Beat up, Dented, and "clearanced" Headers.....

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Jlcaptain24

Jlcaptain24

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So just finished watching an episode of Engine Masters on Motortrend. They dyno tested a motor at different states of the headers being dented. Started off mild....and progressively got more extreme. ZERO changes in TQ and HP until they basically smashed em nearly flat....and lost only 8HP and Zero TQ. LOL. Who'd of thought?? I feel better about my massaged headers now.
 
I saw that a while back and was impressed as well. If you look up the Micron Serpent motorcycle headers (don't know how to post pics from my phone), you'll see that the right kind of dents can MAKE power. Those headers made great power gains on the Buell XB engines.
Too bad we don't get pick where we have to put the dents.

If I could make the dents look decent, I wouldn't care.
 
And most of the people getting crazy over it are the ones who are least affected by it. The guy with 318 build with 9 to 1 compression, a used 600 holley and a 262 cam.
 
I never noticed a difference in my dented headers. I only did as much damage as needed to fit them, that's it.
 
That engine masters show is pretty neat. They compared a small block stroker 383 Chevy to a Mopar 383 BB. tried to make everything as even as possible. Best factory iron heads available, cam, intake....etc. The MOPAR made considerable more power....much to all the hosts surprise.
 
The Mopar engine made a lot more torque than I thought it would.
The Chevy made a lot less torque than I thought it would.
The hp levels were very close.

IMO, that gave some extra life to a lowly often scoffed at Mopar 383.
 
Definitely one of the best eye openers a car guy can see...... Steve seems to be a square egg for sure....

JW
 
For YEARS I used to tell guys that those small dings/dents/bangs making sure those headers fit didn't really matter. What does matter is primary tube size/length and collector size/length. Guys would argue that dented headers were useless. That you lost 10 of 20 HP you would gain. Etc etc. Glad to have a video prove I'm actually right.

There's a recent episode of engine masters on motor trend on demand. Same engine. Made 519.7 Torque and 529.7 HP on 1-5/8 headers. 519.3 Torque and 539.1 HP on 1-3/4 headers. 513 Torque and 539.6 HP on 1-7/8 headers. Which also shows there is such a thing as "too big" headers. Despite what some might say.
 
I run the 1-3/4 tube Hooker Super Comps on my E & B body cars. The (then) price & fit was to good to pass up. Every one tugged on my tail for the supposed low end torque loss. I never felt it!
 
rumblefish360 said:
I run the 1-3/4 tube Hooker Super Comps on my E & B body cars. The (then) price & fit was to good to pass up. Every one tugged on my tail for the supposed low end torque loss. I never felt it!
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If those are the multiple piece 1 &3/4 " primaries,I have those..They are expensive,and they work.....
The video's ,great... Don't knock these guys,several have worked several years,to learn stuff the right way....
 
The Hooker Super Comp 1-3/4 header for E & B body cars with small blocks are 1 price headers. They fit super good. The only draw back is if you have a scattersheild. You'll need to clearance the shield (AKA, cut) or dent the header like TTI header instructions state/show. Both of my cars are P/S & P/B cars. The B is a 727 center console shift and the E is a 4spd manual all stock parts.
 
rumblefish360 said:
The Hooker Super Comp 1-3/4 header for E & B body cars with small blocks are 1 price headers. They fit super good. The only draw back is if you have a scattersheild. You'll need to clearance the shield (AKA, cut) or dent the header like TTI header instructions state/show. Both of my cars are P/S & P/B cars. The B is a 727 center console shift and the E is a 4spd manual all stock parts.
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Hi ,Rob... Thanks,for the skinny.. Appreciated,..
 
Those guys are a couple of clowns..ya' ok smash the headers to the point where one of the tubes is almost flat and it won't hurt performance,now put them on run the car down the 1/4 then put a set on that are not dented and see if the cars goes quicker with the set that are not dented..i'll bet it does..
 
the local dyno gets like $100. an hour. Dave and Steve are showing us stuff for free! run it thru your brain and go from there.
 
Marcohotrod said:
the local dyno gets like $100. an hour. Dave and Steve are showing us stuff for free! run it thru your brain and go from there.
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Ya ok...don't believe everything a dyno slip says..i've personally witness a motor go from 300 h.p. to over 500 with the turn of a knob..aren't they the clowns that got their asses handed to them by the "*** monkeys"..lol
 
they ought to do a 2nd installment on headers vs manifolds with various cam changes. They only start to lose favor when bigger cams are used. Probably nill on a factory cammed 318 with less torque. I like that show but I dont watch it regularly.
 
1/2 a nope-Dave Freiburger does both gigs, and he and his other buddy from roadkill and the heavy charger that they got a lot of help building, did get smoked by the *** monkey Dart that they had much help building. Steve Dulcich is a mopar guru!
 
*** monkey also didn't stick to the laid out rules either... Their dart was full tube frame and way lighter than the charger
 
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