FocusCanada Forums

Ok guys, christmas is coming and the parents wanna know what to get me. I kinda decided on a header. Now, my question is, which should i go with, a race header, or a shorty header. Now, which one do you guys think is better and why? And between the two, is there much of a performance gain? Oh! And if i decide race header, i'll most likely cut out one of the resonators on my MBRP exhaust and install a high flow cat there, if that's something someone might be questioning. But please guys, steer me in the right direction :D lol haha

You can get decent gains with a shorty header and hi-flow cat, with the least emissions hassles. However, for any real power gains the only way to go is a full length race header. It all really depends on what your overall goals are, and how much noise you can handle (race headers can lead to quite a noise increase).

I have a SVT header which is a long tube header coupled with a RT cat (emmission friendly) which is located right behind the header before the flex. It has good power gains but man is it loud. I am pondering getting a resonator welded into my exhaust.

I got the kit from McNews automotive. Make sure they have them in stock before you order. The SVT header was on backorder from Ford Racing and I had to wait 5 months before I got it.

mcnews link

From what I have learned, the difference between the long tube race header and the shorty header is minimal. Minimal as in 1-2 hp gains with the long tube. But the noise of the long tube header is deafening. I am warning you now, don't get the race header. An RT cat and the shorty with a 2.5" flex pipe will cost you, but the ability to drive your car hard and still be somewhat quiet you will thank me for later. Especially at highway speeds.

just imho.. you should think twice about cutting out a resonator from your exhaust.. my old AEM exhaust was super deafening without the resonator.. and it sounded bad from buzzing for a few hundred rpm also... its probably late now if you already have an exhaust, but my pick would be the entire svt setup.. header, flex/cat, exhaust.. probably about as much gains as the aftermarket stuff and its not going to make you deaf..

Brian,

Go with a shorty. You can always weld a Magnaflow or RT in there later on.

I was going to go that route, but it seems that FC are dicks and are broke.

Won't you also need a larger flexpipe since it will be the constrictor in the system?

Oscar The Grouch,Nov 14 2005, 10:59 AM Wrote:Brian,

Go with a shorty.  You can always weld a Magnaflow or RT in there later on.

I was going to go that route, but it seems that FC are dicks and are broke.

Won't you also need a larger flexpipe since it will be the constrictor in the system?
[right][snapback]155707[/snapback][/right]

yup, but that's where my b-day comes along :D lol

powergains from shorty to race are dependant on mods used with the headers.

while the race headers are louder, i have heard MANY shorty setups with high flow cats that sound far far worse than a straight race header setup.

if you are worried about how loud your exhaust is going to be then don't buy a Vibrant, MBRP, HKS or Apexi exhaust. the quietest exhaust by far is the FS Stealth, following that up is the magnaflow, Thremal and then borla.

if it is STILL too loud for you, you can add in a high flow cat AFTER the flex in the first part of the exhaust. a down stream cat is less prone to odd and harsh NVH and resonance common to the Cat-forward high flow cats used with shirty headers.

your choice should also depend on what you are planny with the car.
for NA applications i would say it's a toss up between the SVT header kit and the FS 4-1 Race header for power and streetability.

if you are planning to Boost with a SC, then the BEST and ONLY option for serious power is a Kamikaze race header. huge primaries and the only 2.5" collector make it ideal for big power SC setups.

i wouldn't suggest a shorty header to anyone unless they NEEDED to retain the stock cat or stock cat location for legal reasons.

ZX3TUNING,Nov 15 2005, 01:52 AM Wrote:i wouldn't suggest a  shorty header to anyone unless they NEEDED to retain the stock cat or stock cat location for legal reasons.
[right][snapback]155982[/snapback][/right]

Which, if you live in S. Ontario and have to take the drive clean. They look for the cat. No cat, no pass. And it has to be in the stock position.

If you are interested in the shorty route, I do have a JBA header kicking around. You can PM me if you're interested.

I have a OBX-R with 2 Resenators... Still Loud.

Nice sounding , No rice at all, But loud.

