Long tube or short tube headers?

[Jarhead79]

So longtubes are what I should go with then also? What primary size should I look for?

 

[MadOgre]

Headers make more power over stock manifolds by eliminating interference between pulses and using the collector to draw or suck the exhaust gasses out of the other primaries when they are not pulsing.

 

[rumblebox]

Use an X pipe too.

 

[MadOgre]

If he has a 2wd then for sure use an X pipe right behind the slip yoke on the tranny so that you can still access the tranny pan without having to remove your exhaust system.

If he has 4wd then probably only an H pipe will fit behind the transfer case. The H pipe makes it sound better but really doesn't help like an X pipe does in scavenging the exhaust.

Also the more forward the X pipe the better it will work. Ideally it should be directly under the transmission pan but... that makes maintenance nearly impossible or at the very least a real PITA as well it will do a good job of cooking your transmission! So practically it needs to be right behind the transmission but as far forward as possible.

 

[rumblebox]

I personally prefer the sound of an X-pipe, but yea, you can't put one far enough forward on a 4WD to reap optimal benefits. The H-pipe doesn't really sound any different from true duals, but it still helps performance a bit.

 

[Joe383]

If your never going to do a cam swap I would go 1 1/2 if you are going to swap to a slightly larger cam in the future with say 210* @0.050 or larger I would go 1 5/8. Don't buy cheep headers either. They will make more power than the manifolds but you get what you pay for. I have had a lot of cheep $100-120 headers in my life and will not buy cheep headers any more. The biggest problem I have with the cheep headers is the welds. Some times they need cleaned up with a dremel tool or there just a week weld. I also don't like thin flanges and crappy sealing either.