Jande063

Hello,
I am considering purchasing a set of long tube headers for my car, and wanted to know what the real world gains / losses (if applicable) would be in the 4000-7000 rpm range. I am looking at the BBK ceramics, the Mac ceramics, and the Borla set. I already have the Steeda intake and a Steeda tune, so I am wondering what difference just the headers (and a tune with corrections for that modification) would make.
Thanks

cema93

I am sure others will chime in, but a lot of wat i have heard around these forums is that with a good tune u can usually see 20-30 hp gain in LT headers idk about torque. With a dyno tune the range is probably 25-35. These ranges are due to: tune differences (who tunes it), brand, other mods, and coating/finish. These numbers are for my 4.6L V8 So Longtubes on a V6 would probably give a few less horses.

I hear ceramic is good for heat. dont get chrome. I like my JBA headers. i think they are natural finish. JBA is a good brand. but thats MY OPINION.

WindyMustang

I did the BBK ceramics because burning your hands on the chrome ones isn't a lot of fun!

Lots more info in my Round 2 writeup here.

hogasswild

I think it's kind of hard to say, but I have shorty headers and hiflo catted x pipe and got about 5whp out of them, but I pretty much already had all the other bolt ons I could do. My last dyno was 305whp and 283wtq. I prefer the lower end torque the shorties give over a couple more peak hp the LTs give.

Siber Express

^^^
This, unless you live your life a 1/4 mile at a time the Shorties will give you more useable power than LTH will.

Jande063

Thanks for all the input, ended up going with a set of Borla long tubes with the matching catless x-pipe that I found for $600. I am pretty pleased with the performance, went out to a local road course the day after installing and tuning, and found that I had enough power to eat a 911 down the main straight (I am usually a little faster in the corners, but he was able to creep past me in the straights before the headers). That being said, I tend to wind this motor out for all it's got on course (regularly see 90-93 mph in second gear), so the low end loss was never really an issue.

hogasswild

How do you reach 90mph in second gear? I don't think that's possible. 3rd gear yes.

Jande063

I think I see what you are thinking, I no longer have 3.31 gears, back to 2.73. I let a friend drive my car for five minutes, and he parked it upside down in a ditch (ugly picture). The Torsen did not survive (forum sometimes refuses to allow me to update my signature), so I left that and the gears for USAA, and the new car just has the stock differential (turns out that these really don't like Hoosier's, which is why it is going in the scrap bin when the new Torsen goes in, as opposed to being sold). That coupled with the 19x9" wheels wrapped with 285/35R-19 RE-11s, and the fact that I go well past 7000 rpm is why I am seeing over 90 mph in second gear.

After having lived with the borla's for some time, I noticed that on the way to and from VIR this weekend, I no longer have to downshift out of sixth to make it up the hills in that part of Virginia, cruise control handles it nicely, at 29.4 mpg, which I feel is not bad for the rolling hills near Danville.