First, I like your channel, and i'm subscribing, so don't take this the wrong way :-) but... You missed the science behind the main reason for using an aftermarket header... it is *Not* the larger diameter header piping (although that *can* help... or hurt... "sometimes"). The main rationale for a header is to create an equal length of piping from start to finish for each of the individual pistons on the engine. Why? - The pistons fire in very rapid succession, and when each piston releases it's exhaust gases into the exhaust system, it represents a pressure spike in the exhaust system. Each of these pressure spikes seeks to equalize pressure by expanding down the exhaust pipe, eventually exiting the exhaust. - At the rate of piston firing in typical engine use, any given piston's exhaust pressure spike has not yet dissipated before the next pressure spike from another cylinder arrives (more noticeably so at higher rpms). So the pressure spikes from the cylinders start to overlay each other, kind of like people waiting in line to go through a ticket booth. This generates exhaust gas pressure, and the higher the pressure, the more it creates back-force on the engine's pistons which push out the exhaust, robbing power. - While larger diameter exhaust components are helpful for reducing gas pressures in the exhaust, thus reducing resistance to the engine's job of forcing exhaust out and in turn the amount of power it takes to pump the exhaust out... there is another factor at play which a header is specifically designed to address: *The spacing of each cylinder's exhaust pressure spikes in the exhaust system.* - In a typical original equipment exhaust manifold, the goal is often to use as little metal as possible (cheaper/lighter), and take up as little space as possible, while getting exhaust to the catalytic converter as quickly as possible so that it heats rapidly, reducing emissions for legal reasons. This results in exhaust manifold piping where the pistons nearer the catalytic converter having a shorter distance to travel to enter the main exhaust, and pistons further away from the catalytic converter having a longer distance to travel ("unequal exhaust path lengths"). - The pistons fire in a cycle where each piston's exhaust has equal timing between it and it's neighbors, so at any given RPM, the exhaust pressure spikes are occurring at equal intervals. But when they travel through piping of different lengths, these exhaust pressure spikes can end up closer or further apart when they reach the catalytic converter and remainder of the exhaust. If you want to go back to our people waiting in line analogy, imagine two people side by side in line, both trying to get through a ticket booth which is only one person wide, at the same time. - A header is designed *specifically* to reduce (short header) or eliminate (full header) that timing differential, by making the length of pipe for each cylinder going to the catalytic converter identical, or nearer to identical than stock. So that your people waiting in line to go through the ticket booth (spikes of gas pressure in the exhaust which must dissipate to reduce exhaust pressure) are in a nice single file line which moves through the ticket booth efficiently. (( For reference, when you see an engine's power band (in both HP and Torque) following a curve where you get diminishing power returns at higher RPM, that downward curve (which seems to prevent an engine from continuing to ramp upwards in power at higher RPM's) is very heavily influenced by the resistance of gas movement. Friction, and oscillating weight such as pistons, valves, & rods also affect it, not to mention losses in the drive chain taking it to the wheels. But back to gas movement... If you tuned the *entire* breathing system of a car, including: filter, intake, throttle body, intake manifold, valves, valve timing (cam), exhaust ports, header, cat, and cat-back... you could shift the peak of an engine's power output several thousand RPM's higher, allowing it to climb to a significantly higher peak, at much higher RPM, before diminishing returns bring it back down, and also provide a broader power band which helps reduce time spent shifting gears. BUT most of these components *by themselves* offer very little benefit, because the stock components are like a whole set of bottlenecks, and power gains are minimal when you only remove some of the bottlenecks. A header is the glaring exception though, as it can help *any* exhaust system move air significantly more efficiently. Although from a labor standpoint, if you're installing a header, you probably should do the whole exhaust anyway. Similarly a turbo or supercharger has a very strong single-upgrade benefit because it can brute-force it's gains through a restrictive throttle body & intake manifold. )) *** Header Advantages *** Headers can reduce exhaust pressure *significantly*, or more accurately reduce variances in exhaust pressure, so that any given diameter of exhaust piping, catalytic converter, muffler, etc. can work most efficiently. At low RPM where exhaust pressure is minimal, there are little to no power gains, but at high RPM's a header will make any exhaust system have much more efficient gas movement, keeping exhaust back pressure to a minimum. A good header can help reduce the need for excessively oversized cat-back tubing, reducing weight and improving ground clearance. It also makes a smoother sound at the exhaust. While a un uneven rumble may sound cool, a smooth deep exhaust note is the sound of efficient air flow. A header can add more power (by itself) by increasing the efficiency of even a stock exhaust system, than a cat-back can. It's also much more of a pain to install though. *** Header Disadvantages *** Headers add weight. All that extra piping is more metal for your car to carry around. For normal driving in the 500-2500 RPM range, headers will weigh more than they're worth. Which is one of two reasons they aren't factory equipped. Headers put more travel distance between the engine and the catalytic converter (another minor help for reducing exhaust pressure), but that makes the Cat take longer to heat up after starting an engine cold... and that will make your pollution emissions significantly less favorable. Some schemes that auto makers have tried to overcome this issue is to put a mini-catalytic converter in each header pipe, or to electrically heat the Cat at startup. Some performance Cats are designed to somewhat alleviate this concern with more pure platinum coating, etc. Another possible disadvantage is that some exhaust headers have oversized piping, but if the exhaust ports on the engine block are smaller, that creates a sudden change in exhaust diameter... while the explanation is quite a bit more in depth, in simplest possible terms, you can think of sudden squared off changes in exhaust diameter as being "very NOT aerodynamic" in terms of moving gas through a tube with minimal resistance. Conical changes in diameter are not problematic, but squared off changes in diameter are not good. Large diameter header tubing on standard diameter exhaust ports could potentially rob a bit of power even at low RPM. I'd recommend getting standard diameter piping on the header (matching the factory engine block ports) *OR* milling out the engine block to match the header diameter if you want really big pipes (milling the exhaust ports is probably only worth it if you're going to increase the engine's gas pressures with a turbo or supercharger). For similar reasons (avoiding abrupt changes in pipe diameter), I'd recommend a low-resistance performance catalytic converter with nice gentle funnel shapes fore and aft, a low resistance muffler, and to avoid using a resonator. Likewise, the design of a header's "collector" (where the pipes come together) is crucially important as well. ALSO: A 4to2to1 header will perform well *on a 4 cylinder engine* for piston ignition sequences of: 1-3-4-2 and 1-3-2-4, but less well with ignition firings of 1-2-4-3, 1-4-3-2, and 1-2-3-4. Meanwhile a 4to1 full header will perform equally well with any ignition sequence. This is all due to getting the people going through the ticket booth as equally spaced and spread out as possible. If two neighboring cylinders in the right or left pair of a 4to2to1 header fire one after the other, then that creates additional pressure on one side in the 2-pipe stage of the header. Personally I think a 4to2to1 header is the better choice, being generally lighter, and having staged collection (merging of pipes), but only *IF* the ignition sequence on your car is one of the two sequences with which it can perform to it's best potential. In terms of parts & labor, it's almost always cheaper to get a car with a larger displacement engine than it is to tune a smaller engine to be more powerful. However, I get the hobbyist interest. And with gasoline at around $3/gallon, 100,000 miles at 20mpg is $15,000 in gas, while 100,000 miles at 30mpg is $10,000 in gas. I doubt you'd usually see that large of a gas mileage difference, but there can definitely be some back-loaded savings on tuning a smaller engine. Plus "the engine in the car you already have" is always priced very attractively.
