[V6 Cannonballer]

Two days ago (06 Jun 2022), I had a set of polished T-304 stainless steel shorty headers installed on my 2011 3.7L Mustang. They are a Chinese manufactured brand (stocked in the USA) called hY-roader. I bought the set for $98.99 (free shipping) on eBay. They came with high quality gaskets and a set of studs for the down-pipe flanges. The studs were too short but easy to replace at a local parts store. The California seller advertised 4 day delivery, but I received them in 2.

Overall construction and dimensions are comparable (not quite identical but awfully close) to BBK tuned-length shorties. The welds were complete and looked fantastic. I paid a shop to install them. Labor was $360 ($65 per hour plus the cost of 4 additional downpipe studs). The installer did not have to machine, touch-up-weld or otherwise modify the headers in any way. The fit was perfect. Don't let the scary huge diameter outlets deter you. They are all that way, including BBK. They will properly marry-up to your factory downpipe flanges, though your passenger side downpipe might need to be "massaged" a wee bit at the flange.

Initial post-installation impressions:

• Light but noticeable (and expected) burning metal smell inside the cabin while the headers and gaskets are breaking in
• Negligible sound increase at startup and idle (likely due to my custom cat-back exhaust configuration); grumbly but not a screamer
• Small increase in sound while moving through the gears; no ear-splitting decibels
• Slightly deeper, throatier tone with no added "tinny" V6 rasp above what little was already present
• No noticeable seat-of-the-pants increase on acceleration or while freeway passing in 6th gear (I have not updated the tune yet, and I am pretty-well maxed-out on bolt-on's and tune adjustments, so noticeable gains are tougher to realize)
• According to the car's computer, I appear to have picked up one extra MPG on the freeway. Fuel reciepts will tell the story
• Most of the idle surge while running the air conditioner is eliminated. It still dips a little from time-to-time, but it is a lot smoother than it was; non-A/C idle is pretty well perfect compared to some occasional light chop before the installation
• Slight weight savings over stock manifolds (every little bit counts?)
• Increased under-hood temperatures without header wrap (no worries in my case: the heat extractors do their job)

Notes on my setup (not every modification, but the ones that count):

• One-off custom cat-back exhaust with H-pipe and mid-body tube-shaped mufflers and pipes that exit directly out the sides behind the doors via multi-port exhaust booms
• hYroader shorty headers (patterned after BBK tuned-length headers)
• Lone Wolf port-matched upper and lower intake manifolds
• JLT carbon fiber cold air intake
• BBK 73mm throttle body
• MPT custom 91 octane tune (based on several data logs and dial-in's)
• DSS balanced 3.5 inch aluminum one-piece driveshaft (rated to 900 HP)
• 3.55 GT500 "take-out" rear gears
• Steeda short-throw shifter and bracket
• Spec Stage 1 organic clutch kit SF501-2 and lightweight aluminum flywheel SF37A, rated to 550 torque
• Falken mud and snow ultra-high performance Y-rated all weather tires, 26" tall (Pony is a daily driver)
• Chrome moly rear lower control arms
• Koni yellow adjustable shocks and struts
• Overall vehicle weight approximately 100 lbs lighter than stock (estimated)

For the parts and installation price at a mere $20 less than the price of a set of BBK tuned-length ceramic shorties with shipping, I'd say I'm satisfied. I would have enjoyed a little more loudness, especially at startup and idle, and it would have been nice to feel a little extra kick (a tune adjustment might help) but overall, I am pleased with what seems to be a slight bump in fuel economy without any loss in power.

If you want a great detailed video on what to expect during installation whether DIY or paying someone else, check out this video (the real meat-and-potatoes starts at around the 12 minute mark):

Referenced video here:

If you are not afraid to try low-cost stainless steel knock-offs, hY-roader is one option I can confidently recommend. There are a lot of others. Check out videos by others who have taken the "cheap" route and your local smog laws before making your decision.

Here is a recent pic after a paint refresh last August (pic was taken in October). I've owned her since new in September 2010).

