Dynamometer Results for Headers on a 232, 262, 308?

Hudson_in_Seattle

Hi guys – I have seen the headers available from Wildrick and Clifford (they look the same, but there's a $270 price difference?) – I have seen claims of 20hp/20ft/lbs to 25% hp/torque gains

Has anyone dyno’d their engine 1st with stock factory headers, and then with aftermarket headers? If so, please post the results!

I’m trying to get accurate objective data for the gains potentially achievable with the headers upgrade

Thanks very much for looking

Hudson_in_Seattle

- i'm a surprised that with so many hudson folks who have installed these headers with different exhaust systems there is no data to share, i.e., dyno results, modern exhaust software results, etc. - without objective data (and more than 1 result!), i find it difficult to justify substantial changes to the engine and exhaust

- i have spoken to several hudson owners in person or by phone to discuss how they know that certain upgrades are effective, and to date, while there is lots of anecdotal stories about sound and seat of your pants feelings, no one has been able to provide any objective data to back up assertions

- while i'm sure that the headers will add hp and torque, i would like to know how much? 5%, 10%? I would like to see data that shows differences in exhaust diameters, dual vs single, etc., in order to better understand what really works, what doesn't, what's worth the time, what's worth the money

- i have an innovate LM-1 O2 sensor (discontinued, photo attached) which i use on all of my collector cars to check the mixture at idle and under load (up hill long stretches) - this data is invaluable to making sure the engine is not running lean

For example, here is a thread with posted dyno results between stock carb and fuel injection - https://openforum.hetclub.org/discussion/170810/dyno-testing/p1

- much better results with fuel injection, but if you look at the mixture results, the carb set up is much too lean - i wonder what the results would have been with a correctly set up carb? maybe with those mixture results first, the time and expense of the fuel injection upgrade would have been obviated

- my hornet is almost fully sorted mechanically - i will dyno the hornet in a few months, and i will post those results - i'll do the same after the headers and exhaust upgrades, but that will be in a while!

50C8DAN

Call Larry at Clifford. They probably have the data you are searching for. The number of racers out there are very few these days so having someone pay for dyno time for fun it probably not in the cards.

Hudson_in_Seattle

50C8DAN said:

Call Larry at Clifford. They probably have the data you are searching for. The number of racers out there are very few these days so having someone pay for dyno time for fun it probably not in the cards.

thanks - i will do that - i did call wildrick's with the response i listed above - i can't speak to others dyno fees, but my dyno place charges $100 to $200 (depending if we have a group) for 3-5 dyno runs - i would rather pay $100 to $200 than thousands (sometimes 10's of thousands) of dollars for marginal improvements, at best

ski4life65

Keep us posted. I have a set of headers I bought years ago and never installed them. I would like to know if it will be worth the effort.

Trevor J

well here is an idea. Why don't you do a before and after and then we will all know if its worth spending the money. You would be doing a great service for all of us

Hudson_in_Seattle

Trevor J said:

well here is an idea. Why don't you do a before and after and then we will all know if its worth spending the money. You would be doing a great service for all of us

from above: - "my hornet is almost fully sorted mechanically - i will dyno the hornet in a few months, and i will post those results - i'll do the same after the headers and exhaust upgrades, but that will be in a while!"

Hudson_in_Seattle

50C8DAN said:

Call Larry at Clifford. They probably have the data you are searching for. The number of racers out there are very few these days so having someone pay for dyno time for fun it probably not in the cards.

i contacted clifford directly - they responded very quickly:

"I am sorry, but we do not dyno test.

Normal gains with 5=8 headers is 30%.

Jack Clifford designed tuned headers for the Hudson.
Thank you
Larry 6=8"

this is why i'm looking for dyno data from hudson owners!

Ol racer

FYI
Its been know for decades stock Hudson exhaust manifold's are 'Very Restrictive', so anything done to let the exhaust flow out more efficiently is a gain.

Installing a 7x dual outlet and removing the heat baffle improves flow slightly, especially with dual pipes, but from Track experience, clearly Headers exiting out from each port definitly provide the largest power gain