Very interesting to read, thanks! So 180° parrallel twins would benefit from header pipes of significal difference in length. As would those 4 valve singles with double header pipes. Altough I would guess one had to be so much longer that the backpressure would be worse than any gain from airflow. Maybe in connection with different diameters? ...
kathrynck Fantastic comment. Thank you so much for taking the time to write up this lengthy explanation. I feel much more informed after watching the video and reading this comment. Kudos to you both.
kathrynck ummmm Is there anything you left out" damn that's a bloody mouth full!!!. so to my question I asked I might as well ask you!. what do you think about a ceramic header?? gee's you know you're shit pretty damn well.
Your honestly a huge help man. I'm really into cars but I have literally no one to teach me anything about them. I thank you for these videos even tho learning from them is looked down upon by others. They still help me and inspire me.
Engineering Explained I honestly don't know. I tell my friends that I'm learning from them and they laugh at me and I've seen comments on other car videos of people just making fun of people who learn from them. But I honestly don't care as long as I'm learning about something I am really inspired to do.
Interesting. Well Yonaka, Nitrous Express, Shell (world's second largest company), Nissan, and many others still to come have all used my channel as a method of teaching about various items, suppose that provides some credibility no? Anyways, happy to hear you can learn from them. Negativity will always exist. :)
Engineering Explained probably just machismo-driven ignorance. In their minds, you gotta be out there busting your knuckles and getting your hands greasy. Classroom instruction doesn't count.
Finally someone who doesn't swear by turbos. Engineering at it's finest indeed! I love the mathematical breakdowns, really helps me understand the concepts of these videos. Very good work, mate! Cheers!
But with a turbo you are turning exhaust energy that is normally just wasted to pressurize the air coming into the engine. Therefore making a denser and more packed air/fuel charge, to make more HP. Out of any mods a turbo will give you the most hp for the price. I can spend like 2-3k building an N/A car and make like 300whp (just an example). Or turbo it for about the same price and make 350-400hp (depending on strength of stock engine components and psi). A turbo is like turning your shit into gold, now who wouldn't want to do that.
You have to understand the basics to understand it all. Some videos are simpler than others, ultimately (hopefully) it provides a good understanding of the overall system.
Hi i have a question i have a 206 gti s16 136hp and 190nm torque now my goal is to get 190hp but thing is its light and im not aiming at gettin more top speed intead i like accel 0-180kph my ive got a blok thats going to be refurbished in a few weeks i orderd a sport cat 200 cells janspeed catback exhaust a 4-1 header ist going to get a rc head witch has bigger valves and its ported have to disable vvt tho and like itb but what to do with cams and cam sprockets is it worth it to forge the blok high compression pistons etc ?
@@LB83. the amount of compression would depend on if your installing forced induction. The compression would depend on how much boost you plan on running if you go that way. High boost would generally require a bit lower compression to avoid blowing the motor from increased stress. If you are going to be running a naturally aspirated setup id get higher compression im not sure how much it would help you gain in terms of actual power sure compression is good for power but probably wouldn't give you that gain your looking for best option from what I read a bit higher compression ratio upgraded fuel pump maybe a bit larger injectors. I wouldn't be running without vvt this would rob you significantly of power. Header setup and free flowing exhaust put a better intake plenum thats higher flowing and a larger throttlebody as well as a higher flowing air filter (sidenote throwing this at the car without a tune would 100% throw codes, the car would most likely not run as the computer would be very confused with what to do with the new hardware get a piggyback ecu or a new ecu and get it tuned. That in mind you would make plenty of power
You should also touch on aspects like - Sequential vs non sequential pairing of 4-2-1. There was an Exup Valve on a header that would switch between the two pairings. - Long tubed primaries vs short tubed primaries. Some headers will split the primary secondary length 50/50 but I've seen some primaries that are closer to 60% of the length perform like a 4-1, while still reaping the benefits of the 4-2-1. - Then there are collectors that have venturies/choke points in them to alter their performance. - Stepped headers and stepped port vs port matched head -> header
Dear Engineering explained. My question has to do with an exact situation with the C8 when one of the vloggers showed his receipt of a Kooks exhaust header. He did a "pull" with his stock header on the 2020 Stingray, 6.2 liter pushrod, V8 engine. After taking the initial reading for HP and Torque with the stock exhaust manifold, the latter was removed from the Corvette. In its place with the same other stock cats and pipes, resonators, pipes and mufflers and tips, the only difference that was tested, was the addition of the Kooks exhaust headers, where the stock exhaust manifolds formerly had been. (Although a short tube header system, the pipes appeared to be longer and with mandrel-bent turns to the, "collector." The diameter was slightly larger than stock. Then the C8 vlogger ran a dyno once again with temperatures the same; same gasoline, etc. Result: throughout the range, including at the cross-over, the Kooks headers provided readings that were 2 to 4 horsepower lower in both horsepower and torque, even at the crossover point, than were achieved by the stock manifold. What is the explanation for this? I wrote into Kook asking for an explanation and received no information at all. The only thing that might have affected this result, is that it appeared to me that the connecting flange of the Kooks header, had smaller opening than its pipes and also smaller openings than stock. However, writing into the vlogger, produced no response or answer to me, just a lowly fan, observing the RUclips vlog. AF
I've been going through a lot of your videos. You're an excellent teacher. You teach like how I teach others. I'm going to school to teach and while I don't know what topic specifically, but I do know that I will remember the style of your teaching for sure!
Header comes directly from the engine head, it's the first tubing the exhaust goes into after leaving the cylinder head. The downpipe is directly after the turbo (exhaust side).
Haha very welcome. I get a comment or two every now and then saying "you need a video intro." I disagree - I'm here to teach and an intro is simply a waste of time. Hence "hello everyone and welcome" is my intro. Glad to see the method is appreciated.
Nice job on this video. You really should discuss the primary pipe length as it is the single biggest factor for the tuned header. A shorter pipe length move the peak torque higher up the RPM band while a longer pipe length moves this down the RPM scale.
