shortys vs full length

[justlearning]

yeah ha ha i know how the title sounds before u even make the comment but on a more serious note im debating wheter to get full length headers or just the shorties... i know shorties will be easier to install and get better clearence but thats not what im worried about. ive heard full length headers can make u loose some low end torque which is what my 305 tbi really depends on to get goin, is there any truth to this?? also i heard that shorties actually help low end torque is this one fact or fiction?? and one more thing on the clearence issue how bad is it gonna be on ground clearence im stock height so its not sitting any lower than normal but at my work we have about four unevoidable speed bumps that i go over at least three or four times a day and i dont wanna go rippin off my y pipe or bending up my headers will they be a problem if i go full length??

[justlearning]

oh yeah and my operating range even after my intake and came probably wont go above about 5 grand and the headers im looking at are headman and hooker brand if that helps

[justlearning]

no opinions??? id really appreciate some advice on this one cause headers are commin real soon on my car and id kinda like to know what u guys think

[kmdracer]

Well, the results I have seen are that for a stock motor, shorties do make a little more power than the factory log manifolds. ( Below 5000 rpm as you have stated, and more low end torque) Generally, the are/can be 50 state legal replacements (if that is a concern). If you are looking for all out power, full length, TUNED ( equal length) seem to time and time again make more power. I know of no full length header for third or fourth gen f-bodys that are street legal. I could be mistaken though. Full lenghts MAY cause ground clearance problems.
Now that I have said all this, you have to keep in mind that not all engines will respond identically to the same mods. If I get 40 HP from brand X headers, that does not mean you will. The best advice I can give is decide which type you want, keeping in mind the pros and cons of each, then make nay other future changes with the same goals in mind. Checking past issues of Car Craft, Hod Rod and Chevy HP mags will give you some more ideas about what different headers will do. I think Car Craft did a fairly good series on headres for third gens last year. Good luck, and hope this helps!

[CORE402]

Originally Posted by justlearning

yeah ha ha i know how the title sounds before u even make the comment but on a more serious note im debating wheter to get full length headers or just the shorties... i know shorties will be easier to install and get better clearence but thats not what im worried about. ive heard full length headers can make u loose some low end torque which is what my 305 tbi really depends on to get goin, is there any truth to this?? also i heard that shorties actually help low end torque is this one fact or fiction?? and one more thing on the clearence issue how bad is it gonna be on ground clearence im stock height so its not sitting any lower than normal but at my work we have about four unevoidable speed bumps that i go over at least three or four times a day and i dont wanna go rippin off my y pipe or bending up my headers will they be a problem if i go full length??

Well whoever told you all of this is completely backwards. Exhaust acts a lot like intake when it comes to design. The larger runners of the TPI act like long tube headers, they improve torque. However with exhaust there isn't much of a decline in top end power like there is in induction. Long tubes are better in every way except for very slight differences in top end where the shorties might be in little more in their element. This does not matter however since the long tubes beat out the shories throughout most of the RPM range. Dont get me wrong though, shorties do have their place. You just have to decide for yourself.

[justlearning]

ok well thanks i was thinkin gettin full length headers would hurt my torque down low and improve top end horse power and as i said i need my low end torque to get me movin, but no im not really badly worried about being 50 state legal as long as i can put my o2 sensor in i can always weld the air tube in when i get my 3 inch y pipe fabbed up

[Genopsyde]

I didn't even know my car had an o2 sensor, where the hell is it?

[justlearning]

if its stock i think its right there in the exaust manifold

['97SLVRBullet]

I don't want piss anyone off, but Shorties are a waste of money, trust me. Go with the full length.

[92rs25th]

Originally Posted by '97SLVRBullet

I don't want piss anyone off, but Shorties are a waste of money, trust me. Go with the full length.

I agree , not only is the supposed hp 'gains' a bunch of bs , but they have all kinds of tweaking on the exhaust to make a nice tight looking fit. I tried to go with some flotech shorties but they looked stupid as shiat plus interfered with the engines cross member at the collector connection point . If you have full length headers , you can throw those right on , if the run down and out all the way like true full length headers , you can just arc weld a cat or muffler right on and straight pipe it out from there. Well , straight as can be anyways.

I have shorty style type right now but they run a rear exit.and bolted onto the 'OEM' upgraded to 3" y-pipe which has the same exact bend design as the original oem y-pipe. So this was the easiest way for me and least pocket breaking.

[justlearning]

well then it looks like they will be the full length but do those have an o2 sensor bung and air injection option on them

[DVS LT1]

Originally Posted by '97SLVRBullet

I don't want piss anyone off, but Shorties are a waste of money, trust me. Go with the full length.

LOL, I hate my Edelbrock TES too - are you still running your shorties?

I've been dying for a nice, long, and straight pair of TPiS or AS&M 1 3/4" long tubes...

So ya, typically a narrower and bendy manifold will yield more low-end torque, and a wider and straighter tube yields more high-end HP. Might be an issue with a totally stock car, but for drag applications where you're launching the car @ 3000 RPM or way more, and running shorter gears where the revs still sit pretty high after a shit... who cares about the low end.

[LT1MAN]

its all about how much money you want to spend.

[justlearning]

so now we have conflicting stories so ur saying the bending structure of the shorties will yeild more low end torque, cause if i go full length and loose torque ill be really upset i need that torque to get me goin more than i need my hp to keep me goin i never go to the strip the most action my cars gonna see race wise is light to light so does that change the circumstances or do u guys still feel they r a waste of money, cause im thinking the shorties would still flow much better than those stock manifolds, and i did think i read that shorties yeild better torque and are usually better for street cars

[CORE402]

LONG TUBE = MORE TORQUE. Shorties will be better then stock, by far!