I had the FR shorty header, and the RT CAT, along with the MBRP exhaust and I'll tell ya it was loud!!! that was at idle. Rev it to about 2-3000rpm, and damn....it sounded like a WRC Focus, only am was way slower. I've got a wav file of around here some where. when I find it I will post it. I liked it, nobody else did though. even my dad heard it and told me I will be pulled over by a cop very soon driving with it like that. So really if you like loud, and hate your neighbours get the same set up.

meford4u,Nov 15 2005, 01:58 AM Wrote:

ZX3TUNING,Nov 15 2005, 01:52 AM Wrote:i wouldn't suggest a  shorty header to anyone unless they NEEDED to retain the stock cat or stock cat location for legal reasons.
[right][snapback]155982[/snapback][/right]

Which, if you live in S. Ontario and have to take the drive clean. They look for the cat. No cat, no pass. And it has to be in the stock position.
[right][snapback]155983[/snapback][/right]

Not if you have some freinds. :D ;)

I can pass my e-test at the dealership aslong as I weld a cat in. Doesnt have to be in the stock location for them to pass me, they just want to see a cat somewhere on the pipe.....

But yeah, if there anal, they'll fail your test for not having a cat in the stock location....

I have been itching to finish my exh system for 4 yrs now, there is 2 thing that stop me from doing it.

1) I have magnaflow, one of the quieter one but I still found it too loud.
2) the price for the flex pipe really bug me, it cost $120US!!! When you can get MBRP for $199US and some ebay header for below $200.

Back on topic, first you have to ask yourself if you want to swap header every 2 yrs for emission test.

I have FS race header, FC Flex and magnaflow cat-back with FS stealth muffler welded on the first part of the exhaust and i'm quieter than a FS Stealth exhaust. At idle, nobody knows I have an aftermarket exhaust and thats perfect for me because i hate cars that sound too loud. Between 3500-7000RPM, my short ram makes more sound than my exhaust :ph34r:

Brian doesn't have to worry about emissions... Suds has less than 100,000 people and Drive Clean only covers Smog Central ™ - the GTA and Golden Horsehoe.

Brian, for what you're doing... I'd go shorty header, personally. That or bolt on the SVT OEM header.

NOS2Go4Me,Nov 18 2005, 11:48 AM Wrote:Brian doesn't have to worry about emissions... Suds has less than 100,000 people and Drive Clean only covers Smog Central ™ - the GTA and Golden Horsehoe.

[right][snapback]156594[/snapback][/right]

I thought Drive Clean was an Ontario province wide program.

I guess with all that nickel smelting emission, car exhaust is 'clean air' to them. :lol:

(Actually, I drove by Sudbury recently and the vegitation is coming back. Back in the 60s they sent astronauts to Sudbury to train because is was so desolate and vegitation free from the smelting emissions.)

dBlast,Nov 18 2005, 01:20 PM Wrote:I thought Drive Clean was an Ontario province wide program.

I guess with all that nickel smelting emission, car exhaust is 'clean air' to them. :lol:

(Actually, I drove by Sudbury recently and the vegitation is coming back.  Back in the 60s they sent astronauts to Sudbury to train because is was so desolate and vegitation free from the smelting emissions.)
[right][snapback]156606[/snapback][/right]

THat is actually true lol..sudbury sucks, and i'm pretty set on a race header right now, not sure if that'll be a smart move as i'm planning on moving to barrie sometime in the near future, but oh well, i'll keep my stock stuff :D

as more and more mods are adding to your mod list, a race header (long tube) will give u more and more gains above the shorty header

for a car with only intake and exhaust, yes the long header will just have about 2-3 horsepowers over the shorty.

but when more are added up like cams/cam gears/pulley/chip/intake manifold ....... the differences between long tube and shorty will be very noticable.

note that, a shorty with high flow cat is very loud and sounded bad (ppl call that sound rice)

i am running race header, bosal flex, universial cat (non hi-flow), borla exhaust (no resonator) and this sytem is not that loud (i also have ported 2000 IM and stgII cams that's tuned), some ppl in this forum have heard my exhaust before and they said is not loud.
although i'm having a non hi-flow cat, my car still have 146hp and 141tq at wheels, and with a hi-flow, the car should be able to push to 150hp or close to 150.
with a shorty and hi-flow, it should be about 140hps with my mod list coz the flow just isn't enough although it has hi-flow cat already.

about emission, my car passed twice with race header and the cat welded right after the flex pipe.

yeloZX3,Nov 20 2005, 09:24 PM Wrote:but when more are added up like cams/cam gears/pulley/chip/intake manifold ....... the differences between long tube and shorty will be very noticable.

[right][snapback]156903[/snapback][/right]

Sorry but I have to say that from the research that Darcy Motorsport did with the same Focus with NA, pullies, tuning and cam and cam gears, they tested both the long tube race header against the shorty and it was less than 3hp difference between the 2. They did all this testing when they were developing their own race header. I actually spoke to him on the phone about it after he convinced me what to go with for the setup we wanted for the exhaust system.