Learn All About Exhaust Header

A header is a manifold which is specifically designed for improving the performance of the car engine. An exhaust header has individual tubes for each exhaust port, which allows each exhaust pulse to flow unobstructed from the cylinder head. However, there are some factory exhaust manifolds which also have individual tubes.

Exhaust Header Vs Exhaust Manifold

If you are changing your exhaust system, then there are several components which you can change. But, if you are looking for power gains and best performance, then there are a few auto parts that deliver best results. In order to improve your ride’s performance, here we have compared header vs manifold.

The Benefits Of Exhaust Headers

• Exhaust headers will make it easier for you to push away the exhaust gas out of the engine’s cylinder. During the power stroke, the engine will produce its power. At the time of this stroke, the gasoline in the cylinder will burn and expand so that it can generate power. 
• Once the cylinder is empty, the exhaust gas reaches the exhaust manifold and flows into the pipe through the catalytic converter.
• The manifold's back pressure is eliminated by the exhaust header. So, instead of an ordinary manifold which is shared by all the cylinders, each cylinder will have its own exhaust pipe, and then they are collected in a single large pipe known as collector.
• There are several brands which design headers that deliver maximum results, such as Gibson and Bassani. These headers are designed with superior craftsmanship. Also, they help to get the fumes out of your vehicle soon and your vehicle moves quickly.

The Benefits Of Exhaust Manifolds

• The exhaust manifolds will traditionally funnel the exhaust gas from the engine.
• As they are purely utilitarian, these big chunks of cast-iron will do their job perfectly, but they will not exactly inspire performance.
• In the name of lower manufacturing costs and increased emissions, horsepower and torque is sacrificed, which saps acceleration from your ride.
• In worst cases, some factory manifolds might crack, causing the toughest trucks to malfunction and may even lead to a complete breakdown.
• Performance exhaust manifolds, such as Fe Blade Runner Exhaust Manifold, will wake up your street machine as it has high-flow ductile iron or 304 stainless steel castings.
• This will boost your low-end grunt for towing and will increase mileage during cruising.
• Performance exhaust manifolds need very less maintenance, unlike headers which need re-tightening periodically.
• Most of the exhaust manifolds are similar to tubular exhaust headers which have a catalytic converter attached to it. Unfortunately, they might not be reliable. Apart from this, many drivers experience sticker-shock when they change a cracked or failing factory manifold.

Exhaust Header is one of the easiest bolt-on accessories which you can install easily in order to improve your engine’s performance. The primary aim of the header is to make it easy for your engine to push away the exhaust gases out of the cylinders. This works by removing the manifold’s back pressure. Each cylinder will have its own exhaust pipe instead of sharing a common manifold. Each individual pipe is cut and then bent so that they are of the same length, which makes sure that each cylinder’s exhaust gases will come in the collector spaced out equally and there is no back pressure genera

Exhaust manifold is a part of the engine component that is found on all internal combustion engines. They are made of cast iron or stamped steel and are created in such a way to collect exhaust gases from the engine cylinders and to send them into the exhaust pipes for removal. The exhaust manifold is fixed to the engine cylinder heads and has several ports which collect exhaust gases from each individual engine cylinder. Cast iron manifolds are made of one piece, whereas stamped steel ones are welded together. Both components withstand the high stress and heat conditions which are needed to trap and send exhaust gases. Though they are heavy duty in nature, they can still cause issues related to drivability. Usually a defective exhaust manifold will show a few symptoms which can alert the driver that there is some issue.

Excessively Noisy Engine

• The very first symptom of a problem with an exhaust manifold gasket will be the excessive noise from the engine.
• If the exhaust manifold gasket is faulty, then it will produce an exhaust leak with hissing or tapping sound coming from the engine.
• You will hear this sound, especially during a cold start or during acceleration.

