Headers
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3rd Gear Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 864
From:
Headers
I heard somewhere that an aftermarket headers will add 30 hp to the mustang.... if thats true then i got few questions ....
I know there will be a diffrence in sound but will there be a huge diffrence ? will it be much louder ? and will i have to re-tune my car ?
and another question out of the box..... lets say my friend had a 2005 mustnag 5 speed and i had a 2006 5 speed ... and he ordered a cai + tune and i ordered just the CAI ... will his tune work on my mustang ?
I know there will be a diffrence in sound but will there be a huge diffrence ? will it be much louder ? and will i have to re-tune my car ?
and another question out of the box..... lets say my friend had a 2005 mustnag 5 speed and i had a 2006 5 speed ... and he ordered a cai + tune and i ordered just the CAI ... will his tune work on my mustang ?
5th Gear Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,544
From:
RE: Headers
30 HP is probably a bit of wishful thinking. 20 HP is more reasonable for a set of longtube headers. Shorty headers will provide much less HP than longtubes.
The sound change with a set of headers will be small.
You will need to tune to get the extra HP.
You cannot share a tuner with your friend. Whenever you use the tuner, it reads the VIN off the car and then "locks" to that VIN. You can't use it on a different car unelss you return the first car to a stock tune.
The sound change with a set of headers will be small.
You will need to tune to get the extra HP.
You cannot share a tuner with your friend. Whenever you use the tuner, it reads the VIN off the car and then "locks" to that VIN. You can't use it on a different car unelss you return the first car to a stock tune.
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Joined: Sep 2005
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RE: Headers
aha i see.... well since there will be a small change in sound ...that will be great... what will be the best headers to install and gain power... im looking to install the best part that will give increase in power...
and I just got a call from a friend who owns an auto mustang gt... he has an SCT xcal 2 tunner for sale so i told him i might get it, But i figured i'd ask here first, The question is... after he gets it back to stock will i be able to order just the tune for a 5spd 2006 gt and install it by the same tunner ? i mean after i buy it i will be the only one who uses it. so will it be fine that way ? or i should get my own new xcal 2 tunner
and I just got a call from a friend who owns an auto mustang gt... he has an SCT xcal 2 tunner for sale so i told him i might get it, But i figured i'd ask here first, The question is... after he gets it back to stock will i be able to order just the tune for a 5spd 2006 gt and install it by the same tunner ? i mean after i buy it i will be the only one who uses it. so will it be fine that way ? or i should get my own new xcal 2 tunner
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Joined: Mar 2006
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RE: Headers
If you want HP, then you want LONG headers. The brand doesn't matter, they will all make about the same power. The difference will be the quality (durability) of the materials and the completeness of the kit.
Plain steel is the lowest quality, followed by ceramic-coated steel, followed by stainless steel. I belive that the general consensus is that the best brands are JBA and Dynatech.
If your freind sells you a tuner, that's fine AS LONG AS HE RETURNS HIS CAR TO STOCK TUNE FIRST. If he doesn't do that, the tuner is useless. Once you get it, you would have to get the right tune/program for your car. It is possible to copy new tunes onto the tuner, but you have to find a suitable tuning shop first. For example, Brenspeed will give you updated tunes for free if you're a customer of theirs. But if you buy a tuner somewhere else, you have to pay for the programs. I would imagine that most shops are like that. If you get a used tuner from someone, then you might expect to pay to get the updated program for your car.
Personally, I would buy the tuner new, from a reputable shop. That way you have the support there when you need it.
Plain steel is the lowest quality, followed by ceramic-coated steel, followed by stainless steel. I belive that the general consensus is that the best brands are JBA and Dynatech.
If your freind sells you a tuner, that's fine AS LONG AS HE RETURNS HIS CAR TO STOCK TUNE FIRST. If he doesn't do that, the tuner is useless. Once you get it, you would have to get the right tune/program for your car. It is possible to copy new tunes onto the tuner, but you have to find a suitable tuning shop first. For example, Brenspeed will give you updated tunes for free if you're a customer of theirs. But if you buy a tuner somewhere else, you have to pay for the programs. I would imagine that most shops are like that. If you get a used tuner from someone, then you might expect to pay to get the updated program for your car.
Personally, I would buy the tuner new, from a reputable shop. That way you have the support there when you need it.
