Longtube Headers vs. Shorties

I just made the jump from shorties to longtubes not too long ago. I really enjoy them. I think that i get more top end out of the car with the LTs. you can scan the classifieds and get a used set up cheap. then you can re-sell what you got and not come out too bad. I dont have any dyno #s for comparison, but i think that they were worth it.

There was a header comparo in one of the mags a while ago... forget which one. But, it was a fairly well built motor..

Actually on the upper RPM band 1 5/8" equal shorties are basically equal to most longtubes [the recent mag test] on the HP numbers... Low RPM torque is a whole different story though and if I remember correctly, the longtubes had the shorties by more than 30 ft lbs under 3500 RPM...

But I am guessing that on a 300 - 350 flywheel HP 302 the losses in torque compared to shorties wouldnt be as bad...

This is all assuming a 425 HP street car buildup... If your engine is stock and will be for a bit, save on the headers, and leave your stockers... and port out the inlet where they go to the heads.. the stock headers work well up to about 280 HP.

Ok I did this to my bolt on Mustang and saw BIG gains, but Ill tell you exactly what I did and let you decide for me.

Old Combo: Mac shorties, Mac catted H.

New Combo (at the time): Mac Long Tubes, Mac Prochmaber and added pulleys.

The sizes all stayed the same (1 5/8" headers, and 2.5" h-pipe) but I also added the pulleys. I had gone 13.89 @ 97.9 with the shorties on ET Streets (17" tires up front). With the LTs, my first time back netted a 13.21 @ 101.1 with skinnies up front. Then a month or two later I rebuilt the traction loc and went 13.05 @ 103.4 with still no changes. This id NOT the norm, but this is how my car responded. My car has also killed batteries until I added pulleys, so my car isnt too normal, lol!

I am told different by every person but I am told that the Long tubes are overkill on a stock style/ stock cubes(no Power adder) motor and you will lose bottom end torque, (longtubes seem to build hp more than torque IMO) but I am planning on adding alot more things in the future so I am putting the longtubes on my convertible and it is mostly stock. I think that with a few more mods it will start to help. Do some other mods at the same time you change the headers to ensure getting SOME power, if the longtubes seem too much for your application. I think that I did see some Dyno sheets one time that showed the longtubes adding a little power on a mostly stock motor, so I would do it. Don't forget e-check don't like longtubes. Just my .02

saleenx029 said:

I am told different by every person but I am told that the Long tubes are overkill on a stock style/ stock cubes(no Power adder) motor and you will lose bottom end torque,

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That is only the case if you install a header that is too large for the power you're making, and even so a longtube that is a bit too large will still outperform a short header of the same size primaries. I believe the stock headers are 1-1/2" primaries. If you install 1-1/2" longtubes, you WILL pick up torque. With 1-5/8" your torque increase will be seen a bit later in the rev range until you add power. With 1-3/4" or larger you are only going to gain power in the high RPMs until you are producing the appropriate exhaust flow to acheive good velocity.

I agree that every car is a bit different... I dunno.

Back in 1997 I had a 1991 LX hatch 5 speed, had an AOD rear w/ 3.27 gears, M&H G 60 15s, U/D pulleys, a cone filter, timing, smog delete, no screen in MAF, no sway bar, exhaust was original, except for straight pipes in place of the stock mufflers and the car ran a best of 13.42 @ 100 MPH. The guy that bought it from me put an off road H on it, with some Flowmasters, stock headers still, a week later and went back to the track but cold only muster a 13.6 but went 102 MPH though... I remember we were all buggin him cause it wouldn't hook to do a low 13 and beat the 13.42.

With this LX I have now, I ended up running 13.1 @ almost 103 MPH [stock motor & intakes - just bolt ons] with the stock H pipe and cats.

The car now has what I would consider a nice exhuast.. the Mac equal shorties still, an off road X pipe, and Magnaflow cat back. I keep putting off the new heads/intake install because I am hell bent on going to the track one more time just to see if the exhuast really made a difference.. power wise it is the only real change I made from before when I ran 102.74 MPH.

Actually.. I went back to the stock bored MAF [the detonation problem is GONE and car pulls nicer] and put a 6AL box on and gapped the plugs .060", & 5 W 30 synthetic vs 10W 30 non b4, too...

My suspension should be totally setup by tomorrow, and if so I may just go Saturday before I swap all this new crap. I'm envious of all you stock guys that are in the 13.0s - high 12s and really wanted to join that club before the stuff went on.

not only do longtubes provide better power. they sound a hell of a lot different in my mind.