Exhaust Headers: An Overview

Hello everyone and welcome to this week's video today, I'm gonna be explaining exhaust headers and uh exhaust headers are basically one more step if you are working on getting a full new exhaust with larger diameter of piping throughout it. So if you haven't yet watched my video on cat back exhaust or my video on how to increase horse power via the exhaust should probably check out those first, I'll include links in the description.

Exhaust Headers: Purpose and Design

So this particular exhaust header is a Yonaka header for Acura Integra-series engines and so I'm just going over this and how these are used to increase horsepower. The exhaust header is the first piping after the exhaust from the engine exits through the cylinder head and starts to leave out of the car, so the purpose of a performance exhaust header is clearly to increase horsepower.

The exhaust header does this with two main ways: firstly, it's going to have larger piping. For example, with this Yonaka header, it's going to have one in five eighths piping for the primary pipes coming out and then it's also going to have a 2.5 inch collector, the collector is where all of the individual types join together and then go out to the exhaust as one throughout the rest of the system.

Secondly, the exhaust header does this by supporting scavenging. So the longer these long tubes support exhaust scavenging, so if you've watched my video on how exhaust can be used to increase horsepower, you should be able to understand that as far as how scavenging is done in order to increase horsepower.

Common Exhaust Header Configurations

One of the things that's common with aftermarket exhausts, especially in the Honda Acura Japanese market world where we've got four cylinder engines, is a four-to-one header or a 4-to-2-to-1 header. Basically all that is describing how the piping joints together and finally forms into one, so the 4-to-1 you take all four pipes and then they just go to one, like the name says when the 4-to-2-to-1 two of the pipes joined together and then finally the only after that so little difference.

I looked at some dyno charts online just kind of see some main differences here and it doesn't look like there's a huge main difference but the power band shifted a little bit hotter with the 4-to-1 rather than the 4-to-2-to-1. So this is a very exaggerated curve, but basically you have torque on one side and RPM on the other. The 4-to-2-to-1 header is going to kind of have its peak torque a little bit lower RPM than the 4-to-1 header.

The Effectiveness of Exhaust Headers

Of course with these kind of things with the larger piping, you're going to want to match it to your horsepower so it's not necessarily if you have very little force arranging getting larger headers may not be beneficial. One of the things that Yonaka says the header that they supply is good for about five to ten horsepower on the stock engines and of course that's more effective if you have a more powerful engine.

One of the things with these pipes, the large diameter creates these individual pipes and a larger collector. The collector is your kind of shifting where the peak torque is going to occur to a higher RPM so larger piping you're going to have a better flow at higher RPM when you've got a lot more flow so it'll kind of shift that torque that peak torque up into the higher RPMs.

Challenges and Considerations

Some of the challenges involved with an exhaust header, especially one with longer length pipes is that the install can be kind of a little more complicated where you may have to remove some components, move components and also weld the end on to the catalytic converter or the rest of the exhaust that you've got going on.

Also, you can run into clearance issues especially with lower cars as this exhaust or maybe the lowest part in your car so if that's the case you want to make sure that it's kind of protected or that it's not really that low for the area that you're driving in. Just taking a look at this Yonaka header, this is a stainless steel header and you can see the one and five-eights inch piping heading down and that all means up to a collector and then at that collector you've got where you can install the O2 sensor.

Installing an O2 Sensor

I can just place that right in there.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enHello everyone and welcome to this week's video today, I'm gonna be explaining exhaust headersand uh exhaust headers are basically one more step if you are working on getting a full new exhaust with larger diameter of piping throughout itSo if you haven't yet watched my video on cat back exhaust or my video on how to increase horse power via the exhaust should probably check out those first,i'll include links in the descriptionNow this particular exhaust header is aYonaka header for Acura Integrab-series engines and so I'm just gonnabe kind of going over this and how theseare used to increase horsepowerso the exhaust header is the firstpiping after the exhaust from the engineexits through the cylinder head andstarts to leave out of the car,so the purpose of a performance exhaust header is clearly to increase horsepowerNow it does this with two main ways:first of all, it's going to have largerpiping so for example with this Yonakaheader it's goingto have one in five eighths piping forthe primary pipes coming out and then itis also going to have a 2.5 inchcollector, the collector is where all ofthe individual types join together andthen go out to the exhaust as onethroughout the rest of the system.So, the other thing this does is it supportsscavenging, so the longer these longtubes support exhaust scavenging so ifyou've watched my video on how exhaustcan be used to increase horsepoweryou should be able to understand that asfar as how scavenging is done inorder to increase horsepower.So one of the things that's common with after market exhausts, especiallyin the Honda Acura Japanese market worldwhere we've got four cylinder engines isa four-to-one header or a 4-to-2-to-1 headerand basically all that is is describinghow the piping joints together andfinally forms into oneso the 4-to-1 you take all four and thenthey just go to one just like the nameis when the 4-to-2-to-1 two of the pipesjoined together and then finally the onlyafter that so little difference and Ilook at some dyno charts online justkind of see some main differences hereand it doesn't look like there's a hugemain difference but the powerbandshifted a little bit hotter with the 4-to-1rather than the 4-to-2-to-1so this is a very exaggerated curve here, but basically you have torque on one sideand RPM on the other the 4-to-2-to-1 headeris going to kind of have its peak torquea little bit lower rpm than the 4-to-1 header and once again at thegraphs I looked at online it didn't seemto be a huge difference so it's notanything major like I've shown here andthen both of them seem to have a decentadvantage over the stock if you did havean engine with a significant amount ofpower. So of course with these kind ofthings with the larger piping you'regoing to want to match it to yourhorsepower so it's not necessarily ifyou have very little force arranginggetting larger header may not bebeneficial and I kind of go more intothis in my video on catbacks that's kindof why I reference checking that out, butYonaka says the header that theysupply is good for about five to 10horsepower on the stock engines and ofcourse that's more effective if you havea more powerful engine.One of the things with these pipes isthe large you create these individualpipes and larger the collector is yourkind of shifting where the peak torqueis going to occur to a higher rpm solarger piping you're going to have abetter flow at higher rpm when you'vegot a lot more flow so it'll kind ofshift that torque that peak torque upinto thehigher rpms. Some of the challengesinvolved with an exhaust header,especially one with longer length pipesis that the install can be kind of alittle more complicatedwhere you may have to remove somecomponents, move components and alsoweld the end on to the catalyticconverter or the rest of the exhaustthat you've got going onalso you can run into clearance issuesespecially with lower cars as thisexhausted or maybe the lowest part inyour car and so if that's the case youwant to make sure that's kind ofprotected or that it's not really thatlow for the area that you're driving inso just taking a look at this Yonakaheader, this is a stainless steel headerand you can see the one and five-eighthsinch piping heading down and that allmeans up to a collector and then at thatcollector you've got a 2.5 inch pipingand that's the outer diameter so theinner diameter is actually little bitsmaller and then here is where you can iinstall the o2 sensor.I can just place that right in there.So, thanks for watching if you have anyquestions or comments feel free to leave them below and I will include a productinclude a product link in the descrition\n"