Ok I need some advice one headers and exhaust.

I know there are several other post on this but I want to be sure before I spend money. I want to buy headers for my 1997 v8 5.2L 4wd dakota. There are so many out there I'm not sure what to buy. I'am looking for the most increase in power I can get for my truck. Also can I skip on the heat coating( ceramic coating I believe) and just wrap the headers with that cloth material to keep heat away.

Next Is exhaust which will give me the most power and great sound. Is there and exhaust system that work espcially good with a certain header. And does have dual exit exhaust make much of a difference on performance or is it more for looks? Any suggestions are helpfull. O and last what are X and Y pipes used for. I saw them and I could not think of a place where I would want to join to pipes together.

Thanks alot with there being so many choices out there I dont want to buy the wrong product.

 

depends on where you want your power band really, but generally speaking you're going to want long tube headers with high flow cats, an H or X (if dual) or Y pipe into a high flow muffler. I would suggest 2.25 (dual) or 3" (single) pipe. On dual exhaust you WANT the X/H pipe for better scavenging. Coatings are the way to go. Some people insist that wrap will trap moisture against your pipes and rust them out.

 

I say just take your stock headers off and roll out!

 

I wish I could just firgured it would make the engine a tad hot. Anyways I think i am going buy a Gibson Performance header that has a crome finish. I cant seem to find a explantion to buy double the amount for the heat coating. I know it is the wiser thing to do but money is to tight to. (http://www.stylinconcepts.com/part.a.../categoryid/28)

One last question if I run a dual exit ehaust does the package account for a spare? I do not have a larger spare but I was just wondering if anyone has a gibson dual exhaust system and ran into troble. Thanks and any information is usefull.

 

If your going to spend money on headers you might as well save and get the coating too. Over the life of the vehicle it is worth it. You can get coated Edelbrocks for 350 (with hardware) or so from www.summitracing.com and prob cheaper if you look around.

I do not know 100%, but I believe you lose the spare if you go full dual exhaust, but get to keep it with a dual exit muffler.

 

If you want to get a header with the heat coating, but can't afford the cost, simply get the aftermarket header you have your eye on, and take your time with a nice header heat tape. If you take your time and do it right, you will have a nice fit and finish, while reaping the benefits of a cooler engine bay.

 

do these look any good for the 4.7L?
FlowTech Shorty Smog Headers

 

I don't know if having 4wd will affect the tube length on these dakotas but look for the longest tube runners you can. Also try to find a header with a thick flange. THe cheap headers sometimes have thinner flanges and will warp with the heat. The coating is very important and a worthy investment. Headers that do not have a coating on them WILL RUST extremly fast. The extreme temperture change and moisture cause this to happen rapidly. THe ceramic coating helps to prevent this. Plus when you open the hood its nice to see clean looking pipes. Chrome pipes rust fast also, unless you take care of them all the time. If you daily drive your truck, don't wrap your headers. They can trap moisture and rust out your pipes. I would also invest in a set of header bolts. Unless if you want to tighten up your bolts like every week. THe thicker flange also helps to prevent the bolts from loosening. That pretty much takes care of header selection.

For the exhaust, you want something that works good with your motor. Duel exhaust does increase performance due to less restriction on the exhust side. Do not assume that duel tips means duel exhaust. If you want the look with a little performance, just get a new muffler that has duel outlets and run the pipes. If you go with headers, I would say go with duel exhaust. You can keep your stock manifolds and duel your exhaust for good performance gains also. For yours a 2.25-2.5 inch pipe is as big as you need on a stock motor. Here are some answers you were looking for.

y-pipe: shaped kind of like a y where two seperate pipes converge into one. The two pipes are from your exhaust manifolds/headers and come together before the cat. THis keeps your exhaust single, not duel.

x-pipe: shaped like an x; where two pipes come togther and then split. You cannot have this with a y-pipe. Putting a x-pipe in your duel exhaust is used to equalize back pressure to promote flow. It will be before the mufflers.

h-pipe: shaped like a H; used for the same purpose as an x-pipe.

You do not need an x or h-pipe in your duel exhust if you don't want it.

Remember going all out on your exhaust side of the motor can hurt your performance and fuel economy if you do not improve the intake side equally.

 

This is possibly the worst advice I have ever heard. First of all, I don't care what kind of coating you do, or do not get on your headers, but you are a fool if you do not coat them yourself with a high temp clear; which costs about $5.00 for a rattlecan and will be the best $5.00 you ever spend when it comes to the longevity of your headers. Not only does this preserve the finish from the manufacturer, but it also creates another layer of protection between your header and the elements. As long as you feel confident in the high temp clear coat you apply and you let it cure properly, you can heat wrap a header and never think twice about it. In fact, go take a drivfe through a river, the last thing you will need to worry about will be your headers.

Just my $.02

 

I would also stay with a single muffler system, not a full dual exhaust. From what I have seen you will get better low end gains. With a 4X4 you really are looking for more torque then HP. If you want dual just do a dual exit muffler with 2-2.5" tubes.