Decrease In Power, Acceleration, And Fuel Efficiency

• Performance issues in the engine is another common symptom of a problem with an exhaust manifold gasket.
• Faulty exhaust manifold gasket can cause exhaust gasket leakage resulting in engine performance issues like decrease in power, acceleration, and fuel efficiency.
• The performance decrease might appear to be a minor problem at first but it can worsen over time if not addressed promptly.

Burning Smell Coming From The Engine Bay

• Burning smell from the engine bay is another symptom of a potential problem with the exhaust manifold gasket.
• If the gasket fails and starts leaking near any plastic components or engine wiring, then the components may burn up because of the heat from the exhaust gases.
• This will produce a burning smell in the engine bay as the components were exposed to high heat. Faint smoke may accompany the smell.
• If there is any burning smell, it should be checked out as soon as possible to ensure that they are not a potential safety hazard.

If you want to repair your car exhaust header all by yourself, then let’s face it you will need some auto body tools. You can always start by building your own tool chest. Searching for some tools needed to repair your car exhaust header? Don’t worry! We are here to help you out. Here are some common tools that you will probably end up needing while repairing your car exhaust header: 

• Boxed end wrench(s) or ratchet wrench set(s)
• Can of carb cleaner
• Clean shop rags
• Coolant container (extra coolant to refill radiator)
• Flashlight or droplight
• Impact wrench and impact sockets
• Light grit sandpaper, steel wool and gasket scraper (in some cases)
• Penetrating Oil (WD-40 or PB Blaster)
• Replacement exhaust manifold, new gasket
• Safety equipment (safety glasses and gloves)
• Torque wrench

For vehicle owners choice, the brands really matter a lot. You might pay for a specific car part brand, over time, as it has created a perception of quality, stability and trust. There are some leading car parts brands which are more than just products or services as they give rise to memories and emotions related with the quality. So have a look at some top brands for car exhaust header.

• Hedman Hedders Header
• BBK Performance Parts Header
• Hooker Headers Header
• Flowtech Header
• Gibson Performance Header

Failure in the car exhaust header comes in a lot of forms. But take note that it is not an inexpensive repair. Sometimes in the end you might find out that there is a need of complete car exhaust header replacement. There is no fast and hard number as to how much would an car exhaust header replacement would cost as it depends upon a lot of factors like the brand, make, model as well as the mechanic who is going to repair/replace it. The approximate cost for an exhaust header replacement lies between $991 and $1,103. Labor cost is estimated to lie between $264 and $334 whereas auto parts are priced between $727 and $769.

Here are a few steps which will help you replace the exhaust header.

Step 1

The first step is to lift your car on the jack stands and safely support your vehicle so you can work underneath it. Disconnect the battery as well.

Step 2

Next, remove the engine cover and get access to the exhaust manifold bolts and loosen them with the help of ratchets, sockets and an extension if required. You may also have to remove the exhaust heat shield and other parts to gain access to the exhaust manifold bolts.

Step 3

Remove the exhaust manifold from the cylinder head after loosening the nuts and move underneath the vehicle to loosen the nut connecting the exhaust manifold to the exhaust pipe. The exhaust manifold should come off completely now. 

Step 4

Remove the old exhaust manifold gasket and clean the cylinder head ports. Remove all the carbon build up before installing a new exhaust manifold gasket.

Step 5

After placing the new exhaust manifold gasket onto the studs of the cylinder head, install a new gasket at the joint where the exhaust manifold connects the exhaust pipe. 

Step 6

Attach the exhaust manifold to the exhaust pipe under the vehicle and slide the manifold onto the cylinder head studs. Hand tighten the nuts on the cylinder head studs.

Step 7

The next step is to tighten the exhaust manifold nuts with the help of a torque wrench in the order instructed by the manufacturer until the exhaust manifold is perfectly seated against the cylinder head.

Step 8

Reinstall the heat shield onto the exhaust manifold and reattach the engine cover and other parts that were removed to gain access to the exhaust manifold.

Step 9

Reattach the battery terminals and crank the engine to check for any leaks or hissing sounds or errors on the dashboard.