Thank you so much for all of your explanations. I've learned about cars and machinery in general with your videos more than with any other resources. Again, thank you so much, I look forward to more of your videos!
Hey just wanted to say great video's, I have been building motors for awhile now and you explain it better then most of the guys I have learned from. Keep up the great work!!
I like that you talked a bit about the types of collector designs. If you look at some of the nascar cup car headers, they have various designs including 4-1 and 4-2-1 for each cylinder bank, as well as various pipe diameters of each step. It's really just tuning based on the track they're running, but it's surprising to see so many different configurations.
Just gotta say, i love your videos, Im a first year Freshy engineer on a Formula SAE team and these are such a great way to get introductory information. Keep up the good work!
thank for your video and i have some questions to ask 1) For 4-1 and 4-2-1 exhaust system, which will have better air flow but lower air velocity? (from what you draw i think should be 4-2-1, but still need your clarification on it) 2) how does the air flow and air velocity of exhaust system affect the torque band shifting? (of cause in your graph did show the result of torque shifting, but i really need you further explanation on that)
With the power band shift - that's not because of the way the headers are built, but because of their length - in a N/A car there are wave effects occurring in the exhaust that help scavenging around some RPM range, and that depends on header length. As 4-2-1 are in most cases longer they help in lower RPM range (also there are compounded effects from each joint point so 4-2-1 have a wider torque range).
Most of what I saw only differed by a few hundred RPM, and most of the time it seemed the 4-1 did a little bit better. Definitely didn't pool a very large sample of dynos though, so it'd take a bit more to reach more conclusive decisions. I hope to get more into it over time.
Perhaps, if it's really heating up the engine bay a lot/the intake manifold. Also most exhaust manifolds have a heat shield, and this requires removing it so it could potentially help.
What about equal and unequal headers??? What are the differences except from the design?? I'm an Impreza STi owner so you understand why I'm asking and I would be glad to learn more... Keep up the great work!!!
Actually there are some headers that do this, but I think the reasoning lies in creating the scavenging effect, and having the pulses create a low pressure zone which acts like a vacuum. Things wouldn't exactly line up well if it were to all join at once.
Once I get into tuning my car and actually swapping out components, I'll be doing some dyno tests for sure, and will certainly explain them. It may be a while until this time though, saving up for a new car so my Integra can become a project car.
I like your videos man because you're giving me an idea on witch mods I should get on my car to gain more horsepower so I can have more fun on the roads. Nick
These videos help me so much. I am working on designing an "ideal car" because I'm fifteen with nothing better to do, and I want to have experience in designing cars if that's what I end up doing for a career. I'm thinking v10 or v12, 3.0 liter 1990's f1 style. Awd, with torque vectoring, and turbo charged. I'm also working with an Ohio state university student with a Chrysler internship on redesigning the way valves work and move, because I really hate how restrictive they are. The goal of the car is pure acceleration. I think I'll be relatively relaxed with top speed. Let's say a goal of 200 mph (hah got you there). Because of acceleration being our goal, we'll use the 2014-2015 f1's hybrid engines as a reference point. I recall you going over a new turbo technology you saw at an event. We'll combine that new tech with the split turbo technology of f1, to keep the intake cool. Since I'm a group B rally enthusiast, let's put a twin screw super charger after that turbo.
Depends of course on the engine, number of cylinders, and size of the engine. If you check out my video on catbacks I give a fairly vague rule of thumb about how it may work. Likely need additional videos on this kind of topic in the future.
I came here after looking into the ford voodoo engine, a flatplane crank V8 that sounds like a muscle car V8 despite its left to right firing order, and found out that it has 4 to 3 to 1 exhaust headers. That's why it sounds that way, and naturally I was like "how??" This video helped me in understanding what exhaust headers even do.
I apologize if you covered this, If you want to replace your stock exhaust header with something with larging piping, how would you connect the larger piping to where it connects to the engine? I'm guessing it has a specific diameter. I didn't know if there was another piece you would connect to make it fit or not. I love you videos I'm learning so much.I also have a vw rabbit a/t 2007 2.5 that I would like to start fixing up.
alright alright, i thought i might see maybe one or 2 of your videos in my life of yours but evidently thats not the case now.... damn it you earned yourself a subscribe....keep up the great work
Back pressure is not needed, velocity is what you want. Check out my video "how exhaust systems increase horsepower." Here I discuss the balance, you may not have enough power to warrant a larger exhaust, thus it may actually reduce performance slightly.
Dude thank you for these videos, you do a great job of explaining and making good sense of how things work. Especially a car enthusiasts such as my self thats at an amatuear level with understanding how things work it makes sense!!! aYou my friend have gaing a new subscriber
Engineering explained... Can yiu make a video about engine heats externally?? And may I ask. Are headers wrap recommended?? if so, how much hp increase should I get?
Great video, I was able to translate all of this to my motorcycle because it too has an in-line 4 cylinder engine, as well as exhaust headers. It's a 2008 Yamaha R6.
When people mention running open headers it refers to disconnecting the exhaust from the Header Collector. So the only parts the Exhaust has to flow through are the Cylinder, Cylinder Head and Header, once it reaches the end of the Exhaust Header (Or Exhaust Manifold) Collector the exhaust vents to atmosphere, instead of having to go through Exhaust piping, Catalytic Converters or Mufflers, which are restrictive. In some applications this can lead to more power and it makes a lot more noise :)
So, a larger exhaust must beg for a larger/less restrictive intake. Which means, more oxygen and a stronger combustion…creating more power. Just trying to connect the dots here. Lmk if this makes any sense. Thank you!
Let's ask Google. Tube: "A long, hollow cylinder of metal, plastic, glass, etc., for holding or transporting something, chiefly liquids or gases." Synonyms: "Pipe" I don't know why people get so caught up in semantics.
Hi, I've been looking across RUclips but can't seem to find any videos on the benefits of using exhaust heat wrap. Would love it if you could do a video explaining the pros and cons of it. Many thanks
I suggest you to talk about the droning effect . I've installed a 4-1 OBX header with a magnaflow catback on my golf 2.0 and the droning inside the car is just sick, destroyng my ears. I caped one of the output pipe of the muffler to retain some back pressure. returning like standard "performance" it fix the noise quite good, but it no longer work very much now. at least ,I can just remove the cap if i want ...
