A left hand Edelbrock exhaust header to fit a small block Chevrolet engine, wrapped with exhaust wrap. Gary Chalker / Getty Images. Headers are one of the easiest bolt-on accessories you can use to improve an engine's performance. The purpose of headers on a car is to make it easier for the engine to push exhaust gases out of the cylinders.. Advertisement. Contents. Engine Performance; Exhaust.. What Do Headers Do For a Car's Sound? While improving your vehicle's power performance is one purpose of headers, they can also help improve your sound performance. Most manufacturers design their exhaust systems to be as quiet as possible, but you don't have to keep it that way. While a stock cast iron exhaust manifold will keep your sound.
What are Headers on a Car? Now that we've covered exhaust manifolds, we're left with the question—what is the purpose of headers? Like exhaust manifolds, headers are designed to route exhaust gases from the engine to the exhaust system. The primary difference is that headers create less exhaust backpressure than exhaust manifolds, thereby allowing the engine to breathe more easily.. Specifically, if you have a high-performance car, a quality pair of headers can give up to 50 horsepower and over. Headers Sound Cool & Look Amazing; An additional advantage of header bidding must be its aid in the sound and appearance of your vehicle. Normally, it is stainless steel that manufacturers use to generate headers.