Will FPA Tri-Y headers support 700hp?

[N2950H]

Now that I've settled on an engine combo, I'm starting to think about what headers would be best for my application.  I have the builder working on a 427/520 that will likely be putting out somewhere between 650 and 700hp and I'll be running a Dynamic C6.  This car will be almost entirely a weekend cruiser and it is lowered a little bit.

I have been talking with Stan and FPA about his Tri-Y headers but putting shorties on that motor goes against everything I know (which admittedly is very little in the FE world).  I wanted to go with a good set of longtubes but am worried about banging the collector on speed bumps, having to cut the inner fender well, etc.

So my question...will the FPA headers support this power level, or will I be leaving a lot on the table with shorties?  If I had $2k-ish in the budget I'd go OEM cast iron, but I'm thinking more in the $1k range before coating.

[chilly460]

All the Tri-Ys I know of are 1 3/4", that's going to be small for 700hp level.  There are a lot of variables, but 1 3/4" starts to hinder at the 550hp level. 

I don't have Jay's book in front of me but know the Tri-Ys were down a fair bit from 4 to 1 headers tested.  I wouldn't even consider shorties at level of your build, and would think you'll be down 25-30hp with TriYs versus proper headers.  A 520ci FE can't be a cheap build, hate to see compromise at this point.

Side note, I run TriYs on my car so not bagging on them, just trying to match application. 

I'd ask around to see what headers guys are running for your chassis. 

[jayb]

The FPAs are going to be down 25-30 HP at peak compared to a larger tube header, on a 700 HP engine.  So, will they support 700 HP?  Yes, but better headers would give you more.  One thing about the smaller primary tubes though is that they will help you in low and midrange torque compared to a larger tube header; see the following post for more information on that:

http://fepower.net/simplemachinesforum/index.php?topic=4760.msg51869#msg51869

[mbrunson427]

What kind of car are you putting it into? Have the tri-y's on the '67 Mustang and I'm not real happy with them. Seems like I'm always more worried about fitment than performance however.

[N2950H]

Thanks for the responses, guys.  This motor is going into a 63 Galaxie boxtop survivor that his 77k original miles and is in fantastic original condition, so that's the reason for not wanting to cut or reshape the inner fender wells.

While the car's purpose is 95% cruising, I don't really want to give up that much HP on the top end with shorties.  It's going to be hard enough as it is to get traction down low so increasing the low to mid range torque with the smaller primaries isn't super critical.  Chilly is right about the cost of the build, so losing some of that power I'm paying to make would be a shame.

If anyone here is running longtubes in a 63/64 Galaxie, I would love to hear what you're running and if you had any fitment issues.  In the end, if a compromise needs to be made, it's likely going to be in the form of a low hanging collector that otherwise fits well...just don't know yet what header fits that bill.

[garyv]

I think your best bet is to contact REF Unlimited and talk to Greg and have him make you a custom
set of headers.  They will definitely support 700HP.
He is on facebook if you are a member there.
Great guy to work with.

garyv

[thatdarncat]

I think your best bet is to contact REF Unlimited and talk to Greg and have him make you a custom
set of headers.  They will definitely support 700HP.
He is on facebook if you are a member there.
Great guy to work with.

garyv

If I remember correctly ( and I don't always ), I think REF Unlimited made the headers for Bobby Spears original '64 Lightweight Galaxie. REF would be my first choice, if they make headers for Galaxies. It would certainly be worth a phone call.

[N2950H]

Appreciate the recommendation, guys.  I should have mentioned that I called and talked with someone at REF for a bit.  The first issue I have with REF is that they physically need my car to fit-up a set of custom headers, and they're in AZ while I am in WA.  The second issue I had was the price.  I'm not trying to skimp on the cost of headers after dropping serious money on a motor, but he quoted me around twice what the FPA headers would cost.  It just seemed out of line for a street car, and the guy did mention that 95% of what he does is for race cars.

[mbrunson427]

I've been kicking around the idea of taking mine down there and letting it be the pattern piece for REF...... it wont be soon though, I don't imagine I'll have everything in place until  spring next year. I'm sure you want something sooner than that.

[Joe-JDC]

Don't sell the FPA's short.  I recently took part in a header comparison test on the 2016 EMC winning Y Block ford, and in the testing, we used my FPA headers for my 1955 Thunderbird.  They have 1 5/8-1 3/4 stepped long tube headers into a 3" collector.  That little 375 Y made 597 hp and 565 lbft torque.  It actually made more than all the headers tested, even those on the EMC engine.  Will be on my personal 375 Y.  Joe-JDC

[N2950H]

Those are some great numbers, for sure.  I just have to wonder how well they translate when you've got 520 cubes.

[Joe-JDC]

JBA tri-ys, FPAs, Hooker Super Comp Street, all use a 1 3/4" primary in the Mustang, Fairlane chassis.  At 520 cubic inches, I personally would start with 2.000"into 2.125" stepped and have a 2.750" merge collector into a 3.000" flange and 3.000" exhausts to the mufflers.  Everyone I know says that the 1 7/8" pipes do not make power.  JMO, but there are so many surprises when you start testing exhaust systems and headers on a dyno, you always come away with more questions than answers.  Joe-JDC

[Jb427]

My FPA headers are some of the best money i have spent so far. I had hooker super comp headers on my fairlane when i bought it.They have to be the worst header if you thinking of lowering your car even a little bit one tube runs under the lower suspension arm. ill be happy to lose 30 or even 50hp to have some of the best ground clearance if your not going to race your car every week at a track then it is a minor loss compared to the gains. The owner of FPA was great to deal with he didn't want to ship out of the USA but he worked with me and I am very happy he did.

[482supersnake]

It won't be as inexpensive as a set of FPA headers but if you are in Washington go to Stan's headers in Auburn WA and have a set of custom headers made. They are the ones who make the headers for FPA.

[N2950H]

I have no doubts about the FPA quality, just think they're a bit undersized for my application.

482supersnake - thank you very much for the recommendation for Stan's out of Auburn.  I had no idea they were even there, and it's right down the street from my place.  Definitely worth stopping by at the very least.