I understand that the peak torque curve changes depending on the header used. My question is that if a vehicle used both the same exhaust pieces except for the header to compare torque numbers as well as the curve, will the 4-1 header out-perform the 4-2-1? Here is my example to better get the answer I am looking for: Scenario: Only thing affecting curve between headers is max flow potential. Just keep it simple and in your mind that the motor is supposedly capable of the flow for the 2 types of headers and that the chance that the 4-2-1 header may cause flow restriction that may actually cause tq loss. 4-2-1 Header - 100tq @ 2000, 150tq @ 3000, 200tq @ 4000, 190tq @ 5000, 175tq @ 6000. 4-1 Header - 100tq @ 2000, 150tq @ 3000, 200tq @ 4000, 210tq @ 5000, 215tq @ 6000. Both numbers are the same until after 4000. This does show the 4-2-1 header as having peakier tq in the lower rpm's for the curve, as well as the 4-1 header having more of a higher tq curve. But, the 4-1 header curve for this example shows no loss of what the 4-2-1 header was capable of doing and also shows an extra bump in tq in the higher rpm's. Though the curve peaks higher for the 4-1, it also has more tq and covers all of what the 4-2-1 header was capable of without any low rpm tq loss. Please help me to clarify this as I don't want to buy a 4-2-1 header if the 4-1 header does not have any actual tq loss in the low rpm's in comparison to what the 4-2-1 header curve looks like. I don't see any point in buying a 4-2-1 header if it gives your car a max tq of say 200 at 4000, when I could get a 4-1 header that still has the 200tq at 4000, but also has the additional tq in the higher range that I would not have if I were to choose the 4-2-1 header. There would be no point in getting a 4-2-1 header if it has a better low rpm tq curve simply because it were too restrictive and disabled any high-end tq.
You should do a vid explaining the difference between DOHC- SOHC and OHV (Highlighting disadvantages and advantages between them if there are any) ---- by the way keep up the great work
Read about the Tomei exhaust manifold for the sr20det, its a unequal length manifold, in theory it should make a turboed car more responsive and faster spool up.
On those curves you showed, it seems that the main benefit of the 4-1 is at high RPM. If I am reading it correctly, the 4-2-1 is actually better at low RPM. Since most of us do our city driving on the low side of that curve, the 4-2-1 sounds like the best fit.
Can you do comparison for ceramic coating for exhaust headers and some kind of thermo isolation tapes for more performance of engine? Is it true, cost-effect, etc.
I have a civic 1999 LXi with a stock engine of D15z4(87hp). You mentioned that an upgrade to a 4-2-1 header won't help in this kind of small engine. So, how can I add more kick or more HP into this? I don't want a turbo package upgrade as this is expensive. I just want to see other options if there are. Please advise.
Could you include an X pipe in the header design? Thereby increasing volume for exhaust gas and equalising pressure. Header pipes would then continue as normal to the collector.
Technically they may be the same, but car guys see it this way: Headers refer to equal length pipes designed to smooth out exhaust flow and increase performance (exactly what you see in the thumbnail). Exhaust manifolds are stock pipes coming off the cylinder bank, they're not equal length and do not help with performance. Both are simply that group of pipes in the video, beginning at the cylinder bank and ending at the pipe bolted on after the cluster.
Hey Mate, Could you do one for a turbo vehicle? I have heard many mixed things from both forums and experts all contradicting each other Cheers, keep up the awesome vids love them
What would you recommend for a 2016 Honda CR-V? 1. 4-2-1 headers 2. Long tube headers 3. Short tube headers? Also, what's the difference between 4-2-1, 4-1 and tri-y headers? Can I mix and match them, let's say 4-2-1 long tube headers or 4-2-1 short tube headers?
headers are made of steel using individual tubes so that each exhaust port has a tube then all tubes from the same bank exit into a collector, ideally each tube should be about the same length, that way the exhaust is tuned either for power of for sound or both exhaust manifolds are usually made from cast iron, some have individual runners
Would 4-2 headers be bad?? Would that make it more work for the engine since it’s only 2 cylinders pushing exhaust out through each pipe or would it help because it’d have more space and less restriction
Plan on doing any videos showing us the completed vehicle when the time comes? I'd be interested to see what all these nice parts do to it performance wise when all is said and done.
great video , but i want to ask about the relation between back pressure and header , 2- why we loss torque from the engine when there a leakage on exhaust system ?
Please go over equal vs unequal headers?! One for boosted application, one for unboosted. I think equal headers are more beneficial to turbo applications while it does not have as much of a performance aspect on na application.
Why would there be a different torque curve between the two? Does it have to do with the nature of the scavenging? Can you go in depth on this? Like you know, with the basic physics behind it?
I am thinking about replacing my exhaust header in my 2014 miata with a GWR roadster sport street header (catted). Would I be able to feel the difference in performance and is is worth the money and time? Please advise. Great videos by the way. Thanks
First, I like your channel, and i'm subscribing, so don't take this the wrong way :-) but...
You missed the science behind the main reason for using an aftermarket header... it is *Not* the larger diameter header piping (although that *can* help... or hurt... "sometimes").
The main rationale for a header is to create an equal length of piping from start to finish for each of the individual pistons on the engine.
Why?
- The pistons fire in very rapid succession, and when each piston releases it's exhaust gases into the exhaust system, it represents a pressure spike in the exhaust system. Each of these pressure spikes seeks to equalize pressure by expanding down the exhaust pipe, eventually exiting the exhaust.
- At the rate of piston firing in typical engine use, any given piston's exhaust pressure spike has not yet dissipated before the next pressure spike from another cylinder arrives (more noticeably so at higher rpms). So the pressure spikes from the cylinders start to overlay each other, kind of like people waiting in line to go through a ticket booth. This generates exhaust gas pressure, and the higher the pressure, the more it creates back-force on the engine's pistons which push out the exhaust, robbing power.
- While larger diameter exhaust components are helpful for reducing gas pressures in the exhaust, thus reducing resistance to the engine's job of forcing exhaust out and in turn the amount of power it takes to pump the exhaust out... there is another factor at play which a header is specifically designed to address: *The spacing of each cylinder's exhaust pressure spikes in the exhaust system.*
- In a typical original equipment exhaust manifold, the goal is often to use as little metal as possible (cheaper/lighter), and take up as little space as possible, while getting exhaust to the catalytic converter as quickly as possible so that it heats rapidly, reducing emissions for legal reasons. This results in exhaust manifold piping where the pistons nearer the catalytic converter having a shorter distance to travel to enter the main exhaust, and pistons further away from the catalytic converter having a longer distance to travel ("unequal exhaust path lengths").
- The pistons fire in a cycle where each piston's exhaust has equal timing between it and it's neighbors, so at any given RPM, the exhaust pressure spikes are occurring at equal intervals. But when they travel through piping of different lengths, these exhaust pressure spikes can end up closer or further apart when they reach the catalytic converter and remainder of the exhaust. If you want to go back to our people waiting in line analogy, imagine two people side by side in line, both trying to get through a ticket booth which is only one person wide, at the same time.