 

[Siber Express]

I did notice more low end to midrange torque, places like hills where I would have to downshift to pick up speed no need and the performance tune I had before the header update still runs better.
Mine are BBK, I was one of the first to return a set for bad welds and the insides of mine were cleaned up to flow better on the second set.

 

[Braindead]

What a great write-up, car well done. And to have shorties fit that exact, should last a long time. Know even Kooks had problems with exact fit on the Bosses with the shorties. Decided to stay with the Tri-y’s after reading some of problems, seems gains were opinionated but no reason to doubt anybody.

 

[V6 Cannonballer]

What a great write-up, car well done. And to have shorties fit that exact, should last a long time. Know even Kooks had problems with exact fit on the Bosses with the shorties. Decided to stay with the Tri-y’s after reading some of problems, seems gains were opinionated but no reason to doubt anybody.

Thank you.

I hate that the nearest dyno shop and drag track are quite literally 277 miles away in every direction (desert southwest), and handheld tuners are not quite advanced enough to do the job manually and show real numbers, though I've heard that one or two manufacturers almost come close. I'd love to be able to show numbers, especially since the ole "butt dyno" is not registering anything. It doesn't mean there wasn't a small gain, but I can't feel it, and I have no way to measure it.

 

[crjackson]

It doesn't mean there wasn't a small gain, but I can't feel it, and I have no way to measure it.

The numbers mean nothing in this case. If you’re satisfied, then that’s all that matters. Personally I have Kooks LTH. I installed them as a component of a system of upgrades. No complaints at all. I’d say that unless you’re planning to get a custom Dyno tune, the day trip isn’t really worth it just for numbers.

 

[Braindead]

Roger that on any gains. But you have to look at advertised HP from factory. Only get those even under “lab” conditions, we don’t have high enough octane fuel in ME (very rare), only 91 octane to even get close. Now somebody will tell me you don’t need it even or other. Also other measures of rear wheel HP just may be slightly upped? They’re in business to make profits also… pretty sure.

So I would like to think I’m getting maybe close to rated HP with any added options? Don’t care what others say or think kinda “speak easy but carry a big stick” philosophy? Had long tubes on my ‘67 Fastback, that tinny metallic sound of exhaust flowing through new plumbing alone, I was happy but what a PITA. And those you could undo the 3 bolt flanges and run wide open, supporting rest of exhaust of coarse from dragging off behind you lmao.

Jury still out on the tri-y‘s but still all in all interesting topic.

 

[V6 Cannonballer]

Some additional follow-up:

These shorties have pretty well eliminated the car's tendency to want to buck a little when crawling in low gear in slow traffic situations, where I'm stuck at that threshold of whether to be in 1st or 2nd, or 2nd or 3rd. All this time, I thought it was because I had not fully adjusted to the feel of the new clutch. Nope. It apparently had more to do with Pony's ability to breathe. Since she is breathing better, it is reasonable to assume that she has gained a wee bit of perkiness under WOT. I will call this $100 "FleaBay" purchase a win.

The numbers mean nothing in this case. If you’re satisfied, then that’s all that matters. Personally I have Kooks LTH. I installed them as a component of a system of upgrades. No complaints at all. I’d say that unless you’re planning to get a custom Dyno tune, the day trip isn’t really worth it just for numbers.

Not at all. Butt dyno is plenty for me. This little V6 is mighty satisfying! Now, if the day ever comes that I could get an all-out SuperSix Motorsports stroker kit, that would almost definitely warrant a trip to the dyno folks.

Jury still out on the tri-y‘s but still all in all interesting topic.

I know a handful of folks who swear by tri-y's on their 350 c.i./5.7L Chevy's.

