GT Performance Mods 2005+ Mustang GT Performance and Technical Information

Two things -- Shorty headers and Autometer tach

Old Nov 29, 2006 | 09:52 PM
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Two things -- Shorty headers and Autometer tach

I understand long tubes hang lower than stock headers/shorties so i'm not sure they would be a wise choise considering where I live. I have some clearance issues and wouldnt want to tear up a nice set of headers.

1. Who makes a set of shorties that gives the most power? or are there any longtubes that don't hang really low?

Looking to get the Autometer DPSS 2 1/16" digital tach (and two other gauges for an SOS Apillar 3 gauge pod) I did a search and can't find much.

2. Has anyone added an aftermarket tach to their 05+ GT? What hurdles am I looking at crossing?

Thanks,

Jake
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Old Nov 30, 2006 | 05:03 AM
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Aren't the stock exhaust "manifolds" designed to be shorty headers? They look more like a set of headers than standard logs.
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Old Nov 30, 2006 | 07:42 AM
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Maybe the mac LT's
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Old Nov 30, 2006 | 08:11 AM
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The shorty headers on the market have proved useless for power increases. That has been proven by many dyno reports from various forum members for sometime now. LT's are really the only way to make nice power and of course a re-tune. I have the JBA LT's on mine and the car is lowered. Not had any issues with mine...
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Old Nov 30, 2006 | 08:26 AM
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Originally Posted by subzero05
The shorty headers on the market have proved useless for power increases. That has been proven by many dyno reports from various forum members for sometime now. LT's are really the only way to make nice power and of course a re-tune.
+1
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Old Nov 30, 2006 | 09:14 AM
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ok.. I shall consider some long tubes.

The funny thing is the only place i have a clearance issue is my apartment complex. I have to drive up a steep ramp that just "boom" levels out... and i hit unless i take great care. I just dont want to destroy a header and or possibly put strain on something else if I had something sticking down a little further that I cannot avoid.

I guess the header mod can wait for now.

any ideas on the tach?
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Old Nov 30, 2006 | 09:14 AM
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Originally Posted by subzero05
The shorty headers on the market have proved useless for power increases. That has been proven by many dyno reports from various forum members for sometime now. LT's are really the only way to make nice power and of course a re-tune. I have the JBA LT's on mine and the car is lowered. Not had any issues with mine...
It sounds like my suspicions about the stock exhaust "manifolds" being more like shorty headers than logs is close to being correct. With traditional logs, they collect pretty much right at the exhaust port, whereas with the GT's stock exhaust manifold, they appear to collect at a central location downstream of the exhaust ports resembling a cast-iron crude shorty header.
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Old Nov 30, 2006 | 09:15 AM
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Originally Posted by subzero05
The shorty headers on the market have proved useless for power increases. That has been proven by many dyno reports from various forum members for sometime now. LT's are really the only way to make nice power and of course a re-tune. I have the JBA LT's on mine and the car is lowered. Not had any issues with mine...
+ googleplex

Shorties are a waste of time and money on a modular engine. Not sure how worthless they are if you're going with a TC or SC, but LT's are the way to go
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Old Nov 30, 2006 | 09:59 AM
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I don't agree with the shorties being useless... I have the JBA Shorties on my car and they (along with several other mods) contributed quite nicely to the sound and performance. LT's are trouble especially if you want to ever change your clutch as they have to be removed in order to drop the trans housing...And It doens't take a rocket scientist to know that pulling off headers/manifolds after some mileage is a pain in the azz...
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Old Nov 30, 2006 | 10:03 AM
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Originally Posted by MTAS
+ googleplex

Shorties are a waste of time and money on a modular engine. Not sure how worthless they are if you're going with a TC or SC, but LT's are the way to go
Oh and the stock maifolds were designed to flow better but they are by no means a shorty. Headers gain performance not only by better flow but by equal length tubes from each cylinder. Shorties still have equal length tubes which balances exhaust pulses and improves back pressure. The stock cast iron manifolds do not accomplish this...
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Old Nov 30, 2006 | 11:20 AM
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I gotta disagree somewhat with the comment that shorties are useless. I think if you look hard enough, you'll find that most people who have said they're useless have made that statement mostly because they didn't see big peak gains. I know that from of the info I've seen and read, yes the peak gains are only 3 to 5 horse but there are bigger gains like 8 to 12 at other points in the RPM range. Remember that peak numbers are nice, but higher numbers near to the peak will help you accelerate to the peak area quicker.......

Now that being said, I am NOT saying that shorties are as good as longtubes- because they're not. I'm only saying that if you want to stay emissions-legal, if you're worried about ground clearance, and if you don't want to spend $800 on headers and another $300 on a matching midpipe, shorties are not useless.
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Old Nov 30, 2006 | 03:36 PM
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As far as clearance, I've got JBA longtubes on mine as well and the collectors are tucked up nice and tight along the frame rails, no clearance issues at all.

Now I have a catted H-Pipe and every once in awhile if I'm not careful I'll bang the cats a little bit.

Oh yeah, I'm lowered too
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Old Nov 30, 2006 | 05:58 PM
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http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Kooks...QQcmdZViewItem
here ya go get this set up
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Old Nov 30, 2006 | 06:08 PM
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Check out the Mac midlenghts...they call them longtubes but they are really closer to a midlength designed header

Speaking of which, does anyone have any dyno sheets to check on power gained?
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Old Nov 30, 2006 | 06:12 PM
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Originally Posted by True_HP
Oh and the stock maifolds were designed to flow better but they are by no means a shorty. Headers gain performance not only by better flow but by equal length tubes from each cylinder. Shorties still have equal length tubes which balances exhaust pulses and improves back pressure. The stock cast iron manifolds do not accomplish this...
you are correct, BUT I will tell you from first hand experience I measured the I.D. of the factory exhaust manifolds on my 05 and the I.D. of the JBA shorties when i took them out of the box and they are smaller! I was going to go ahead and put them on ebay before Brian (member here) posted the dyno results on them...Then, they went straight to ebay to fund the LT's...
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Old Nov 30, 2006 | 06:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Glenn
I'm desperately waiting to see some pics of these Kooks installed. Anybody here have them? They appear to be more of a mid-length header.
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Old Nov 30, 2006 | 06:45 PM
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Re: the Autometer tach. I suspect no one has commented because nobody can see a reason to have two tachs.
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Old Dec 1, 2006 | 06:13 AM
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Originally Posted by 05BlackGT
I'm desperately waiting to see some pics of these Kooks installed. Anybody here have them? They appear to be more of a mid-length header.
some one around here does have this set up. There was a thread not to long ago.
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Old Dec 1, 2006 | 06:14 AM
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Originally Posted by 65sohc
Re: the Autometer tach. I suspect no one has commented because nobody can see a reason to have two tachs.
I agree....... maybe a shift light instead.
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Old Dec 1, 2006 | 07:40 AM
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I hate looking down to see the rpm's... i was going for a 2 1/16" DPSS autometer gauge tach that has a built in shift light... so it's not so huge and would fit in an SOS pod along with two other gauges.

even a shift light would stick out like a sore thumb..
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