- A header is designed *specifically* to reduce (short header) or eliminate (full header) that timing differential, by making the length of pipe for each cylinder going to the catalytic converter identical, or nearer to identical than stock. So that your people waiting in line to go through the ticket booth (spikes of gas pressure in the exhaust which must dissipate to reduce exhaust pressure) are in a nice single file line which moves through the ticket booth efficiently.
(( For reference, when you see an engine's power band (in both HP and Torque) following a curve where you get diminishing power returns at higher RPM, that downward curve (which seems to prevent an engine from continuing to ramp upwards in power at higher RPM's) is very heavily influenced by the resistance of gas movement. Friction, and oscillating weight such as pistons, valves, & rods also affect it, not to mention losses in the drive chain taking it to the wheels. But back to gas movement... If you tuned the *entire* breathing system of a car, including: filter, intake, throttle body, intake manifold, valves, valve timing (cam), exhaust ports, header, cat, and cat-back... you could shift the peak of an engine's power output several thousand RPM's higher, allowing it to climb to a significantly higher peak, at much higher RPM, before diminishing returns bring it back down, and also provide a broader power band which helps reduce time spent shifting gears. BUT most of these components *by themselves* offer very little benefit, because the stock components are like a whole set of bottlenecks, and power gains are minimal when you only remove some of the bottlenecks. A header is the glaring exception though, as it can help *any* exhaust system move air significantly more efficiently. Although from a labor standpoint, if you're installing a header, you probably should do the whole exhaust anyway. Similarly a turbo or supercharger has a very strong single-upgrade benefit because it can brute-force it's gains through a restrictive throttle body & intake manifold. ))
*** Header Advantages ***
Headers can reduce exhaust pressure *significantly*, or more accurately reduce variances in exhaust pressure, so that any given diameter of exhaust piping, catalytic converter, muffler, etc. can work most efficiently. At low RPM where exhaust pressure is minimal, there are little to no power gains, but at high RPM's a header will make any exhaust system have much more efficient gas movement, keeping exhaust back pressure to a minimum. A good header can help reduce the need for excessively oversized cat-back tubing, reducing weight and improving ground clearance. It also makes a smoother sound at the exhaust. While a un uneven rumble may sound cool, a smooth deep exhaust note is the sound of efficient air flow.
A header can add more power (by itself) by increasing the efficiency of even a stock exhaust system, than a cat-back can. It's also much more of a pain to install though.
*** Header Disadvantages ***
Headers add weight. All that extra piping is more metal for your car to carry around. For normal driving in the 500-2500 RPM range, headers will weigh more than they're worth. Which is one of two reasons they aren't factory equipped.
Headers put more travel distance between the engine and the catalytic converter (another minor help for reducing exhaust pressure), but that makes the Cat take longer to heat up after starting an engine cold... and that will make your pollution emissions significantly less favorable. Some schemes that auto makers have tried to overcome this issue is to put a mini-catalytic converter in each header pipe, or to electrically heat the Cat at startup. Some performance Cats are designed to somewhat alleviate this concern with more pure platinum coating, etc.
Another possible disadvantage is that some exhaust headers have oversized piping, but if the exhaust ports on the engine block are smaller, that creates a sudden change in exhaust diameter... while the explanation is quite a bit more in depth, in simplest possible terms, you can think of sudden squared off changes in exhaust diameter as being "very NOT aerodynamic" in terms of moving gas through a tube with minimal resistance. Conical changes in diameter are not problematic, but squared off changes in diameter are not good. Large diameter header tubing on standard diameter exhaust ports could potentially rob a bit of power even at low RPM. I'd recommend getting standard diameter piping on the header (matching the factory engine block ports) *OR* milling out the engine block to match the header diameter if you want really big pipes (milling the exhaust ports is probably only worth it if you're going to increase the engine's gas pressures with a turbo or supercharger). For similar reasons (avoiding abrupt changes in pipe diameter), I'd recommend a low-resistance performance catalytic converter with nice gentle funnel shapes fore and aft, a low resistance muffler, and to avoid using a resonator. Likewise, the design of a header's "collector" (where the pipes come together) is crucially important as well.
ALSO:
A 4to2to1 header will perform well *on a 4 cylinder engine* for piston ignition sequences of: 1-3-4-2 and 1-3-2-4, but less well with ignition firings of 1-2-4-3, 1-4-3-2, and 1-2-3-4. Meanwhile a 4to1 full header will perform equally well with any ignition sequence. This is all due to getting the people going through the ticket booth as equally spaced and spread out as possible. If two neighboring cylinders in the right or left pair of a 4to2to1 header fire one after the other, then that creates additional pressure on one side in the 2-pipe stage of the header. Personally I think a 4to2to1 header is the better choice, being generally lighter, and having staged collection (merging of pipes), but only *IF* the ignition sequence on your car is one of the two sequences with which it can perform to it's best potential.
In terms of parts & labor, it's almost always cheaper to get a car with a larger displacement engine than it is to tune a smaller engine to be more powerful. However, I get the hobbyist interest. And with gasoline at around $3/gallon, 100,000 miles at 20mpg is $15,000 in gas, while 100,000 miles at 30mpg is $10,000 in gas. I doubt you'd usually see that large of a gas mileage difference, but there can definitely be some back-loaded savings on tuning a smaller engine. Plus "the engine in the car you already have" is always priced very attractively.
kathrynck What a comment! I have another video going into a bit more detail. :) Performance Exhaust - More Horsepower
You have WAY too much free time on your hands.
Very interesting to read, thanks!
So 180° parrallel twins would benefit from header pipes of significal difference in length.
As would those 4 valve singles with double header pipes.
Altough I would guess one had to be so much longer that the backpressure would be worse than any gain from airflow.
Maybe in connection with different diameters? ...
kathrynck Fantastic comment. Thank you so much for taking the time to write up this lengthy explanation. I feel much more informed after watching the video and reading this comment. Kudos to you both.
kathrynck ummmm Is there anything you left out" damn that's a bloody mouth full!!!. so to my question I asked I might as well ask you!. what do you think about a ceramic header?? gee's you know you're shit pretty damn well.
Your honestly a huge help man. I'm really into cars but I have literally no one to teach me anything about them. I thank you for these videos even tho learning from them is looked down upon by others. They still help me and inspire me.
***** Glad you enjoy the videos, and can learn from them! Why is learning from these videos looked down upon?
Engineering Explained I honestly don't know. I tell my friends that I'm learning from them and they laugh at me and I've seen comments on other car videos of people just making fun of people who learn from them. But I honestly don't care as long as I'm learning about something I am really inspired to do.