 

[Siber Express]

The last set of headers that I know built more power was the Hooker Super Comps I had on my 1973 Cougar with the 351 CJ motor in it. Put a set of Stock manifold on the motor to get the baseline for the tuning and opening up the exhaust allowed us to re-jet the carb and went from 375hp to 525 and over 600 Pound feet of torque on the dyno.
The BBK's were good for in some places in the lower to mid range almost 40 pound feet of torque and 20-25 HP. Top end was only 7 HP and that is the reason everyone says Shorties do not do anything, they work fine for someone that doesn't live on a 1/4 mile track and the car definitely pulls better with a little spirited driving on the twisties in the mountains.
BTW Braindead, I started my Mountain driving off on the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire back in the late 1970's

 

[V6 Cannonballer]

 

[Braindead]

View attachment 785866 View attachment 785867 View attachment 785868 View attachment 785869 View attachment 785870 View attachment 785871 View attachment 785872 View attachment 785873 View attachment 785874 View attachment 785875

Seriously, move or insulate your wire looms. Extra heat from that loop around, things will start to melt that close. Ceramics help there, I’d hate to wrap those tubes, works of art. Wouldn’t mind a set myself to put on wall and just stare at.

A reason for that loop to do with sync pulses or high/low pressures, vacuum. It can get mind boggling. Stainless will turn a burnished color, won’t stay shiny… still look good but happened also with my SS stove pipe years back lol.

Thanks on such a detailed photo shoot, please remember the heat factor. Too, your hood scoop will help immensely with heat extraction. Reverse flow works way excellent, mine would actually force or drag air in. Could see on rainy days pulling rain in through intercooler I had mounted there on Daytona.

 

[V6 Cannonballer]

Seriously, move or insulate your wire looms. Extra heat from that loop around, things will start to melt that close. Ceramics help there, I’d hate to wrap those tubes, works of art. Wouldn’t mind a set myself to put on wall and just stare at.

A reason for that loop to do with sync pulses or high/low pressures, vacuum. It can get mind boggling. Stainless will turn a burnished color, won’t stay shiny… still look good but happened also with my SS stove pipe years back lol.

Thanks on such a detailed photo shoot, please remember the heat factor. Too, your hood scoop will help immensely with heat extraction. Reverse flow works way excellent, mine would actually force or drag air in. Could see on rainy days pulling rain in through intercooler I had mounted there on Daytona.

Wire looms: already done, shortly after I took the photo's. They were taken fresh from the shop.

Ceramic headers: beauties, and I have a set on my ZZ4 Chevy (exposed to outside view), but I wasn't willing to pay an extra $300 for a set on the Pony. Being under the hood, they don't need to stay pretty. Lightly or severely burnished won't hurt my feelings any. There's nothing else dressy under there.

The cowl has no rear inlet. I cut the sides and installed stainless pipes for heat extraction. I took the visual que from a P40 Warhawk. They work quite well. The heat waves can easily be seen exiting the pipes in winter and in extreme summer heat. Where it used to take 4-5 hours to tinker on the engine after a typrical drive someplace, it now takes an hour or less. The engine bay is happy.

Fuel consumption update since installing the shorties on Monday:

With gasoline at $5.27 per gallon for 91 octane, I refilled with 13 gallons at $67 on Friday two weeks ago. Today (Friday), I topped off the tank with 11 gallons at $58.

I had three extra standard commutes within this two week period along with four extra 2nd gear to 4th gear WOT stints for approximately 1/8 to 1/4 mile each. Even with that, the combination of skip-shifting more often around town and the engine not having to work as hard thanks to breathing easier, is certainly having a positive impact on fuel economy.

I already declared the shorties a win but now, a fuel receipt appears to have helped confirm a suspected bonus. Maybe it was only the skip-shifting?

 

[Braindead]

Fuel consumption update since installing the shorties on Monday:

With gasoline at $5.27 per gallon for 91 octane, I refilled with 13 gallons at $67 on Friday two weeks ago. Today (Friday), I topped off the tank with 11 gallons at $58.

I had three extra standard commutes within this two week period along with four extra 2nd gear to 4th gear WOT stints for approximately 1/8 to 1/4 mile each. Even with that, the combination of skip-shifting more often around town and the engine not having to work as hard thanks to breathing easier, is certainly having a positive impact on fuel economy.

I already declared the shorties a win but now, a fuel receipt appears to have helped confirm a suspected bonus. Maybe it was only the skip-shifting?