3rd Gear Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 692
From: New Hampshire
RE: Headers
As a few others have already mentioned, long tube headers are definitely the way to go for the most power. I have a Borla cat back system on now but would love to hook it up to the brand new part # 17237 from Borla which are long tube headers with an X-pipe. !00% Borla all the way I know it would rock! It's not cheap but with the entire exhaust system made from 304 stainless you can't get any better and it should last forever. The only negative is it would be strictly an off road set up since there would be no cats. Anyone that has concerns about smog testing forget about it. Now, if they only offered high flow cats....
It's just as good, if not better, quality than my Borla catback.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 864
From:
RE: Headers
well guys sorry to interupt the catback stuff.... but this is a headers thread 
lol, To be honest im still not new with cat backs and headers stuff so i will love to take the info step by step.
About the headers now so they all give same power right ? well what if i mixed stuff ? like now i get the JBA headers and later i get forexample magnaflow cats would there be diffrence in power ? im thinking of getting borla headers since many people said they are one of the best.. i dont care about the price.
And im going to get a new tunner.... i think its better, Speedamon ( guy from uae ) is selling his mustang so he thought he will sell his car and mods seperatly, he is selling 3.73 gears, TCI 3000, c&l CAI , xcal 2 tunner with evoperformance custom tune and brenspeeds custom tune .... ( for auto )
lol, To be honest im still not new with cat backs and headers stuff so i will love to take the info step by step.About the headers now so they all give same power right ? well what if i mixed stuff ? like now i get the JBA headers and later i get forexample magnaflow cats would there be diffrence in power ? im thinking of getting borla headers since many people said they are one of the best.. i dont care about the price.
And im going to get a new tunner.... i think its better, Speedamon ( guy from uae ) is selling his mustang so he thought he will sell his car and mods seperatly, he is selling 3.73 gears, TCI 3000, c&l CAI , xcal 2 tunner with evoperformance custom tune and brenspeeds custom tune .... ( for auto )
5th Gear Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,544
From:
RE: Headers
You can mix and match brands so long as the mounting locations all match up correctly. I honestly don't know if the location of the collector flange on the headers is universal or not between brands. If it's not, any muffler shop should be able to modify things to make it work.
That's why I bought the Dynatech kit. Longtubes, high-flow cats, and X-pipe all in one assembly, that fits up to the OEM "catback" junction with no hassle. Compatible with OEM catback or aftermarket catback with no problems whatsoever. By the way, the Dynatech high-flow cats are the best on the market right now.
That's why I bought the Dynatech kit. Longtubes, high-flow cats, and X-pipe all in one assembly, that fits up to the OEM "catback" junction with no hassle. Compatible with OEM catback or aftermarket catback with no problems whatsoever. By the way, the Dynatech high-flow cats are the best on the market right now.
3rd Gear Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 692
From: New Hampshire
RE: Headers
No doubt there are many options out there. The only reason I mentioned cat backs is because most of us make that type of change first and then may choose to change out the headers and midpipes later. This is something to keep in mind when choosing headers in terms of whether you go with short or long tube. Buying one versus the other will directly impact what you buy for the rest of the system for proper fit.
When I had my car dynoed the tuner said long flows with an X-pipe would add the most power. He's dynoed 100's of mustangs with all different types of exhaust combinations so believe me he sees the proof in numbers every day. He told me don't waste my money replacing the existing headers with another set of short flows since there would be a minmal power gain if any. So if you want the most power then long tube headers is the way to go. Then I've heard the argument about the H vs. X-pipe sound. The X-pipe sounds more Nascar. Geez, that is certainly be tough to take. Those cars have NO power. You're doing the right thing by inquiring here and everyone has and is entiltled to their own opinions. Just keep in mind the headers is where the power and flow starts. To make the best choice there, you have to consider everything else that follows.
When I had my car dynoed the tuner said long flows with an X-pipe would add the most power. He's dynoed 100's of mustangs with all different types of exhaust combinations so believe me he sees the proof in numbers every day. He told me don't waste my money replacing the existing headers with another set of short flows since there would be a minmal power gain if any. So if you want the most power then long tube headers is the way to go. Then I've heard the argument about the H vs. X-pipe sound. The X-pipe sounds more Nascar. Geez, that is certainly be tough to take. Those cars have NO power. You're doing the right thing by inquiring here and everyone has and is entiltled to their own opinions. Just keep in mind the headers is where the power and flow starts. To make the best choice there, you have to consider everything else that follows.