Interesting. Well Yonaka, Nitrous Express, Shell (world's second largest company), Nissan, and many others still to come have all used my channel as a method of teaching about various items, suppose that provides some credibility no? Anyways, happy to hear you can learn from them. Negativity will always exist. :)
Engineering Explained probably just machismo-driven ignorance. In their minds, you gotta be out there busting your knuckles and getting your hands greasy. Classroom instruction doesn't count.
emmanuel big facts
Finally someone who doesn't swear by turbos. Engineering at it's finest indeed! I love the mathematical breakdowns, really helps me understand the concepts of these videos. Very good work, mate! Cheers!
Haha turbos are pretty awesome though!
But with a turbo you are turning exhaust energy that is normally just wasted to pressurize the air coming into the engine. Therefore making a denser and more packed air/fuel charge, to make more HP. Out of any mods a turbo will give you the most hp for the price. I can spend like 2-3k building an N/A car and make like 300whp (just an example). Or turbo it for about the same price and make 350-400hp (depending on strength of stock engine components and psi). A turbo is like turning your shit into gold, now who wouldn't want to do that.
Engineering Explained would headers help my turbo car
the one every car has headers...lol
the one you probably mean would "performance" headers help.
You have to understand the basics to understand it all. Some videos are simpler than others, ultimately (hopefully) it provides a good understanding of the overall system.
Actually, I am an engineer, working in the professional world..
Hi i have a question i have a 206 gti s16 136hp and 190nm torque now my goal is to get 190hp but thing is its light and im not aiming at gettin more top speed intead i like accel 0-180kph my ive got a blok thats going to be refurbished in a few weeks i orderd a sport cat 200 cells janspeed catback exhaust a 4-1 header ist going to get a rc head witch has bigger valves and its ported have to disable vvt tho and like itb but what to do with cams and cam sprockets is it worth it to forge the blok high compression pistons etc ?
@@LB83. the amount of compression would depend on if your installing forced induction. The compression would depend on how much boost you plan on running if you go that way. High boost would generally require a bit lower compression to avoid blowing the motor from increased stress. If you are going to be running a naturally aspirated setup id get higher compression im not sure how much it would help you gain in terms of actual power sure compression is good for power but probably wouldn't give you that gain your looking for best option from what I read a bit higher compression ratio upgraded fuel pump maybe a bit larger injectors. I wouldn't be running without vvt this would rob you significantly of power. Header setup and free flowing exhaust put a better intake plenum thats higher flowing and a larger throttlebody as well as a higher flowing air filter (sidenote throwing this at the car without a tune would 100% throw codes, the car would most likely not run as the computer would be very confused with what to do with the new hardware get a piggyback ecu or a new ecu and get it tuned. That in mind you would make plenty of power
Thank you for not having any video intros and just going straight to the point.
You should also touch on aspects like
- Sequential vs non sequential pairing of 4-2-1. There was an Exup Valve on a header that would switch between the two pairings.
- Long tubed primaries vs short tubed primaries. Some headers will split the primary secondary length 50/50 but I've seen some primaries that are closer to 60% of the length perform like a 4-1, while still reaping the benefits of the 4-2-1.
- Then there are collectors that have venturies/choke points in them to alter their performance.
- Stepped headers and stepped port vs port matched head -> header
marry me
Dear Engineering explained. My question has to do with an exact situation with the C8 when one of the vloggers showed his receipt of a Kooks exhaust header. He did a "pull" with his stock header on the 2020 Stingray, 6.2 liter pushrod, V8 engine. After taking the initial reading for HP and Torque with the stock exhaust manifold, the latter was removed from the Corvette. In its place with the same other stock cats and pipes, resonators, pipes and mufflers and tips, the only difference that was tested, was the addition of the Kooks exhaust headers, where the stock exhaust manifolds formerly had been. (Although a short tube header system, the pipes appeared to be longer and with mandrel-bent turns to the, "collector." The diameter was slightly larger than stock. Then the C8 vlogger ran a dyno once again with temperatures the same; same gasoline, etc. Result: throughout the range, including at the cross-over, the Kooks headers provided readings that were 2 to 4 horsepower lower in both horsepower and torque, even at the crossover point, than were achieved by the stock manifold. What is the explanation for this? I wrote into Kook asking for an explanation and received no information at all. The only thing that might have affected this result, is that it appeared to me that the connecting flange of the Kooks header, had smaller opening than its pipes and also smaller openings than stock. However, writing into the vlogger, produced no response or answer to me, just a lowly fan, observing the RUclips vlog. AF
You sound like Melvin from the movie Madagascar
lmfaooo
Dead you fucked the video up for me
LMAO whyyy
You mean david swimmer xD
*Melman
I've been going through a lot of your videos. You're an excellent teacher. You teach like how I teach others.
I'm going to school to teach and while I don't know what topic specifically, but I do know that I will remember the style of your teaching for sure!
Header comes directly from the engine head, it's the first tubing the exhaust goes into after leaving the cylinder head. The downpipe is directly after the turbo (exhaust side).
Haha very welcome. I get a comment or two every now and then saying "you need a video intro." I disagree - I'm here to teach and an intro is simply a waste of time. Hence "hello everyone and welcome" is my intro. Glad to see the method is appreciated.
Yes, sometimes curves are put in to keep the length of the pipes equal, could also be done for space constraints.
Either you read a few pages or u watch this guy. The physics behind it is important to know for your next step in truck or car mods! Thanks bro
Nice job on this video. You really should discuss the primary pipe length as it is the single biggest factor for the tuned header. A shorter pipe length move the peak torque higher up the RPM band while a longer pipe length moves this down the RPM scale.
I love the quality you put in your videos. If i never saw your subscriber count, i would have thought you had a million subs
Thank you so much for all of your explanations. I've learned about cars and machinery in general with your videos more than with any other resources. Again, thank you so much, I look forward to more of your videos!
Hey just wanted to say great video's, I have been building motors for awhile now and you explain it better then most of the guys I have learned from. Keep up the great work!!
I like that you talked a bit about the types of collector designs. If you look at some of the nascar cup car headers, they have various designs including 4-1 and 4-2-1 for each cylinder bank, as well as various pipe diameters of each step. It's really just tuning based on the track they're running, but it's surprising to see so many different configurations.
Just gotta say, i love your videos, Im a first year Freshy engineer on a Formula SAE team and these are such a great way to get introductory information. Keep up the good work!
Caleb Hille Thank you! Glad you enjoy it. Best of luck with your college career!
Absolutely, it's not as simple as saying this component gives this much power. Everything works together.
thank for your video and i have some questions to ask
1) For 4-1 and 4-2-1 exhaust system, which will have better air flow but lower air velocity?
(from what you draw i think should be 4-2-1, but still need your clarification on it)
2) how does the air flow and air velocity of exhaust system affect the torque band shifting?
(of cause in your graph did show the result of torque shifting, but i really need you further explanation on that)
Thanks, glad you like the videos!
