Shortys and X pipe revisted

[Jolly Roger]

Hi all,
Just like the title says.
Hoping to find someone that can tell me just how much actual E.T. was gained by installing the shorty headers (or cobra manifolds) and X- pipe with the factory mufflers.
I did a search and found numerous threads but none that mentioned specific e.t. gains.
Please don't tell me to forget the shortys and go with long tube headers because i'd just as soon take the $1,000 to $2,000 for LT's and put toward a S/C unit which is eventually what I intend to do.
No dyno numbers please.
As I said,
just trying to get actual on track info on the before and after gain from shortys and X pipe.
Thanks .:)

[ImpalaSlayer]

im sure Glenn will come comment!

[Glenn]

It's very difficult to say. Your biggest and cheapest et reduction is with a TC - 3500. I can tell you this mod will reduce your et by 0.5 second. Your biggest bang for the buck. The real advantage to any type of headers is with other performance mods where they can all work together.

I would go with UDP, EWP, CIA, 4:10, TC, and then exhaust work - headers/X-pipe (eliminate rear cats) - tune will be needed after these mods . These mods with a good set of DRs and Metco control arms got me to the high 13s.

Glenn :burnout:

[LANDY]

It's very difficult to say. Your biggest and cheapest et reduction is with a TC - 3500. I can tell you this mod will reduce your et by 0.5 second. Your biggest bang for the buck. The real advantage to any type of headers is with other performance mods where they can all work together.

I would go with UDP, EWP, CIA, 4:10, TC, and then exhaust work - headers/X-pipe (eliminate rear cats) - tune will be needed after these mods . These mods with a good set of DRs and Metco control arms got me to the high 13s.

Glenn :burnout:
thats intense! my best time is 14.1 @99mph. with the mods below and im instaling the dynotech driveshaft and doing j-mod i hope to drop at least a tenth. is it possible?

[mpearce]

thats intense! my best time is 14.1 @99mph. with the mods below and im instaling the dynotech driveshaft and doing j-mod i hope to drop at least a tenth. is it possible?

Save the money on the driveshaft, and spend it on a mod that'll make you go faster. No sense spending money on a driveshaft you dont need until you're making well over 400RWHP.

-Mat

[LANDY]

Save the money on the driveshaft, and spend it on a mod that'll make you go faster. No sense spending money on a driveshaft you dont need until you're making well over 400RWHP.

-Mat
reason why i bough it was, the only time i drive the car other then grocery store once a week, is from gainsville to miami fl, every two months to see my parents.since i installed the 4.10s the vibration after 80mph is very anoying.im used to town cars and marquises.cant stand a rough ride.

[Jolly Roger]

Come on gang,
surely someone has gone to the track after this install to check what the e.t. and m.p.h. gains were.:(

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

You don't need a dynotech driveshaft. Look for a pink, green, blue striped shaft from a 99+ junkyard crown vic. That will be a $1300 metal matrix driveshaft and it is a direct bolt in for an MM. I found a nice one for $65, it took some looking around to find one that a junkyard hadn't dented with a forklift though, but I finally got one. Found on ebay, there were a few on there that when I emailed the sellers they were able to confirm the color code. Some of the metal matrix shafts will only have pink and green color bands but most will have pink, green blue.

[Jolly Roger]

Please note all,
this is not a driveshaft thread.
No thread jacking please.
Thanks.

[babbage]

Come on gang,
surely someone has gone to the track after this install to check what the e.t. gain was.:(

Here is a full magazine article.

http://www.mustangandfords.com/techarticles/mdmp_0904_2003_mercury_maraude r_exhaust_install/index.html (http://www.mustangandfords.com/techarticles/mdmp_0904_2003_mercury_maraude r_exhaust_install/duel_angled_pipes.html)

[mpearce]

reason why i bough it was, the only time i drive the car other then grocery store once a week, is from gainsville to miami fl, every two months to see my parents.since i installed the 4.10s the vibration after 80mph is very anoying.im used to town cars and marquises.cant stand a rough ride.

I have a "balanced stock driveshaft". $250

No issues.

-Mat

[LANDY]

:hijack:
Please note all,
this is not a driveshaft thread.
No thread jacking please.
Thanks.
sorry didnt mean to do that man.

[Jolly Roger]

Here is a full magazine article.

http://www.mustangandfords.com/techarticles/mdmp_0904_2003_mercury_maraude r_exhaust_install/index.html

Thanks babbage,
great article but it still doesn't provide the informatoin that I need which is on track e.t. gains from shorty headers and X pipe.:(
Also thanks Glenn,
for your thread response and exchange of PM's with me on this subject.

[Vortech347]

I've asked this question a few times and never got an absolute answer.

[FordNut]

Nobody has done the test yet. Do it and report back.

[Jolly Roger]

Nobody has done the test yet. Do it and report back.
Well looks like it's up to me as Fordnut says.
But not before a little side trip to Lidio's place to wrap up a few loose ends in the tuning dept.;)
I'll report my findings.

[merc]

What you are asking for may be a little difficult. Track condition, temperature, and tires effective the overall measurements of ET differences. I still have shorty headers, 2 cats, and a X-pipe. If I remember correctly my fastest ET N/A 1/4 mile time is 13.524@100.25. What you are talking about his a 3-5 mph difference over stock logs and 4 cats. I have raced many marauders with similar modifications (including kooks/SS works) headers. Only two of them passed me at the end of the track. I hope that answers your question.

[Jolly Roger]

And the answer is Zero, Zip, Nada (at least in my case).
On my N/A MM I gained nothing except a little better sound (in my opinion).
So you guys that said that there was no gain, you were Right (at least in my case).:(
If i'm ever asked about this mod I will suggest that the funds be put elsewhere for a better return.;)

[dohc324ci]

And the answer is Zero, Zip, Nada (at least in my case).
On my N/A MM I gained nothing except a little better sound (in my opinion).
So you guys that said that there was no gain, you were Right (at least in my case).:(
If i'm ever asked about this mod I will suggest that the funds be put elsewhere for a better return.;)

Did you do a before and after dyno or?

[Jolly Roger]

Did you do a before and after dyno or?

No before but after was 290 HP. and 304 TQ.

[babbage]

What exactly did you have done? Pics?
The gains were very solid from that magazine article I posted.

Still have stock cats? Still have stock mufflers?

[Paul T. Casey]

Apples to oranges I know, but the complete exhaust (Kooks LT, high flow cats, x-pipe, Magnaflows) gained me nearly 1/2 second. Just my opinion, but the shorties/Cobra manifold is just half measures. At SSHS7, I ran 3 Time Trials, and 7 rounds between 14.02 to 14.06 at 99.8 to 99.97 mph. This was on stock gears, no TC, and over 140K miles. You stated you were more willing to put the price of a LT Header/exhaust system toward a super charger. I believe that for what you're looking for, that is the best route to take.

[Jolly Roger]

Changes were FPP shorty headers, 2 1/2" magnafow X-pipe with 2 cats and extentions to stock mufflers and tail pipes.
Lidio dyno tune.

[Jolly Roger]

Apples to oranges I know, but the complete exhaust (Kooks LT, high flow cats, x-pipe, Magnaflows) gained me nearly 1/2 second. Just my opinion, but the shorties/Cobra manifold is just half measures. At SSHS7, I ran 3 Time Trials, and 7 rounds between 14.02 to 14.06 at 99.8 to 99.97 mph. This was on stock gears, no TC, and over 140K miles. You stated you were more willing to put the price of a LT Header/exhaust system toward a super charger. I believe that for what you're looking for, that is the best route to take.

You're singin to the quire now brutha.:o