Stillen Headers installed - Review/Pics/Vid/Dyno

semtex

Okay, the dyno results are in, and they are um . . . somewhat confusing. I went and did dyno runs on both DynoJet and DynoDynamics just like I did last time.

Let's start with DynoJet.

This is the run I did last time, before I had the headers installed:


This is the run I did this morning, after installing the headers:

Kinda underwhelming, right? A max hp gain of 3.31, and a torque gain of 2.1 ft-lbs. I mean, at this point I was thinking "what a freakin waste of money!"

So then I make the drive over to Forged Performance to do a run on their DynoDynamics.

This is the previous run, prior to the headers:


Now here's this morning's results. This first graph shows HP and A/F:


This one shows torque:


So . . . what to make of this?

On DynoDynamics, I get a gain of +10.8 hp, which certainly makes me feel better. But I get a small loss in torque instead of the small gain I got on DynoJet! I go from approx. 251 to 247 ft-lbs. And that's comparing peak to peak. The delta in the lower to mid rpm range is actually larger than just 4 ft-lbs (unfortunately Sharif partially obscured the lines with his logo).

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I don't really trust the DynoJet results. I say this because the shop with the DynoJet is really close to me, and I went and did the DJ run before the DD run, so I'm thinking that my engine wasn't adequately warmed up. Last time, I drove the 45 miles to Forged and did the DD run first, before driving back and hitting the DJ.

Well, the charts are there for you all to look at and draw your own conclusions. My own conclusion from these results is that if you've already done the intakes and HFCs and cat-back, the hp gain you'll get from the headers is either negligible, or at best modest (relative to what you'll get from the other components), and you'll either lose a little torque, or at best gain a negligible amount. Are the headers worth it once you factor in installation cost? I can't answer that for you -- it's an individual decision.

All in all, I have mixed feelings on this (based on the DD results). I like the HP gain. I like 317.2 a lot better than 306.4. But I'm not pleased about the loss of lower mid-range torque.

__________________
"There are no small accidents on this circuit." -- Ayrton Senna
316.8whp & 248 ft/lbs (Dyno Dynamics) | 319whp & 256 ft/lbs (DynoJet) (04/23/10)
Stillen G3 CAI, CBE, Pulley / F.I. LTH / GTSpec Ladder Brace / Setrab Oil Cooler / UpRev-tuned by Forged Perf.