With the power band shift - that's not because of the way the headers are built, but because of their length - in a N/A car there are wave effects occurring in the exhaust that help scavenging around some RPM range, and that depends on header length. As 4-2-1 are in most cases longer they help in lower RPM range (also there are compounded effects from each joint point so 4-2-1 have a wider torque range).
Most of what I saw only differed by a few hundred RPM, and most of the time it seemed the 4-1 did a little bit better. Definitely didn't pool a very large sample of dynos though, so it'd take a bit more to reach more conclusive decisions. I hope to get more into it over time.
Perhaps, if it's really heating up the engine bay a lot/the intake manifold. Also most exhaust manifolds have a heat shield, and this requires removing it so it could potentially help.
Interchangeable terms yes, "header" seems to be more common here when referring to aftermarket parts.
Love your videos and i respect that you are an engineer with knowledge, however we all work in the "professional world".
You're going to have a mean machine by the time all these videos are done.
What about equal and unequal headers??? What are the differences except from the design?? I'm an Impreza STi owner so you understand why I'm asking and I would be glad to learn more... Keep up the great work!!!
Actually there are some headers that do this, but I think the reasoning lies in creating the scavenging effect, and having the pulses create a low pressure zone which acts like a vacuum. Things wouldn't exactly line up well if it were to all join at once.
Once I get into tuning my car and actually swapping out components, I'll be doing some dyno tests for sure, and will certainly explain them. It may be a while until this time though, saving up for a new car so my Integra can become a project car.
I like your videos man because you're giving me an idea on witch mods I should get on my car to gain more horsepower so I can have more fun on the roads. Nick
These videos help me so much. I am working on designing an "ideal car" because I'm fifteen with nothing better to do, and I want to have experience in designing cars if that's what I end up doing for a career. I'm thinking v10 or v12, 3.0 liter 1990's f1 style. Awd, with torque vectoring, and turbo charged. I'm also working with an Ohio state university student with a Chrysler internship on redesigning the way valves work and move, because I really hate how restrictive they are. The goal of the car is pure acceleration. I think I'll be relatively relaxed with top speed. Let's say a goal of 200 mph (hah got you there). Because of acceleration being our goal, we'll use the 2014-2015 f1's hybrid engines as a reference point. I recall you going over a new turbo technology you saw at an event. We'll combine that new tech with the split turbo technology of f1, to keep the intake cool. Since I'm a group B rally enthusiast, let's put a twin screw super charger after that turbo.
Appreciate the suggestions! I do have videos on cam lift, multiple valvetrain videos, but many of your other suggestions I am limited on. Cheers
We need more engineers like you thank you for all your work
My old Porsche 944S had a 4-2-1, also known as a Tri-Y exhaust system. It sounded pretty good and seemed to flow pretty well.
Thank you for making all these videos! When I become president of the world I will make them mandatory for all tuners to watch.
Depends of course on the engine, number of cylinders, and size of the engine. If you check out my video on catbacks I give a fairly vague rule of thumb about how it may work. Likely need additional videos on this kind of topic in the future.
I came here after looking into the ford voodoo engine, a flatplane crank V8 that sounds like a muscle car V8 despite its left to right firing order, and found out that it has 4 to 3 to 1 exhaust headers. That's why it sounds that way, and naturally I was like "how??" This video helped me in understanding what exhaust headers even do.
Thank you very much for explaining the item. can you please tell us what are the risks that may happen after installing it.
I apologize if you covered this, If you want to replace your stock exhaust header with something with larging piping, how would you connect the larger piping to where it connects to the engine? I'm guessing it has a specific diameter. I didn't know if there was another piece you would connect to make it fit or not. I love you videos I'm learning so much.I also have a vw rabbit a/t 2007 2.5 that I would like to start fixing up.
As long as everything hooks up right you shouldn't have a problem with emissions.
Yes, if you're only using this for city driving rather than at a track where you stay near the higher RPM.
I haven't really been upgrading it, primarily due to a lack of time. If I put any of these parts on there will certainly be a video.
i just want to say thanks for making these videos, its greatly appreciated and keep it up!
A looked at a variety of companies when I was still in school. Yes, definitely difficult to get into the automotive industry. I like where I'm at.
Yes, this fits B series motors, and my Integra has a b18b1.
I like how you kept it simple and to the point. Thanks
No, it's simply routed that way to expel the exhaust gas at the back of the vehicle.
alright alright, i thought i might see maybe one or 2 of your videos in my life of yours but evidently thats not the case now.... damn it you earned yourself a subscribe....keep up the great work
Yes, and updates along the way. Haven't even started to be honest.
Same thing, many aftermarket companies simply refer to replacements as headers.
just fyi for those in the dark. Primary tube size is always given for the outside diameter not inside diameter.
Back pressure is not needed, velocity is what you want. Check out my video "how exhaust systems increase horsepower." Here I discuss the balance, you may not have enough power to warrant a larger exhaust, thus it may actually reduce performance slightly.
Should I wrap my headers? Heard it can destroy the headers over time but has good benefits. Planning on getting long term, I've got a 4 cyl NA engine
Dude thank you for these videos, you do a great job of explaining and making good sense of how things work. Especially a car enthusiasts such as my self thats at an amatuear level with understanding how things work it makes sense!!! aYou my friend have gaing a new subscriber
Thanks for subscribing!
This head is used for Acura Integra 94-01 GSR JDM,right?You explained very well
Engineering explained... Can yiu make a video about engine heats externally?? And may I ask. Are headers wrap recommended?? if so, how much hp increase should I get?
Great video, I was able to translate all of this to my motorcycle because it too has an in-line 4 cylinder engine, as well as exhaust headers. It's a 2008 Yamaha R6.
Literally just got these headers today and this caught my eye due to not knowing which one is more suitable for daily driving
When people mention running open headers it refers to disconnecting the exhaust from the Header Collector. So the only parts the Exhaust has to flow through are the Cylinder, Cylinder Head and Header, once it reaches the end of the Exhaust Header (Or Exhaust Manifold) Collector the exhaust vents to atmosphere, instead of having to go through Exhaust piping, Catalytic Converters or Mufflers, which are restrictive. In some applications this can lead to more power and it makes a lot more noise :)
Man litterally all the info I need to know you have, thanks man haha just learning and learning.
So, a larger exhaust must beg for a larger/less restrictive intake. Which means, more oxygen and a stronger combustion…creating more power. Just trying to connect the dots here. Lmk if this makes any sense. Thank you!
Any chance we can get some info on High Airflow catalytic converters and if its even worth it? CA legal of course...
Let's ask Google.
Tube: "A long, hollow cylinder of metal, plastic, glass, etc., for holding or transporting something, chiefly liquids or gases."
Synonyms: "Pipe"
I don't know why people get so caught up in semantics.