LMAO, roger that on gasoline. We had the ‘70’s shortage and high prices. Could get 16MPG on regular if I was real easy with shifts (4 speed- Hurst, road runner). Was commuting 55 miles each way to new job, took wife’s ‘66 Beetle often enough. But it had ‘67 blue Mustang buckets.

 

[V6 Cannonballer]

I've taken Pony on a few WOT bursts. She's running like a scalded dawg in 112F and 20% humidity @ 138 ft. above sea level; strong as a little quarter horse! I can hardly wait for cooler temp's and higher humidity in late November! Even late summer's humidity should provide a little extra kick. I've been at it since 2010, but it never gets old.

 

[Pony0314]

I installed the same set last year - How are your temperature numbers looking? I’ve been seeing significant spikes in temps ever since it got hot again, along with the a/c cutting out during those spikes. I’m curious if I need to invest in a heat extraction method or if I’m just stressing over nothing… I’m scared that my coolant reservoir cap is going to blow off in a drive through again😅

 

[V6 Cannonballer]

I installed the same set last year - How are your temperature numbers looking? I’ve been seeing significant spikes in temps ever since it got hot again, along with the a/c cutting out during those spikes. I’m curious if I need to invest in a heat extraction method or if I’m just stressing over nothing… I’m scared that my coolant reservoir cap is going to blow off in a drive through again😅

Heat extraction is the way to go. We've hit 115F for a few days already and have been at least 101 for about two months (desert southwest). We usually hit 118-124 once in a while, and are consistently between 104-117 from early June-late September. Pony's coolant temperature is on par with what it always has been at this time of year: the idiot needle stays a fraction past the gauge's mid point; no spikes or significant climbs. In other words, I have seen no change in operating temperature since the headers were installed. But then, I have highly effective DIY heat extraction.

Remove that plastic panel from beneath the engine that covers the oil pan. It will pull air into your engine bay. Don't toss that plastic right away, though. Wait until you see if the extra airflow might have any negative affect on your factory hood at higher speeds. I've heard one or two people say that they could tell their hood wanted to bow a tad, but I don't have any direct experience, as my aftermarket fiberglass hood is heavier than stock.

Following up after 6+ months:
The ole butt dyno still tells me nothing in terms of added power, but the fuel gauge has shown consistent savings that receipt calculations have confirmed...over the past 7 months, Pony has picked up (slightly rounded down) an additional five miles per gallon on my daily work commute with these $99 stainless steel Chinese tuned-length headers. I had been refueling at 1/4 tank once every 2 weeks, but now I am refueling at just over (not under) 1/4 tank every 3 weeks. My daily round-trip commute is 14 miles. The tune, modified vehicle weight, altitude, environmental conditions, and my driving habits all factor in, but I have no doubt these headers have also played a significant role. They have more than paid for themselves in fuel receipts. I cannot suggest, much less guarantee that anyone else will see a significant MPG increase as each vehicle, driver and environment is different, but I think it is reasonable to say that you won't be disappointed if you choose the tuned length shorty route over long tubes, especially since the more expensive BBK shorties (and maybe one or two other brands?) are California/50 state legal.

 

[Jimbo K Code]

Two days ago (06 Jun 2022), I had a set of polished T-304 stainless steel shorty headers installed on my 2011 3.7L Mustang. They are a Chinese manufactured brand (stocked in the USA) called hY-roader. I bought the set for $98.99 (free shipping) on eBay. They came with high quality gaskets and a set of studs for the down-pipe flanges. The studs were too short but easy to replace at a local parts store. The California seller advertised 4 day delivery, but I received them in 2.

Overall construction and dimensions are comparable (not quite identical but awfully close) to BBK tuned-length shorties. The welds were complete and looked fantastic. I paid a shop to install them. Labor was $360 ($65 per hour plus the cost of 4 additional downpipe studs). The installer did not have to machine, touch-up-weld or otherwise modify the headers in any way. The fit was perfect. Don't let the scary huge diameter outlets deter you. They are all that way, including BBK. They will properly marry-up to your factory downpipe flanges, though your passenger side downpipe might need to be "massaged" a wee bit at the flange.

