Quote:
Originally Posted by KenTK808
(Post 2069692)
Is anyone running a SRT full header back system with an aftermarket header? I realize the SRT exhaust is already pretty loud. I felt a noticeable gain over the stock exhaust when I switched over to the SRT. Do you think there is much more power to be squeezed out of the car with the header? Is the noise worth the power? I was thinking about getting a catted equal length.
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The "gains" you felt were most likely induced by the fact that you want there to be gains and the exhaust is louder so it must be better. The sad truth is that the gains had with only a header back exhaust are minimal at best. That's not to say that exhaust systems on this platform doesn't add to the driving experience by giving audible feedback while driving. Implying that you "feel" a difference is purely a miscalibration in your butt dyno and instead the brain is responding to that audible feedback and interpreting it as an improvement in power. Be cautious of any manufacturer that claims significant power gains on any exhaust component after the header as their marketing exists mainly to generate sales. The money spent on a full header back exhaust typically is much higher than a simple catless header and yields substantially less bang for your buck improvements unless your primary goal is simply to have a much louder exhaust.
As for improvements in power with a catless header, there are definitely improvements to be had in that area. Given that the header is the main restriction in the exhaust system and removal of that catalytic converter with a catless header combined with a tune to take advantage of the removal of that restriction will provide you with quantifiable improvements in your cars power levels. Any header, catted or catless, will significantly add to the volume of your exhaust. As to whether its worth it or not, that is entirely subjective as what is deemed an acceptable exhaust volume level differs from person to person. I do however think its safe to assume that the vast majority find the increase in power entirely worth it. If the volume gets to loud for you, or your neighbors tastes, then the first thing that should be changed would be the catback system. Like I mentioned before, they offer just an increase in volume, a potential reduction in weight, and little else.
As for the catted vs uncatted debate, it is against federal law to replace a functioning catalytic converter so a catted header is no more legal than a catless header. Gains are typically (*in almost all cases) greater on a catless as opposed to a catted but the main thing to focus on is getting a quality part from a quality manufacture and then backing that header up with a proper tune. A catted header will be marginally quieter than a catless and there is always the environmental issue to consider if that is important to you because even a poorly performing catalytic converter is better for the environment than none at all.
At the end of the day it just boils down to what is important to you. These types of discussion are on these forums all over the place and the entire subject has been discussed ad nauseam. A simple search very well may provide you with all the information about the various headers available so you can make an informed choice for yourself instead of taking the word of some random stranger on the internet. If people would take the time to do their research before buying products I'd venture to say that most, if not all, people would be much happier with their cars performance for substantially less money. |
