Ram Horn Manifold - Any Reason To Change?

[MrGoodpliers]

I'm so over headers. Leaks and cooked starters are a PITA. I have not used them for years, and I'm much happier for it.

[406 Q-ship]

It depends on the performance potentual of the engine. A stock engine for one of these trucks, then ram horns or just cast iron mainfolds. If you have one of the more powerful performance engines..I.E. 350 hp 327, 360 hp 350 then headers would be a consideration and worth the extra issues associated with them. If you have an engine built to perform in the 1.25 hp/CID and 350+ in size, then headers are a must or your wasting money on building the engine to make that kind of HP. I run headers on my 406 SBC Monte Carlo and would never look back, do they pop gaskets...yes about once every few years, if I dont retighten them every other oil change. Headers need attention that manifolds do not, like retorquing about every 6 months on a daily driver. Ask yourself how much work you want to do, what is the engine built to do, and what is the truck supposed to do. My truck has a stock engine from a 76 Chevy with the new style iron manifolds and I would never put headers on that engine, well probably not, if I did they would be thick flange, ball connection collectors, and small tube diameter tri-ys.

[Joe Cool]

Originally Posted by cparman

Rams horns are almost zero maintenance, and like Andy said are easier to mount accessories.

what ram horn is that ..........angles back?

[tlcrz1972]

Rams horns all the way, I have them installed on my '95 engine in my '72 and just love the way they look on the engine.
And don't worry about the so called power loss if your a street engine. These manifolds were designed back in the '50's by Zora Arkus-Duntov and other performance engineers and they were made to compliment the heads and the exhaust flow coming out of them.

Headers suck!!!!!!

Now I do want to say one thing about ramshorn manifolds, unfortunately if your running the old original manifolds you will be replacing them once in a while, because they are old and over time will crack. Keep a few of them on hand, and be prepared to go through that at any time.

I've never bought the new ones but one day I'll be forced to when I run out of the factory manifolds I have stashed away.

[budman k20]

If you have a stock engine keep the ramhorns. If you don't care about extra torque or hp keep the ram horns. If you can't retighten them after a heat cycle or check them once a year then keep the ram horns. All 3 of my non DD vehicles have headers but none are stock. I don't have any of the problems everyone is talking about. All ceramic coated and quality stuff. Nothing sounds as bad ass as my solid lifter 406... Small children and old lady's walk away when I'm near by. I have quiet mufflers on it but you can hear the power from the headers. If you plan ahead and route the wires the wires also last. I put woven high temp sleeves on any wires that get close to the pipes. So yep it's not as simple as bolting on stock stuff. Go figure...

[67_C-30]

Originally Posted by budman k20

If you have a stock engine keep the ramhorns. If you don't care about extra torque or hp keep the ram horns. If you can't retighten them after a heat cycle or check them once a year then keep the ram horns. All 3 of my non DD vehicles have headers but none are stock. I don't have any of the problems everyone is talking about. All ceramic coated and quality stuff. Nothing sounds as bad ass as my solid lifter 406... Small children and old lady's walk away when I'm near by. I have quiet mufflers on it but you can hear the power from the headers. If you plan ahead and route the wires the wires also last. I put woven high temp sleeves on any wires that get close to the pipes. So yep it's not as simple as bolting on stock stuff. Go figure...

Quality ceramic coated are great, and if they have ball and socket collectors, they are nearly maintenance-free besides re-tightening occasionally.

The problem is a lot of people buy a cheap set of headers with the std 3 bolt flanges, and if they drive them daily, they are going to leak and make noise. Headers in general are going to make more noise just because the thin tubes don't insulate sound like cast iron manifolds do.

As far as power added, you are generally looking at around 10 - 15 HP at the most up to 350 HP or so. The difference is more pronounced as HP and the need for more flow increases. You hear blanket claims of a 10% - 15% power increases, but we've never seen that on the dyno, especially from an off the shelf street header.

[budman k20]

I have around 470 hp (limitted by my cam choice) so I will take th 20ish hp and all the extra torque area under the power curve that the headers give me. I'm just making a case for headers if you have a performance engine. It sounds like the OP is looking for everyone to OK his choice to keep it simple. To each his own. I play with my trucks for fun and I like my engines to perform.

[GASoline71]

Leaking headers are 100% caused by overtightening of fasteners. Which warps the flanges.

Headers get a bad rap for leaking just like Holley Carbs get a bad rap for being untuneable. Both are completely the fault of the person installing/maintaining them

Gary

[Joe Cool]

Originally Posted by GASoline71

Leaking headers are 100% caused by overtightening of fasteners. Which warps the flanges.

Headers get a bad rap for leaking just like Holley Carbs get a bad rap for being untuneable. Both are completely the fault of the person installing/maintaining them

Gary

Its still you get what you pay for...........cheap headers will leak do to the thin flange and you have to chase the bolts all the time.......

I have owned over a hundred sets of headers........stainless and cheap..........nobody has said one thing about noise............

A cast iron manifold will not sound tinny like headers...always a more quiet dull sound. You will not hear the cyl hitting like you do with headers.......all the exhaust noise is in the tailpipe where it should be........