Initial post-installation impressions:

• Light but noticeable (and expected) burning metal smell inside the cabin while the headers and gaskets are breaking in
• Negligible sound increase at startup and idle (likely due to my custom cat-back exhaust configuration); grumbly but not a screamer
• Small increase in sound while moving through the gears; no ear-splitting decibels
• Slightly deeper, throatier tone with no added "tinny" V6 rasp above what little was already present
• No noticeable seat-of-the-pants increase on acceleration or while freeway passing in 6th gear (I have not updated the tune yet, and I am pretty-well maxed-out on bolt-on's and tune adjustments, so noticeable gains are tougher to realize)
• According to the car's computer, I appear to have picked up one extra MPG on the freeway. Fuel reciepts will tell the story
• Most of the idle surge while running the air conditioner is eliminated. It still dips a little from time-to-time, but it is a lot smoother than it was; non-A/C idle is pretty well perfect compared to some occasional light chop before the installation
• Slight weight savings over stock manifolds (every little bit counts?)
• Increased under-hood temperatures without header wrap (no worries in my case: the heat extractors do their job)

Notes on my setup (not every modification, but the ones that count):

• One-off custom cat-back exhaust with H-pipe and mid-body tube-shaped mufflers and pipes that exit directly out the sides behind the doors via multi-port exhaust booms
• hYroader shorty headers (patterned after BBK tuned-length headers)
• Lone Wolf port-matched upper and lower intake manifolds
• JLT carbon fiber cold air intake
• BBK 73mm throttle body
• MPT custom 91 octane tune (based on several data logs and dial-in's)
• DSS balanced 3.5 inch aluminum one-piece driveshaft (rated to 900 HP)
• 3.55 GT500 "take-out" rear gears
• Steeda short-throw shifter and bracket
• Spec Stage 1 organic clutch kit SF501-2 and lightweight aluminum flywheel SF37A, rated to 550 torque
• Falken mud and snow ultra-high performance Y-rated all weather tires, 26" tall (Pony is a daily driver)
• Chrome moly rear lower control arms
• Koni yellow adjustable shocks and struts
• Overall vehicle weight approximately 100 lbs lighter than stock (estimated)

For the parts and installation price at a mere $20 less than the price of a set of BBK tuned-length ceramic shorties with shipping, I'd say I'm satisfied. I would have enjoyed a little more loudness, especially at startup and idle, and it would have been nice to feel a little extra kick (a tune adjustment might help) but overall, I am pleased with what seems to be a slight bump in fuel economy without any loss in power.

If you want a great detailed video on what to expect during installation whether DIY or paying someone else, check out this video (the real meat-and-potatoes starts at around the 12 minute mark):

Referenced video here:

If you are not afraid to try low-cost stainless steel knock-offs, hY-roader is one option I can confidently recommend. There are a lot of others. Check out videos by others who have taken the "cheap" route and your local smog laws before making your decision.

Here is a recent pic after a paint refresh last August (pic was taken in October). I've owned her since new in September 2010).
View attachment 785824

How do you like the 3.7? I have a 2019 Eco and greatly miss my 2015 GT. I love the Eco for daily driver, but long term turbo 4 scares me. Eco-boom, etc. I’m thinking about a 3.7 to upgrade/play with or do you wish you had a 5.0 2012+). Anyone?

 

[V6 Cannonballer]

How do you like the 3.7? I have a 2019 Eco and greatly miss my 2015 GT. I love the Eco for daily driver, but long term turbo 4 scares me. Eco-boom, etc. I’m thinking about a 3.7 to upgrade/play with or do you wish you had a 5.0 2012+). Anyone?

I love my 2011 model 3.7L! It has given me grief from time to time, but after 14 years (purchased in September 2010), what daily driven car doesn't? I don't wish I had a 5.0L. I'm satisfied with 300-ish horses and 27-29 MPG on the freeway.