Headers & Manifolds
Performance Exhaust Headers & Manifolds
The exhaust header is one of the highest-impact performance upgrades available for any V8 engine — the difference between a quality set of tuned headers and a factory cast iron exhaust manifold can be measured in horsepower figures that rival much more expensive engine modifications. Headers work by allowing exhaust pulses to escape freely from each cylinder, timed so that the exiting pulse from one cylinder creates a scavenging effect that helps draw exhaust gases from the next cylinder to fire. This scavenging effect reduces the residual exhaust gases left in the combustion chamber, improves volumetric efficiency, and allows the engine to make more power across the RPM band.
With 335 header and manifold products from Hooker, Hooker Blackheart, Flowtech, and B&M, our exhaust header range is focused on American V8 performance applications including traditional SBC and BBC, LS engine family, and the specific requirements of LS swap projects into classic GM trucks and muscle car bodies.
Long Tube Headers — Maximum Performance
Long tube headers use primary tubes of optimised diameter and length to produce the strongest scavenging effect across the desired RPM range. They represent the maximum performance option for naturally aspirated applications, producing the largest power gains of any header design. The trade-off is installation complexity — long tube headers require careful routing to avoid chassis and floor interference, and in road car applications may require catalytic converter relocation or deletion. For track day cars, dedicated performance builds, and engine swap projects where the exhaust routing can be planned around the headers rather than the other way around, long tubes are the definitive choice.
Shorty Headers — Street-Friendly Performance
Shorty headers offer meaningful performance improvements over cast iron manifolds with a more compact design that typically fits within the original exhaust manifold envelope — simplifying installation and maintaining clearance with factory steering, suspension, and body components. While they don't produce the full scavenging effect of long tube headers, the improvement in exhaust flow over factory manifolds still delivers noticeable power and throttle response gains that justify the installation effort on a street-driven vehicle.
LS Swap Headers — Purpose-Designed Solutions
The unique requirements of LS engine installations in vehicles not originally designed for them — classic trucks, muscle cars, and custom builds — have driven the development of dedicated LS swap headers that navigate the specific clearance challenges of each popular swap application. Hooker Blackheart, who specialise in LS swap headers, produce application-specific designs for popular vehicles including classic C10 trucks, Camaros, and Novas, eliminating the extensive modification that generic headers would require in these applications.
