New headers but no mre power????????

todds95sn95 · 05-08-2005

Help please, I just installed a new set of mac unequal shorties ceramic coated on my car, nice headers. I ran my car last night and didn't gain anything, I ran 13.96 without them and I only ran 13.91 last night with them. That's not worth a crap, I'm wondering if something has gone wrong with the car, it seems to be strong and doesn't have any trouble codes in memory. The car has started to die at idle a couple of times since I installed the headers, don't know if it's the headers or just coinsidience? A guy at the track told me I probably need more fuel pressure with my free flowing headers and exaust now, is that possible? I am also wondering if I've made enough little changes that my computer isn't working properly with them now, I wouldn't think so but maybe. The guy that mentioned more fuel also said that the mac u/e shorties were a good header and I should deffinately feel a difference. Any ideas? Thanks

dollarbill · 05-08-2005

It is possible that you could be a touch on the lean side. I would play with the fuel pressure some and see how it reacts. Also it may help to take the battery cables off to reset the computer.

STONECOLD · 05-08-2005

The problem is that you dont have any mods that would really take advantage of the headers. The main restrictions with the 95 5.0 are the heads and intake manifold. Once those have been replaced you will be feeding more air into the motor and be able to take better advantage of the higher performance of the headers. Of course after those parts have been replaced the next bottle neck to take care of will be the throttle body and mass air.

todds95sn95 · 05-08-2005

Thanks Dollarbill and Stonecold, I will try the fuel pressure first. I was getting ready to buy a vortech s-trim next week but I may go ahead and do heads, cam, and intake instead. Everyone says that the supercharger will help more than the engine parts but if the motor is so restricted that headers don't help I don't see how a s/c can work at its full potential either. Thanks again.

dollarbill · 05-08-2005

Yea, you have a good point about the restiction. A 5.0 can make some good N/A power with Intake, head, and cam combo. Also with staying N/A you have less weight and less to worry about.

STONECOLD · 05-08-2005

Glad to help!

Ultimately the SC will make the most power since its forcing in compressed air but as you pointed out yourself it will give you even bigger returns with a system that is already at its full flowing potentiol. I would do all of the above. (Actually thats been the plan ive been following. Most things are done already, just waiting for the cash to do the SC.)

95blueoval · 05-09-2005

I don't know if you remember a few weeks ago when I posted about putting full exhaust on my car, but I wasn't impressed either. I didn't feel much difference in power from stock to full exhaust, so i would think it would be even hard to feel just headers...

CaptainSkyhawk · 05-09-2005

okay, let me see: i remember your other thread about your first 13 sec run -- i was under the impression that you had the headers on then, too!

if you were running high 13's with the stock headers, i guess a slightly more free-flowing type wouldn't do much else! you were spectacular without 'em.

i'd agree with what's-his-face -- buy an adjustable-fuel-pressure regulator, and try experimenting with a little more fuel.

todds95sn95 · 05-09-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainSkyhawk

okay, let me see: i remember your other thread about your first 13 sec run -- i was under the impression that you had the headers on then, too!

if you were running high 13's with the stock headers, i guess a slightly more free-flowing type wouldn't do much else! you were spectacular without 'em.

i'd agree with what's-his-face -- buy an adjustable-fuel-pressure regulator, and try experimenting with a little more fuel.

Sorry about misleading that, I was supposed to have my headers on when I made my first 13 second run but fedex lost them and I didn't have them yet but I had already changed my signature. I was very happy without them and I guess maybe I expected a little too much out of them, I thought I would surely get a 13.8, of course a 13.91 isn't too far from that. Thanks for the info.

CaptainSkyhawk · 05-09-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by todds95sn95

Sorry about misleading that, I was supposed to have my headers on when I made my first 13 second run but fedex lost them and I didn't have them yet but I had already changed my signature. I was very happy without them and I guess maybe I expected a little too much out of them, I thought I would surely get a 13.8, of course a 13.91 isn't too far from that. Thanks for the info.

do not worry, for others will learn from your experiences -- i now know I don't even have to spend money on headers in order to get into 13's!

hey, think of it this way -- when you start burning more fuel and making more combustion, you'll be real glad you've got those headers. (gotta change your sig now, too, to reflect that 13.91!)

todds95sn95 · 05-10-2005

Thanks, yes I need to get my new time listed in my sig. The headers will help when I start making motor mods, I'm planning on getting my supercharger in the next couple of weeks, then I should see some good 1/4 runs.

Wade95 · 05-12-2005

Right there w/ya. I have to update my sig due to having a difft stang now, but w/the current car I picked up a whopping 2 HP from a set of MAC shorties. The car already had Mac hi flow catalytic h and Borla exhaust and when i put the headers on it didnt do squat for the car. As for mods on the engine at the time,,,there weren't any other than UD pullies and air filter. Different story once I added an off road H and CAI.

todds95sn95 · 05-13-2005

Humm???????? I'm just very dissapointed with the results mainly because of the dyno results posted in the tech section about shorty headers, if they gained the hp and tq the dyno chart shows you should be able to tell that you put them on. I was only hoping to gain a tenth of a second, really thought it should gain two tenths though, but I would have been completely satisfied with one tenth. Thanks for the reply.