Headers

[jerdan]

I currently have a 1953 ford v/8 with a dual exhaust system. I am wondering if a set of headers would do me any good? Any suggestions?

[Alaska Jim]

On A stock engine, noticed performance will be negligible and I doubt that you will feel a difference, but the sound of the exhaust may change and that may be enough to make you think that it has more power. It may make the smile on your face bigger.

[JSeery]

Headers on a street flathead are mainly for appearance and sound.

[chap52]

But what a sweet sound!

[big job]

Just my thoughts over the years, while headers exhaust more air, the trade off is heat.
Work it hard & they will turn red so that's not good because they are only thin pipes.
Myself I stick the way it was built. As said " where ya gonna go " around here at
40 mph speed limit, but the new wave rice burners are at 60mph mainly females with a phone stuck in their heads....

[4t8v8]

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I put them on mine because I just wanted to. Had them Ceramic coated so they wouldn't rust and they sure look "purty". Also love the sound. As stated you won't notice a performance gain on a street engine.

[oldford2]

You will get more "noise" in the cabin with steel headers vs original iron manifolds or new cast headers. JMO

[Seth Swoboda]

I like what Alaska Jim said. They make the smile on your face bigger. That is as much performance increase you will have however.

[AnthonyG]

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/t...epower.673612/
Many articles about how restrictive stock cast iron exhaust manifolds are on Flattys. I know there's competition between FB'ers & Hamb'ers but I do tend to agree as do most of the Hamb guys that there is a noticeable increase in acceleration and higher speed response even on a stock Flatty with headers & duals. All be it slight on a stock engine. Better low end torque and better high end HP is noticeable. As you increase performance parts on the engine it improves both torque and HP at a higher %.

[Vic Piano]

I run Red's Headers on all my Flatheads except my '39 LZ V-12. I love the sound of the exhaust running through the headers and Brockman Mellow Tone steel packed mufflers...

[JSeery]

Originally Posted by AnthonyG

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/t...epower.673612/
Many articles about how restrictive stock cast iron exhaust manifolds are on Flattys. I know there's competition between FB'ers & Hamb'ers but I do tend to agree as do most of the Hamb guys that there is a noticeable increase in acceleration and higher speed response even on a stock Flatty with headers & duals. All be it slight on a stock engine. Better low end torque and better high end HP is noticeable. As you increase performance parts on the engine it improves both torque and HP at a higher %.

Don't think the dyno numbers back up these claims, just wishful thinking on some peoples parts. Folks can disagree all they like, but facts are facts. That's why testing is important, so you are working with facts and real data!

[JWL]

I can only add----AMEN to the JSeery comments.

[jerdan]

Thanks guys

[Vic Piano]

Out of curiosity, I wonder how many of you are interested in achieving maximum power out of your Flatheads, on a quest for low ET's or braggin' rights at car shows, and how many of you just want the best sound (whatever you think that is) out of your Flathead, as you cruise down the boulevard? I'm gonna step out on a limb here and guess that the latter of the two choices is prevalent... I have nothing against achieving maximum performance out of a Flathead in fact, I find it interesting to see how many innovative ways people come up with in that regard. But still, I would guess that most of us just want a sweet sounding Flathead.

[Seth Swoboda]

Vic I fall into your category. Just like the sound. I'm not ever going to the drag strip.

[blucar]

In my misspent youth the more noise an engine produced was in direct relationship to the perceived horse power. In fact this is not true.
As I progressed from the kid thinking to a more adult mind set I found that I did not need being chased down by cops for excessive noise. In 1955 I removed my Douglas steel packs in favor of stock chambered mufflers with 2" pipes from the stock cast iron manifolds to the rear bumper, the silence was golden.
The other tenants in the complex I lived in no longer complained about the noise when I came home late at night from a night of cruising and/or street racing.
As a point of info the engine in my '36 Ford is a well built 59AB, bored .60, Weber F1 cam, 1/4" stroke, Offy Super intake w/97's, heads modified to 9.1 compression, H.C. ignition and a 15# flywheel. In my street racing days the car was very seldom beat.

[Alaska Jim]

I stand by my original post, but I do have to admit, I do have headers on my '51Merc, and dual exh.. I like the sound.

[rotorwrench]

The 52 & 53 cars with the front crossover make a person want to look for an alternative to decrease the amount of plumbing in the engine compartment. I can see why you ask but I've never tried to put headers into one of these cars either. It might be easy or it might be difficult. I just don't know.

[Henry/Kokomo]

I believe that JWL's book sheds some light on this oft-discussed subject. With that said, I have a couple of flatheads w/headers, Brockmans and 2" pipes. Love that sound!

[allout]

I just put a set of Reds headers on my 53 Victoria. Very nice fit. My old stock manifolds were cracked and broken. I did it for ease of installation. If the old manifolds were in good shape I would have left it alone. I do love the sound tho!