I am getting the Vortech installed in about three weeks. I am contemplating putting in Alphawerk headers prior to installation. The price installed would be about $900-$1000. For those with S/C, is the addition of Headers worth $1000 or are the stock headers good enough and just save the $1000?

(I will, however, be doing the Crawford H/F cats too)

Thanks for any advice/input.

 

Who is doing your Vortech install?

 

CP Racing

 

More air coming in needs to get out more efficiently. The factory log style manifold design flows poor compared to even the cheap $200 dollar headers.

 

Obviously they are a benefit. But...is the added air flow worth $1000 bucks?

Also...how does this affect boost/hp? I imagine with less back pressure, I will get more HP with less boost. Am I wrong on that?

 

Im running these headers, they are very nice. My boost is about 8.2 and thats in the HOT cali days. Install was a *****!

 

I've been told you'll lose hp/tq with the headers w/ FI because theres too much air flow and it gets slowed down passing thru. Correct? You might want to look further into this before spending money to lose the money you just spent to make power.

 

no you're thinking of test pipes

headers gain power with superchargers

 

What about a single turbo system? BTW, check this out; this is what i meant: https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....7&page=2&pp=20

 

header install is usually more than the actual parts.

 

OK, to keep this thread on track we're not talking about turbos. Different application and different question entirely.

What Jason's asking is simple to ask but tough to answer. His question: "Is the additonal $1000 for the headers ($450 headers and the $450 install plus tax) worth it for the gains you'll get with the headers and Vortech combined?"

This point really confuses me too. I think it's a trade off and I'll list the trade offs below... (make sure to correct me if I'm wrong).

1. With aftermarket headers you can run the same A/F ratio at a lower boost level and get more hp/tq than the stock Vortech setup on a stock car.

2. With aftermarket headers you can run lower (safer) A/F ratio and lower boost and get the SAME hp/tq as running higher (less safe) A/F with stock headers than the stock Vortech setup on a stock car.

3. Without aftermarket headers you can tune a stock car to be a little more aggressive (what g8tor20 doesn't want to do) and get similar results as a "safely tuned" car with aftermarket headers.*

The question now becomes... How much hp/tq will one gain with the aftermarket headers in scenario #1. Then take those numbers and factor in the $1000 to see how much hp/tq you gain and decide if it's worth it to spend the money.

So, how much hp/tq is gained???

 

So do test pipes....

 

if you're looking for big numbers, bigger headers are an integral part of that equation. period. end of story.

 

IMO unless you going to do the entire exhaust, headers,test pipes, and better flowing exhaust, then any gains you will see will be minimal. Also once your done it will be impossible to tell how much hp was added from the exhaust addition...But they will help.

 

Actually a friend of mine had test pipes on his Vortech set up with his G35 and he was getting virtually no boost (or hp/tq). He called Vortech and told them his problem and the first words out of the reps mouth was, "do you have test pipes or straight pipes". His reply was "yes". He was told to put the stock cats or h/f cats back on his car and his boost and hp/tq would climb. He did as instructed and all was fine.

After experiencing this first hand, I'll have to respectfully disagree with your statement.

 

I have test pipes with my S/C and I see my boost all the way up to 10 PSI.

 

I'm sorry that makes no sense what so ever, i don't see why having cats or not would affect boost, especially on a supercharged car.

 

I'm sorry that makes no sense what so ever, i don't see why having cats or not would affect boost, especially on a supercharged car.

I think we will all agree that a totally open exhaust w/o any restriction would prevent a S/C from building boost..Need a downstream restriction to allow pressure to build..However power is not totally dependent on boost..If a S/C is capable of flowing sufficient CFM or air and the engine management system is capable of measuring it or electrically altering it and the fuel system is capable of delivering it so that a reasonable A/F is maintained power will develop..The trick is balancing all the variables in a way that is both safe and makes power..IMHO

 

The car couldn't build boost due to not having enough back pressure (according to what the Vortech rep told him) therefore he couldn't get up and go. He put the stock cats back on his G and all of a sudden, problem solved. His screen name is UMG35 and he posts on g35driver if you want more info...

*oh yeah, his car was untuned (don't know if this has something to do with it or not).

 

uhmm, unless i'm crazy - superchargers don't need back pressure to build boost - they draft air from the pulley thats driving them - a cat on a super charged system restricts flow and can rob power just like any stock exhaust system

how much power is gained from these headers?