengths have rotted out shock tower/frame rails....right where the headers are. And it is a pain in the butt to change plugs.
Get the unequals if you are going to get shorties. There isn't much if any scavenging going to be done with the equals vs unequals. Just the ease of install, price and spark plug changes are much easier with unequals. If I were to do it again I would have gotten the FMS ceramic shorties and not the BBK.
Kevin
Kevin
I had no idea of the troubles you guys are having with the equal lengths.I had bbk equals on my 83 gt.I had stock manifolds so the power jump was great,no heat problems though.I could sit in a drive through in 90 degree weather with underdrive pullies and never got too hot,it would take shots of nitrous too heat up,anyways the idea that equal lengths make more powe seems to be true.Ive heard 5 to 7 hp on a fully tuned n/a setup.The pistons dont fire at the same time,if they did, unequal lengths would make more power.When all the tubes are the same length the gases exit at diffrent times making the flow much greater.The number one piston gases are through the header before number 2 fires and so on...,with the un-equals the gases exit through diffrent length tubes and meet at the same time and reduce flow....make sense??? If your getting shorties over long tubes i say get the good ones at least.
Yeah, if you are getting shorties over longtubes, go equal length. I had them with no problems. No burned wires. Spark plug changes took just another swivel or so, and they were changed.
If practicality is what you are after just get the unequal FMS headers.
If practicality is what you are after just get the unequal FMS headers.
looks like some shop hand getting paid minimum wage got the 2 confused? I remember seeing many dyno testing in the older 5.0 mags(when they were full of good 5.0 info not mod shmod crap.Gotta dig em up,now im curious...hummm
Flavadave4
Active Member
JKidd
Member
Agreed. Back in the day when I was researching this stuff, the equal lengths consistantly out-performed the unequal lenghts. It wasn't by huge numbers, maybe 7-15 hp at peak, but enough for me to go with ceramic coated equal lengths at the time.
Flavadave4
Active Member
Thats the same thing I remember, reason why I have equal lengths now.
I like the look of the shorties better, they give a cleaner look under the hood.
Flavadave4
Active Member
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