All of this stuff you explain which is awesome goes for all cars right? Not just imports right?
can you do a video on long tube vs shorty headers?
Hi, I've been looking across RUclips but can't seem to find any videos on the benefits of using exhaust heat wrap. Would love it if you could do a video explaining the pros and cons of it.
Many thanks
awesome vid.. i have a 2014 veloster turbo.. will buying a aftermarket header increase my performance
ZOMG Thank you. I agree with both you and Jose on this matter, straight to the point, no time wasted. Love your videos man.
I suggest you to talk about the droning effect . I've installed a 4-1 OBX header with a magnaflow catback on my golf 2.0 and the droning inside the car is just sick, destroyng my ears. I caped one of the output pipe of the muffler to retain some back pressure. returning like standard "performance" it fix the noise quite good, but it no longer work very much now. at least ,I can just remove the cap if i want ...
Thought sure you'd explain how exhaust velocity helps to empty the cylinders and why that helps to create more horsepower.
You explain very well about the topic! I'm enjoying your series!!!! Really good!!
I understand that the peak torque curve changes depending on the header used. My question is that if a vehicle used both the same exhaust pieces except for the header to compare torque numbers as well as the curve, will the 4-1 header out-perform the 4-2-1?
Here is my example to better get the answer I am looking for:
Scenario: Only thing affecting curve between headers is max flow potential. Just keep it simple and in your mind that the motor is supposedly capable of the flow for the 2 types of headers and that the chance that the 4-2-1 header may cause flow restriction that may actually cause tq loss.
4-2-1 Header - 100tq @ 2000, 150tq @ 3000, 200tq @ 4000, 190tq @ 5000, 175tq @ 6000.
4-1 Header - 100tq @ 2000, 150tq @ 3000, 200tq @ 4000, 210tq @ 5000, 215tq @ 6000.
Both numbers are the same until after 4000. This does show the 4-2-1 header as having peakier tq in the lower rpm's for the curve, as well as the 4-1 header having more of a higher tq curve. But, the 4-1 header curve for this example shows no loss of what the 4-2-1 header was capable of doing and also shows an extra bump in tq in the higher rpm's. Though the curve peaks higher for the 4-1, it also has more tq and covers all of what the 4-2-1 header was capable of without any low rpm tq loss.
Please help me to clarify this as I don't want to buy a 4-2-1 header if the 4-1 header does not have any actual tq loss in the low rpm's in comparison to what the 4-2-1 header curve looks like.
I don't see any point in buying a 4-2-1 header if it gives your car a max tq of say 200 at 4000, when I could get a 4-1 header that still has the 200tq at 4000, but also has the additional tq in the higher range that I would not have if I were to choose the 4-2-1 header. There would be no point in getting a 4-2-1 header if it has a better low rpm tq curve simply because it were too restrictive and disabled any high-end tq.
You should do a vid explaining the difference between DOHC- SOHC and OHV (Highlighting disadvantages and advantages between them if there are any) ---- by the way keep up the great work
Read about the Tomei exhaust manifold for the sr20det, its a unequal length manifold, in theory it should make a turboed car more responsive and faster spool up.
Been waiting for an explanation of this these bad boys! Thank you sir
thanks for your nice vedio I have chevy caprice1995 v8 4.3l with single Exhaust if I upgrade to dual Exhaust does this increase horsepower
9 years ago? Wow. Can you talk about high rise headers? I just saw a video from FCP Euro where they brought in a guy to build one for them.
On those curves you showed, it seems that the main benefit of the 4-1 is at high RPM. If I am reading it correctly, the 4-2-1 is actually better at low RPM. Since most of us do our city driving on the low side of that curve, the 4-2-1 sounds like the best fit.
Can you do comparison for ceramic coating for exhaust headers and some kind of thermo isolation tapes for more performance of engine? Is it true, cost-effect, etc.
Hp, and Torq . . . Increase Performance. Staying Frosty 🥶
I have a civic 1999 LXi with a stock engine of D15z4(87hp). You mentioned that an upgrade to a 4-2-1 header won't help in this kind of small engine. So, how can I add more kick or more HP into this? I don't want a turbo package upgrade as this is expensive. I just want to see other options if there are. Please advise.
Could you include an X pipe in the header design? Thereby increasing volume for exhaust gas and equalising pressure. Header pipes would then continue as normal to the collector.
Great explanation of the torque shift of 4-2-1 vs 4-1.Thanks
you should do another video with dyno test between stock, short and long header to your new miata
Technically they may be the same, but car guys see it this way: Headers refer to equal length pipes designed to smooth out exhaust flow and increase performance (exactly what you see in the thumbnail). Exhaust manifolds are stock pipes coming off the cylinder bank, they're not equal length and do not help with performance. Both are simply that group of pipes in the video, beginning at the cylinder bank and ending at the pipe bolted on after the cluster.
So ceramic coated or painted with something like VHT? Which is better in terms of performance and longevity?
Hey Mate,
Could you do one for a turbo vehicle?
I have heard many mixed things from both forums and experts all contradicting each other
Cheers, keep up the awesome vids love them
What would you recommend for a 2016 Honda CR-V?
1. 4-2-1 headers
2. Long tube headers
3. Short tube headers?
Also, what's the difference between 4-2-1, 4-1 and tri-y headers? Can I mix and match them, let's say 4-2-1 long tube headers or 4-2-1 short tube headers?
headers are made of steel using individual tubes so that each exhaust port has a tube then all tubes from the same bank exit into a collector, ideally each tube should be about the same length, that way the exhaust is tuned either for power of for sound or both
exhaust manifolds are usually made from cast iron, some have individual runners
Would 4-2 headers be bad?? Would that make it more work for the engine since it’s only 2 cylinders pushing exhaust out through each pipe or would it help because it’d have more space and less restriction
Plan on doing any videos showing us the completed vehicle when the time comes? I'd be interested to see what all these nice parts do to it performance wise when all is said and done.
great video , but i want to ask about the relation between back pressure and header ,
2- why we loss torque from the engine when there a leakage on exhaust system ?
Please go over equal vs unequal headers?! One for boosted application, one for unboosted. I think equal headers are more beneficial to turbo applications while it does not have as much of a performance aspect on na application.
Why would there be a different torque curve between the two? Does it have to do with the nature of the scavenging? Can you go in depth on this? Like you know, with the basic physics behind it?
I am thinking about replacing my exhaust header in my 2014 miata with a GWR roadster sport street header (catted). Would I be able to feel the difference in performance and is is worth the money and time?
Please advise. Great videos by the way.
Thanks
you should also do videos of you adding parts to your car like turbos, brake pads, rotor, cams, stuff like that.
You are an amazing teacher, just wish your explaintions were more simple...