I love running my little hot rod with the headers open. Does it hurt the engine in any way (283 Chevy)? I've run 20 or 30 miles with them open and everything seems OK, I just don't want any internal issues if I do it. Thanks
Wear hearing protection; once you've lost your hearing, you will really miss it. Not likely that you will do any damage to the motor.
No probs with eng damage.... Only damage I can see is the damage to your wallet if the "fun police" get in on the action !! Rat
The mechanicals will be just fine...many piston aircraft have open exhaust and VERY short lengths of exhaust pipes. They seem to work pretty good. Be more concerned with your ears - I drove my 348 Chevy powered RPU for 75 consecutive miles once, the open lake pipes gave me the feeling of pillows over my ears for a few days!
If you are gonna do this on a regular basis, get a cam ground with less duration on the exhaust lobes. I have seen engines lose power with open exhausts because the engine loses cylinder pressure. This is a trick used by muffler manufacturers to prove their mufflers "actually made power over open headers" on the dyno. The Cam can always be used to fudge the "back to back" test results. I had to do the opposite on my old racer to get around the 95 decidel rule we had [ it was like trying to muffle a bazooka ] Aside from that," Open headers are like music "
Unless your car has a worked motor, I'm going to take the unpopular opinion that open headers are pretty lame. Even the 2bbl 305 I pillaged from a Caprice wagon sounded hard with open exhaust, all 150 hp barking through long-tube Hookers. It's just an attention thing, and it gets old fast. Obviously, it's loud as hell. It pissed off your neighbors, it pisses off the police. It also hurts your hearing health, but if impressing people who don't know the difference between the sound of a well-tuned, race-prepped mill and low compression beater with no exhaust, then maybe the sacrifice is worth it to you. If you've got a race car, or some nasty blown mill with solid lifters, blower, etc, enjoy your open headers. But if you're making a racket while polishing off a 18 sec pass, maybe you should be seen and not heard
Heard many a tight mill, and the "open" element would have been simply over the top, sweeter without the rasp.
As long as you aren't that asshole who thinks he has to fire off the engine every half hour on the half hour at an event and gun it so everyone within 1000 feet can hear it again and set their watch by it. What you do with it on the street is between you, your neighbors and the officer you discuss it with when he stops you. It isn't any worse than the 500 Harleys that will no doubt pass by my house in the next week or so.
Your almost right Mr. Potter.. .. If you had stainless steel exhaust valves, that wouldn't be the case..
super loud is just a need for a "look at me" attitude. you will get better performance with some stype of back pressure with baffles or minimum restriction mufflers. usually sounds better with some type of restriction. the newbie Harley guys think running straight pipes makes them some cool badass-Ha! no better than the idiots with ultra loud stereos on bikes, boats and in cars-just a nuisance.
Thanks guys, I assure you it's not for attention, it's for me. I don't do it all the time, just when I feel the need. My little 283 is fairly nasty and sounds pretty wicked (probably better than a stock 307...). And no, I don't start it up every half hour and gun the hell out of it. I will do the ear plugs though. Thanks for the comments.
Ummm... If you dont want attention why drive a hotrod at all? A 1987 Chrysler K car will get you to your destination just the same. Go loud, proud fast and fabulous or dont go at all
I was wondering the same thing. I need to drive my open headers over to the muffler shop. I always heard it would "burn your valves".
Agreed, attention is nice, as long as it's positive. I'd much rather have people appreciate what I build for its style, craftsmanship and beauty than because they have to cover their ears when they pass by. Any of you guys see that episode of South Park where the boys try to get the meaning of the word "fag" changed to mean obnoxious biker guys on Harleys that rev the piss out of the motors to try to look hard? Kinda the same idea
stupid or not with open headers it WONT hurt the engine It WONT burn the valves But open headers often lean out the fuelmixture so if your mix is a borderline with caped headers then you have the risk of burning valves but its slim and to big pipe diameter kills power due to to low velosity(sp)not the lack of backpresure To restrictiv exhaust can burn the valves
The Jalopy Journal
