Racing Exhaust Headers

Racing headers are a high-performance variation of the exhaust manifold found in a regular car. They serve the same purpose as the OEM part, whereas allowing the engine to breathe easier, resulting in improved performance. While most factory exhaust manifolds are heavy and built with thick walls to minimize the noise emitted by the engine, racing exhaust headers are lightweight and come with thinner walls to lower back pressure and allow exhaust gases to leave the engine easier and faster. This reduces a loss of power and enhances the efficiency of the engine, giving the driver a slight increase in performance.

Back pressure is one of the ways the engine loses some of its power, which is common if you have a traditional exhaust manifold. As a rule, exhaust manifolds are made from a solid cast which provides very limited space for exhaust gases to pass through and thus restricts them, creating back pressure. Unlike manifolds, racing exhaust headers are developed and designed to minimize this impact on engine performance. They deal with exhaust gases in a more efficient way, giving each cylinder its very own pipe to evacuate exhaust gases and make them reach the collector separately from the gases from other cylinders.

Not all racing headers are equal. They differ in length and design and can be made from different materials. High-end racing exhaust headers are usually mandrel bent long tubes manufactured from stainless steel or titanium which provides natural corrosion and heat resistance. Some racing headers can also be made from cast iron or steel, yet feature a ceramic coating to protect them from rust. When it comes to the design of racing exhaust headers, the most popular ones are 4-1 and 4-2-1 headers. The main difference between them is that 4-1 headers are designed so that all pipes merge into one, while their 4-2-1 counterparts start with 4 pipes that merge into two, which in turn merge into one pipe.