Headers newbie question
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Joined: Jan 2003
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Headers newbie question
What is the difference between long and short tube headers. Do the long tube headers replace the piping all the way to the catback? And with shortys you need the y pipe, but with long ones you dont? Im confused can someone clear this up for me??
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Joined: Dec 2000
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From: Orlando, Florida, USA
Headers - 101
You'll still need the Y pipe no matter what unless you have an exhaust shop fabricate a custom exhaust for you from the headers back.
First I'll explain how headers work. They obviously increase flow by smoothing out the exhaust path with no tight corners and by increasing the diameter of the exhaust runners. Stock LS1 manifolds are already pretty good. But the second function of headers is called 'scavenging'. What is this? I don't know how much you learned in physics in high school. But if you have 2 tubes side by side going into the same collector with exhaust blowing throught one of the pipes, it will create a vacuum on the other pipe. Theoretically, if the headers are 'tuned' properly the runners will be just long enough that the exhaust blasts will be timed just right so that the exhaust blasts aren't going through the collector all at the same time. As soon as one cylinder gets done exhaling the next one starts. The first one made a vacuum in the second one's runner helping to suck the exhaust from the cylinder. Thus increasing flow. With shorties the runners aren't long enough to gain flow from scavenging. They will flow a little better than most stock maifolds but are hardly worth the money or effort to install them on an LS1. With mid length headers it will be better but still not optimal. With properly designed long tubes, you'll see the best flow rates possible. However, they are notorious for causing ground clearance issues especially on lowered cars. That's why many people compromise and get the mid's. You'll still get some of the scavenging affect and won't loose much in ground clearance. Manufacturers of the different headers will usually supply the correct Y pipe to be able to easily connect their headers up to the stock/aftermarket cat back.
You'll still need the Y pipe no matter what unless you have an exhaust shop fabricate a custom exhaust for you from the headers back.
First I'll explain how headers work. They obviously increase flow by smoothing out the exhaust path with no tight corners and by increasing the diameter of the exhaust runners. Stock LS1 manifolds are already pretty good. But the second function of headers is called 'scavenging'. What is this? I don't know how much you learned in physics in high school. But if you have 2 tubes side by side going into the same collector with exhaust blowing throught one of the pipes, it will create a vacuum on the other pipe. Theoretically, if the headers are 'tuned' properly the runners will be just long enough that the exhaust blasts will be timed just right so that the exhaust blasts aren't going through the collector all at the same time. As soon as one cylinder gets done exhaling the next one starts. The first one made a vacuum in the second one's runner helping to suck the exhaust from the cylinder. Thus increasing flow. With shorties the runners aren't long enough to gain flow from scavenging. They will flow a little better than most stock maifolds but are hardly worth the money or effort to install them on an LS1. With mid length headers it will be better but still not optimal. With properly designed long tubes, you'll see the best flow rates possible. However, they are notorious for causing ground clearance issues especially on lowered cars. That's why many people compromise and get the mid's. You'll still get some of the scavenging affect and won't loose much in ground clearance. Manufacturers of the different headers will usually supply the correct Y pipe to be able to easily connect their headers up to the stock/aftermarket cat back.
Last edited by 2002Z28SSConv; May 13, 2003 at 03:13 AM.
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Joined: May 2001
Posts: 42
From: Fresno & Malibu, CA
Originally posted by 2002Z28SSConv
Headers - 101
You'll still need the Y pipe no matter what unless you have an exhaust shop fabricate a custom exhaust for you from the headers back.
First I'll explain how headers work. They obviously increase flow by smoothing out the exhaust path with no tight corners and by increasing the diameter of the exhaust runners. Stock LS1 manifolds are already pretty good. But the second function of headers is called 'scavenging'. What is this? I don't know how much you learned in physics in high school. But if you have 2 tubes side by side going into the same collector with exhaust blowing throught one of the pipes, it will create a vacuum on the other pipe. Theoretically, if the headers are 'tuned' properly the runners will be just long enough that the exhaust blasts will be timed just right so that the exhaust blasts aren't going through the collector all at the same time. As soon as one cylinder gets done exhaling the next one starts. The first one made a vacuum in the second one's runner helping to suck the exhaust from the cylinder. Thus increasing flow. With shorties the runners aren't long enough to gain flow from scavenging. They will flow a little better than most stock maifolds but are hardly worth the money or effort to install them on an LS1. With mid length headers it will be better but still not optimal. With properly designed long tubes, you'll see the best flow rates possible. However, they are notorious for causing ground clearance issues especially on lowered cars. That's why many people compromise and get the mid's. You'll still get some of the scavenging affect and won't loose much in ground clearance. Manufacturers of the different headers will usually supply the correct Y pipe to be able to easily connect their headers up to the stock/aftermarket cat back.
Headers - 101
You'll still need the Y pipe no matter what unless you have an exhaust shop fabricate a custom exhaust for you from the headers back.
First I'll explain how headers work. They obviously increase flow by smoothing out the exhaust path with no tight corners and by increasing the diameter of the exhaust runners. Stock LS1 manifolds are already pretty good. But the second function of headers is called 'scavenging'. What is this? I don't know how much you learned in physics in high school. But if you have 2 tubes side by side going into the same collector with exhaust blowing throught one of the pipes, it will create a vacuum on the other pipe. Theoretically, if the headers are 'tuned' properly the runners will be just long enough that the exhaust blasts will be timed just right so that the exhaust blasts aren't going through the collector all at the same time. As soon as one cylinder gets done exhaling the next one starts. The first one made a vacuum in the second one's runner helping to suck the exhaust from the cylinder. Thus increasing flow. With shorties the runners aren't long enough to gain flow from scavenging. They will flow a little better than most stock maifolds but are hardly worth the money or effort to install them on an LS1. With mid length headers it will be better but still not optimal. With properly designed long tubes, you'll see the best flow rates possible. However, they are notorious for causing ground clearance issues especially on lowered cars. That's why many people compromise and get the mid's. You'll still get some of the scavenging affect and won't loose much in ground clearance. Manufacturers of the different headers will usually supply the correct Y pipe to be able to easily connect their headers up to the stock/aftermarket cat back.
If you are serious about doing mods such as heads/cam, pretty much everyone will suggest LT's. This is so that they can maximize their powermaking potential.
It's late and I can't think of anything else intelligent to add.
-John
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Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 390
From: Corpus Christi, Texas, US
just remember that these stock heads flow awsome when compared to other stock heads. The manifolds do alright, but for our exhaust flow LT's help alot. I have put long tubes on other cars (bolt ons, no power adders or head work) and the gain was minimal when compared to the LS1.
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