Do you run headers ?

[Survivor 69/Z28]

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Hello,
I am really thinking about installing some headers on my stock 70 LS5 Chevelle. The exhaust manifolds that are on the car are not the right ones and will have to come off at some point anyway. This is a #'s matching style car that is driven just about every weekend. I am not too worried about changing gaskets if needed. Call me crazy, but I love stock appearing musclecars wih a nice sounding aftermarket exhaust along with headers. But I also like the simple and correct look of the factory exhaust manifolds. (I would have to find the correct ones of course..)
So my question is this... Who all runs headers on their mostly stock/restored cars?



[/ QUOTE ]A few things to keep in mind. 1-the headers won't add any power that you'll actually feel in the seat of your pants.2-the car will be a bit noisier inside, as sound dissipates out the tubes more than cast iron and will be heard through the firewall.3-because of the sound bleeding through as explained in #2, the exhaust out the rear of the car may actually be a bit quieter as a result

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I have to disagree. The headers will allow more air out of the motor which will push more air/sound through the mufflers and out the back.
As far as seat of the pants. I am thinking there will be a noticable difference. I have a fairly healthy motor that was built by Langenfelter years ago and it needs to breath more IMO.

[Groucho]

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Hello,
I am really thinking about installing some headers on my stock 70 LS5 Chevelle. The exhaust manifolds that are on the car are not the right ones and will have to come off at some point anyway. This is a #'s matching style car that is driven just about every weekend. I am not too worried about changing gaskets if needed. Call me crazy, but I love stock appearing musclecars wih a nice sounding aftermarket exhaust along with headers. But I also like the simple and correct look of the factory exhaust manifolds. (I would have to find the correct ones of course..)
So my question is this... Who all runs headers on their mostly stock/restored cars?



[/ QUOTE ]A few things to keep in mind. 1-the headers won't add any power that you'll actually feel in the seat of your pants.2-the car will be a bit noisier inside, as sound dissipates out the tubes more than cast iron and will be heard through the firewall.3-because of the sound bleeding through as explained in #2, the exhaust out the rear of the car may actually be a bit quieter as a result

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I have to disagree. The headers will allow more air out of the motor which will push more air/sound through the mufflers and out the back.
As far as seat of the pants. I am thinking there will be a noticable difference. I have a fairly healthy motor that was built by Langenfelter years ago and it needs to breath more IMO.

[/ QUOTE ]The need for headers by your healthy Lingenfelter may be greater than the LS-5 in question. I was basing my "power" comment on that, from experiences in the past. Also, headers won't move any more air, just more efficiently. All exhaust leaving the exh. valve will eventually find it's way past the iron exh. manifold (where else can it go?). Also, it's known fact that a lot of sound will bleed through the thin tubes of a header, leaving less sound to make the trip to the rear of the car. I've installed a lot of headers yrs ago, when glasspacks were fairly common. It was amazing how many blown out sets got quiet after the header install. Hey, it's just all opinion, and that is mine

[PxTx]

Groucho, I was with you on your previous posts in other threads but don't follow the points made above.

I do agree that some headers can bring noise into the car. I love the sound a of a healthy camshaft ringing the header tubes at idle.

[Groucho]

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Groucho, I was with you on your previous posts in other threads but don't follow the points made above.

I do agree that some headers can bring noise intot he car. I love the sound a of a healthy camshaft rining the header tubes at idle.

[/ QUOTE ]Which point didn't you follow?

[Survivor 69/Z28]

The LS5 in question is still mild. Its got probably a little bit more than it did from the factory. But still running a Q-jet and cast intake. My fairly healthy comment meant that its not a tired old motor...
Well I am looking for a more aggressive musclecar sound. So you are saying I will have a more agressive sound in general by leaving it as is with manifolds?

[Groucho]

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The LS5 in question is still mild. Its got probably a little bit more than it did from the factory. But still running a Q-jet and cast intake. My fairly healthy comment meant that its not a tired old motor...
Well I am looking for a more aggressive musclecar sound. So you are saying I will have a more agressive sound in general by leaving it as is with manifolds?

