Headers for HP?

[personaltrainer]

Wondering how much more HP I could get from a good set of headers?
I just got a Holly 4bbl and edelbrock intake and I'm still wanting more power and pick up. Would headers help? If so what brand is best?

If headers are not the answer - what is the next logical step from, 350ci with 3/4" cam, dual exhaust w/ flowmasters, 4bbl Holly, Edelbrock Aluminum intake. Any Ideas?? Thanks. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[80 Chevy K20 4x4]

It depends on the brand and type of header you get, but I've seen claims of 17-20% hp increase from installing headers. I've got Doug Thorley Tri-Y's on my TBI 350 and it picked up some power and torque over the stock manifolds.

 

[mrk5]

I don't know that headers really make that much of a difference or not. Course I'm running headers, so who am I to say not to get them.

Better cylinder heads will really make a difference.

I recently did an axle swap to get lower gears, and I gotta tell you it gave me more of a seat of the pants improvement than any bolt-on performance parts ever did. From 3.08 to 3.73.

 

[personaltrainer]

scott - how much $$ for the gear swap?

 

[dyeager535]

Bone stock Chev 350, typically see a 20-40HP gain over manifolds.

Of course, the testing that magazines have done, who is to say that the rest of the system wasn't changed at the same time? Not to mention the fact that they more often than not don't tune the system after swapping on components.

Just looking in car craft yesterday, and they changed about 6 different things on a 305 and got a "whopping" gain of something like 20HP. You'll never know in a "test" like that where the difference came from. Could just as easily be new sparkplugs or wires that made all the difference, but they spent $300 on all the other stuff as well that didn't help. In other words, I wouldn't take the tests at face value, but all the ones I've seen show very positive gains even on a bone stock engine.

 

[mrk5]

My gear swap was free. My bro-in-law had a set of axles.

I priced having a local shop install new gears in each axle and it was $800 labor, no materials.

I think the least expensive way to swap gears is to swap axles or do it yourself.

 

[personaltrainer]

ouch. I'll have to wait on that one. thanks for the info.

 

[BlazerWheels]

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ouch. I'll have to wait on that one. thanks for the info.

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Definitely swap the axles...it is cheaper and you will probably end up with stronger axles also. Depending on what is under your k5...