Do I need headers??? Jump in...

[MustangThief]

My mods are in sig.

I was rompin on the car a bit today, and did some datalogging.

While I was at my tuners he felt I was seeing a bit too much boost, and another guy at the shop who owned an 03 cobra awhile ago said he needed long tubes at like 450rwhp, which I had always heard the stock manifolds were good till like 550-600 to the WHEELS. :??:

I told to him i didn't want to put the money into doing headers AND having to change or cut/reweld my x-pipe. And beyond that, if I was doing headers, I'd probably want to do a clutch, and input shaft, and cooling mod.

And there's a snowballs chance in hell I'm spending that kind of cheese for a bit.


Anyway, with my current mods, I make an avg 12-13 #'s of boost, but after 4-5k it jumps to nearly 15.5#'s.

He said the numbers and curve and everything he was looking at it looked good and healthy but just needed to move more air which he seemed to think could be the stock manifolds not moving enough.

Just looking for some thoughts, as I might do a quick headers/shorty MAC-pipe and keep the rest how it is till it doesn't last or next year comes if i'm needing headers, because the way the numbers look, if that's the case, headers may not only lower my boost a bit, AND give me some numbers(more efficient), it may make things a little cooler on the motor.

Thanks

 

[blackvenom77]

Sounds like a sales pitch to me. There's a sprayed 03 running around my area with 850rwhp with stock manifolds, so yeah you'll be okay lol. Headers don't make the engine run cooler they just get the exhaust out of the heads quicker for better flow.
Spend money building up the drivetrain and making you car stronger for more power down the road. Headers are one of the last things I'd do on these cars.

 

[IronTerp]

Do you NEED long tubes with your setup?????? Absolutely not. Actually long tubes are generally one of the last mods many extensively modded Terminator owners do.

But, you will get a nice improvement in torque and to a lesser extent RWHP, they sound magnificent, and they will allow your motor to perform better at less boost levels.

 

[About2bite]

You definately don't need them, although it will help get that hot air out of the motor. If you want the sound get them otherwise i'd spend the money elsewhere.

 

[MustangThief]

This is exactly what I was thinking.

But where is my boost buildup pressure coming from then?

It just didn't seem to make sense that i'd gain boost up top rather than lose it, since if I was going to see 15#'s i'd think it would either make 15 almost off idle or not at all. Or make 15 then fall off near redline, but it does the exact opposite.

Just confused i guess...

 

[whocares]

My car seems to heat soak less with the headers than before.

 

[SlowSVT]

Get a new tuner

 

[MustangThief]

Get a new tuner

He's a good tuner. And he wasn't just trying to sell me headers, because he knows I do any install that I can do myself, and that I buy all my own parts on the net.

And I dunno but i'd think hell yes headers would help pull more heat away, maybe i'm wrong, i didn't check temps before header install on my GT, not that it would really matter, as whatever degrees it would help wouldn't probably ever make a bit of difference, but I do like runnin cool. :coolman:

 

[SlowSVT]

Headers on a GT makes more sense. On the Terminator is value is very high until your making big numbers.

With all your mods listed I don't see any cooling device. Your concerned about cooling your engine and think installing headers headers will help? Why not spend the money on a Fluidyne and an Evenflow or LCD cooling mod. You can get buy at your power level with what you have but your push'N it. I would add cooling capacity, it may save your engine someday and you won't even realize that it did.

 

[HandoZiZle]

For the money, you can almost go used twin screw with a tiny bit more saving unless you do it by yourself. But, i'm about to get Kooks due to pics of Posi's ground clearance and i'm trying to go another route. I think the sound will be worh it by itself.

 

[MustangThief]

Headers on a GT makes more sense. On the Terminator is value is very high until your making big numbers.

With all your mods listed I don't see any cooling device. Your concerned about cooling your engine and think installing headers headers will help? Why not spend the money on a Fluidyne and an Evenflow or LCD cooling mod. You can get buy at your power level with what you have but your push'N it. I would add cooling capacity, it may save your engine someday and you won't even realize that it did.

The only cooling mod I have is the Dual pass H/E.

I'm running -1* in 7/8 cyl and after datalogging my temps, especially my IAT2s are looking good. (especially after the blower port)

I don't take her past 140 either, so I think I'll be okay without the head cooling mod until i do a clutch.

I just wanted to see if my manifolds were actually restricting me, if not, I'll focus on things I need, like tires/clutch/cooling/lower pulley :rockon:

 

[About2bite]

I'll focus on things I need, like tires/clutch/cooling/lower pulley :rockon:

Do the LDC head cooling mod when you do the clutch, I don't care what mods you have if you pull to 140 or so get it on there.

 

[blackvenom77]

The only cooling mod I have is the Dual pass H/E.

I'm running -1* in 7/8 cyl and after datalogging my temps, especially my IAT2s are looking good. (especially after the blower port)

I don't take her past 140 either, so I think I'll be okay without the head cooling mod until i do a clutch.

I just wanted to see if my manifolds were actually restricting me, if not, I'll focus on things I need, like tires/clutch/cooling/lower pulley :rockon:

The heat exchanger is not a engine cooling mod. It's actually making you problem worse by not letting the engine pull timing by cooling IAT's and adding more power (= more heat).
The head cooling mod is the only real cooling mod in the market without getting into the Evens stuff.