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Who hasn't felt their pulse quicken when a throaty hotrod idled beside them at a stop? The lope of the engine, the sheer custom sound of the car, is an amazing thing. That sound is created by having a finely tuned powerhouse under the hood; however, without a set of headers, that sound (and the power it implies) would be severely handicapped. What are headers, you ask? They are one of the easiest ways to add horsepower to your existing ride, as well as a great way to improve the sound of your engine.
Headers take the place of your stock exhaust manifold and run from the engine's head to the downpipe on your car. What do they do? Headers reduce the amount of back pressure in the engine, allowing the exhaust pulses to travel more freely to the exhaust pipe and out of the car. Why is this important? With stock exhaust manifolds, the amount of pressure buildup in the engine can significantly decrease power output. This is because the engine must work to move the exhaust; that takes precious power away from your wheels. The harder your engine must work to move the exhaust along, the less power it has left over to send to the transmission.
Headers can alleviate much of that problem, adding a significant amount of horsepower to your ride without doing anything more than opening up the exhaust system. With a standard exhaust manifold, the exhaust pulses from each cylinder are forced into the same chamber, building up pressure as each pulse attempts to escape through the down pipe. Headers provide a tube for each cylinder, allowing gasses to move much more freely.
When choosing a header, the best bet is to choose a kit from an established manufacturer, a kit made for your vehicle. While you can make your own headers, it's cheaper and easier just to buy a kit. Buying one that matches your year, make, model and engine size means that you will get the right number of headers (4 cylinders have 1, V6 and V8 engines have 2), as well as the right manifold gaskets and connectors. Never reuse your old manifold gaskets unless you absolutely have to. Also, make sure that your kit comes with mounting locations for your O2 sensor(s).
If you have access to a decent set of mechanic's tools, you can actually add headers on your own. While having access to a shop is a handy thing, you don't have to use one; a set of ramps can be just as handy, as long as you don't mind laying on the ground for a bit. You'll need to remove your old exhaust manifold, first. Loosen the bolts attaching the manifold to your down pipe and then remove the bolts holding the manifold to the head. Remove the old gasket under the header and clean the area. Now, place the new gasket on, followed by the header. Tighten the bolts in an alternating pattern, without tightening any of them fully until all bolts are snug. Reattach the down pipe to the new header and you're set!
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