Would a shorty header really be any better than the stock shorty??

[Jukka]

Over the winter im going to be doing my engine overhaul and am looking into some new parts. One of the things I was considering was getting a header, but I want to keep my car street legal and didn't want to have to cut up my WS2 exhaust to fit a cat. I was curious if a shorty header would actually be worth while/if there would be any benefit over the stock header?? Are shorty headers like the strup or megan ones larger primaries than the OEM shorty??

[rd02SiR]

i installed a DC shorty header a few years back. didn't really notice much except a slight slight gain up top. could have been my head playing trick or that my exhaust was a tad louder..but yeah.

[tlikethedrink]

why not just buy a high flow cat replacement- random technoligies makes a bolt on. or a muffler should slap on together for you. im not sure what it would cost, but im sure itll be cheaper than a header and will net you more power than a shorty header....
after that, you could get a shorty too! and still be street legal!

[Passenger]

Absolutely not. Not worth a single dime. I wouldn't take it (if I were stock) if it was free. Back in the day I had one for a little while and I had NO gains, whatsoever. You're not going to notice a 2 HP gain anyway so, even if someone tells you that, don't even bother.

[EPSU3]

Its not worth the money or the effort. I had the megan and DC. Unless you get a used on for under a hundred and already have it all torn apart don't worry about it.

[Jukka]

thats what i figured. I'm gonna look into the random tech cat. If anything i might just get my factory shorty ceramic coated to keep some of the heat down since im missing my heat sheild.

[tlikethedrink]

i asked for a price check for that cat from random tech. way too expensive!

"We sell part number 142-22003 for $446.09 and shipping cost to 87121 should be about $17.00 via UPS ground."

no thank you! 250 is what i was thinking. for that price you can easily buy a universal cat and have a shop make you one.

[T_Virus]

Over the winter im going to be doing my engine overhaul and am looking into some new parts. One of the things I was considering was getting a header, but I want to keep my car street legal and didn't want to have to cut up my WS2 exhaust to fit a cat. I was curious if a shorty header would actually be worth while/if there would be any benefit over the stock header?? Are shorty headers like the strup or megan ones larger primaries than the OEM shorty??

Why would you have to cut your Ws2 exhaust to fit a cat? What version do you have? EP or DC5? Going from a stock header to a aftermarket shorty header does show somewhat gains but for the price you pay, like what everyone said, it is not worth it. The issue is not really the shorty header that's not giving you decent gains but mainly it is the restrictive cat. This is why alot of people went with a race header or a shorty(stock or aftermarket) with a test pipe to get rid of the cat. Also, there is talonxracer's method that benefits as well where you go with a race header and get a cat welded on.

BTW I made 153whp with a Injen CAI, Comptech SS Shorty Header and HKS Hi-Power Exhaust. I don't remember the torque though. On the same day another EP buddy of mine made 155 whp with same mods like me but he had a customed exhaust and reflash. The big difference was the torque where his was really clean and constant on the screen while mine was slopply like mountain hills. Also on that same day, another EP buddy dynoed with a modified stock airbox, jdm ctr header and stock exaust but he didn't break 150 whp. I think he made 143 or 145whp, I can't remember.

But either way, you'll get power hungry and want more. Just get a race header and once it comes to smoging your car, (I don't know how the emissions laws are in your town) just replace it back with your stock header.

[Jukka]

I have the EP spec WS2, but if i get a race header, it deletes the cat, ie having to cut the ws2 to fit a cat behind the race header. The main reason I wanna keep the cat is that the local and provinical police are cracking down like crazy when it comes to emmisions devices. First time you get caught without a cat, its $358 fine, second time, its another $358 fine and you loose your license for 10 days, third time you get caught your license is suspended for 30days and your car is forfitted to the ministry of transportation. Plus another $358 fine. I would rather make a bit less power than loose my car. If i do get power hungry, im not gonna have the finicial support to feed that hunger for the next year or two because of school. But when im done with school, i can go power binge eating. lol.

[eurosteez]

header by itself wont do much..heres a cheap way to increase respiration...stock airbox mod/DIY, comptech drop in air filter, shorty headers and a 2.5 inch mid-pipe.

I did this a few years ago and could notice slightly more pull up top...like they all say...kpro could optimize these mods

[classiccelica]

I will have to disagree with most people on here about the gains. I did feel a difference, not an amazing difference but a decent one. I want to know how much a raceheader does without kpro.

[Jukka]

header by itself wont do much..heres a cheap way to increase respiration...stock airbox mod/DIY, comptech drop in air filter, shorty headers and a 2.5 inch mid-pipe.