[/ QUOTE ]Well, I don't know what your opinion of aggressive is. But, as I said, some sound will dissipate through the header tubes themselves. That is a sound I happen to like, but it comes more from the engine compartment area than the exhaust tips. Because of the dissipation of sound from the header tubes,less sound makes it to the tips, usually making it a bit quieter, BUT IMO better in quality. Make sense? In my 1st response, I wasn't trying to talk you out of installing headers. I was just giving you something to think about, so you didn't expect too much

[PxTx]

I disagree that headers don't move more air. They do. Sure, eventually the same amount of air can be moved through a Mcdonalds straw, but headers will move more air that those LS5 exhaust manifolds will, given a specific window of time- say a 1/4 mile pass.

I disagree that the sound out of the back of the car will be quieter with headers. I get you theory that sound is dissapating through the headers so there won't be as much sound to make it out of the exhaust tip. I just disagree. There are several other facotrs at work here. I would think they the rougher surface of the cast iron manifold would deaden the sound more that what audibly leaks through a header, but that is just one unaddressed point.

Don't get me wrong, I am fine agreeing to disagree but you asked for some specific points.

[Groucho]

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I disagree that headers don't move more air. They do. Sure, eventually the same amount of air can be moved through a Mcdonalds straw, but headers will move more air that those LS5 exhaust manifolds will, given a specific window of time- say a 1/4 mile pass.

I disagree that the sound out of the back of the car will be quieter with headers. I get you theory that sound is dissapating through the headers so there won't be as much sound to make it out of the exhaust tip. I just disagree. There are several other facotrs at work here. I would think they the rougher surface of the cast iron manifold would deaden the sound more that what audibly leakes thhrough a header, but that is just one unaddressed point.

Don't get me wrong, I am fine agreeing to disagree but you asked for some specific points.

[/ QUOTE ]We all have our opinions. When I was 14 (1969) the guy across the street had a 68 SS 350 Camaro w/4-speed. He put glasspacks on it right after he bought it new. By 69, they were LOUD, and I could hear him 3 blocks away when he was coming home from work. I'd go out there almost every night and hang out with him. One evening, I could barely hear the Camaro, but I heard something. I looked out the window, and it was him. I ran over, and said, hey, why'd you get new mufflers? He told me the only change that day was the installation of headers. MUCH quieter. Probably the most drastic that I've heard, but certainly not the last. Anyway, I came to learn WHY it was quieter. It's fairly difficult to argue with facts

[PxTx]

"Everyone knows that rock and roll was perfected in 1974. It's a scientific fact!"--Homer Simpson

[Survivor 69/Z28]

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I disagree that headers don't move more air. They do. Sure, eventually the same amount of air can be moved through a Mcdonalds straw, but headers will move more air that those LS5 exhaust manifolds will, given a specific window of time- say a 1/4 mile pass.

I disagree that the sound out of the back of the car will be quieter with headers. I get you theory that sound is dissapating through the headers so there won't be as much sound to make it out of the exhaust tip. I just disagree. There are several other facotrs at work here. I would think they the rougher surface of the cast iron manifold would deaden the sound more that what audibly leakes thhrough a header, but that is just one unaddressed point.

Don't get me wrong, I am fine agreeing to disagree but you asked for some specific points.

[/ QUOTE ]We all have our opinions. When I was 14 (1969) the guy across the street had a 68 SS 350 Camaro w/4-speed. He put glasspacks on it right after he bought it new. By 69, they were LOUD, and I could hear him 3 blocks away when he was coming home from work. I'd go out there almost every night and hang out with him. One evening, I could barely hear the Camaro, but I heard something. I looked out the window, and it was him. I ran over, and said, hey, why'd you get new mufflers? He told me the only change that day was the installation of headers. MUCH quieter. Probably the most drastic that I've heard, but certainly not the last. Anyway, I came to learn WHY it was quieter. It's fairly difficult to argue with facts

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I would say that the car seemed quieter and probably was at that particular cruising RPM.
The headers are changing the way the air is coming out. Its probably coming out a little smoother and faster. Meaning at certain RPM's maybe it is quieter than before. But maybe at higher RPM's it will actually be louder than before.