Upgrading your car’s exhaust can do a lot to increase your road performance, and headers often represent the most efficient upgrade with the biggest gains. They are not always the best fit, however. Sometimes the vehicle needs some additional modifications to accommodate their size and shape, which is why you need to be sure you have the right garage tools on hand before you start any upgrade job.
Top Benefits of Performance Header Installation
Upgrading your exhaust system with header kits that are built for performance over style and sound baffling means providing the support the engine and fuel delivery systems need to operate as efficiently as possible. Of course, there are plenty of headers that combine top-tier performance and cutting-edge style, too.
- Improves the exhaust flow rate
- Eliminates back pressure issues in the exhaust
- Boosts horsepower
- Improves fuel economy
- Supports a long engine life
It’s easy to doubt that all of these benefits could come from a single upgrade. A lot of other performance enhancements ask you to make trade-offs like decreased fuel economy in exchange for better acceleration or top-end power output. Header kits offer a fully beneficial change when it comes to performance. It allows the engine to operate more efficiently, reducing wear on it and allowing it to do more. Understanding how that works can help you figure out the best header upgrade for your ride.
How Headers Increase Power and Performance
Most exhaust manifold systems are designed with a combination of sound baffling and airflow in mind, but the trade-off has to also wind up being economical for an OEM design. Performance header designs eliminate many of the cost considerations and most of the noise considerations to focus on power. That produces a louder exhaust, but a more efficient one. By getting spent fumes out of the way efficiently, the upgraded exhaust allows the intake to move more fresh air in.
That, in turn, provides the air needed for upgraded EFI systems and performance carburetors to operate at their peak. The performance enhancement from the exhaust upgrade is not from the exhaust itself, it’s a series of add-on effects that make the entire combustion reaction work better so you can get as much power out of your vehicle as possible.
Additional Benefits
Visual style upgrades are part of the package when you go with well-known upgrades like Hooker long tube headers. They do require some extra fitment for some vehicles, though. Headers take up more space in the engine compartment than stock exhaust manifolds, but they are also easy to customize to give your vehicle the exact look you want.
Assessing the feasibility of a new header upgrade involves picking out a header set first. While it’s true that many sets require some cars to be refit, there are a variety of designs that should make it possible for most drivers to find a fit that works with minimal adjustment. Start looking today to find the long tube header setup that gives you the look and feel you want from your roadster.
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