I did this a few years ago and could notice slightly more pull up top...like they all say...kpro could optimize these mods

I've already had AEM Cold air, Fujita short ram, and im running a hondata box with a K&N filter and a silicone intake hose right now. So far im happiest with that. And like i said in previous posts, I already have an Apexi WS2 that is 2.25" or 2.5" exhaust from the cat back. I was more just curious about if theres any proof/real big jump in performance, which i didnt think it would. And obviously running K-pro would benefit ontop of any mod. If anything im gonna do my motor overhaul/work over the winter, get kpro.

[T_Virus]

I have the EP spec WS2, but if i get a race header, it deletes the cat, ie having to cut the ws2 to fit a cat behind the race header. The main reason I wanna keep the cat is that the local and provinical police are cracking down like crazy when it comes to emmisions devices. First time you get caught without a cat, its $358 fine, second time, its another $358 fine and you loose your license for 10 days, third time you get caught your license is suspended for 30days and your car is forfitted to the ministry of transportation. Plus another $358 fine. I would rather make a bit less power than loose my car. If i do get power hungry, im not gonna have the finicial support to feed that hunger for the next year or two because of school. But when im done with school, i can go power binge eating. lol.

I still don't understand why you would have to cut th ws2 because it should be a direct fit...

[vbpracer]

I will have to disagree with most people on here about the gains. I did feel a difference, not an amazing difference but a decent one. I want to know how much a raceheader does without kpro.

I never did really understand how you 'feel' a difference. Leaving the cat in place is the biggest bottleneck. Having a shorty with cat and exhaust is still not worth it. Its not untill you get a raceheader that you it will be worth it.

I think that people who notice a difference, its in their head, having just spend a 100 on a 'performance' part. You would WANT to see gains.

[Jukka]

I still don't understand why you would have to cut th ws2 because it should be a direct fit...

if i run a race header, race headers delete the primary cat if im not mistaken, and bolt onto the mid pipe. If i wanted to run a race header and still wanted to keep a cat in there, i would have to either A. cut the header after the primary collector or would B. have to cut the mid pipe and weld a cat in place.

[kenscivic]

It's not worth the money but heck my old ep (pre turbo) put down 157 whp and 132 wtq with intake/ dc shorty/ high flow cat/ cheap crush bent exhaust.. So it probably does net you some gains.. Def. not worth the pricetag though

[T_Virus]

if i run a race header, race headers delete the primary cat if im not mistaken, and bolt onto the mid pipe. If i wanted to run a race header and still wanted to keep a cat in there, i would have to either A. cut the header after the primary collector or would B. have to cut the mid pipe and weld a cat in place.

Oh, that is what you mean...Yes, you would have to cut if you want the cat with the race header but just get the race header don't get the cat welded and drive more maturely (most of the time lol)...

[Jukka]

I'm gonna hold off on gettin a header for awhile. I have 2 years of school (at most adhead of me) and funds are gonna be tight during so. But as soon as i start working after school, ill be making some good $, so ill probably do a Vtec killer + JRSC-R or swap an A2 or A into the car.

[classiccelica]

I never did really understand how you 'feel' a difference. Leaving the cat in place is the biggest bottleneck. Having a shorty with cat and exhaust is still not worth it. Its not untill you get a raceheader that you it will be worth it.

I think that people who notice a difference, its in their head, having just spend a 100 on a 'performance' part. You would WANT to see gains.

I only spent 35 on mine so I didn't have that buyers remorse feeling in my head. I raced my buddy before and after and I gained a tad on him, that's how I knew.

[eurosteez]

I agree with Celica...If you open the downstream side of the cat with a 2.25" or bigger midpipe...it should be matched by opening up the upstream end of the cat with a larger exhaust manifold. even though the 2" outlet of the cat is the most restricting diameter of the system, the flow shouldnt be disrupted by uneven diameter piping which would possibly lead to funky backpressures

[Blue03Si]

I was in the same boat as you. I wanted to upgrade, but also want to stay street legal since I'm in California and a smog check is required every 2 years. I decided to go with the CTR/ITR header and cat. Its a 4-2-1 design just like the race headers, but it has a high flow cat. I didn't have an exhaust though so I just bought a used RSX-S midpipe and used my stock muffler. Since you already have a cat back then a muffler shop would have to cut it and re-weld it because the CTR/ITR header w/ cat is longer than stock.

[Passenger]

I only spent 35 on mine so I didn't have that buyers remorse feeling in my head. I raced my buddy before and after and I gained a tad on him, that's how I knew.

could've been plenty of things, a better launch, your car was lighter, you shifted perfectly, and a numerous amount of other things the other driver could've done wrong that caused the loss or your car was just stronger than his. Shorty header will not do nothing for your car, I had one for years. Comptech probably made the best shorty, and even it probably didn't do much more.