Header is the term used to describe the aftermarket product that replaces the factory exhaust manifold. Headers are normally designed to be less restrictive than the factory exhaust manifolds that they replace, thereby generating more horsepower.

Headers are considered part of the exhaust system of the vehicle. Right after the incoming air and fuel combust, the result exhaust is push through the headers and out the exhaust. The headers are often connected to the catalytic converter, which is connected to the muffler and exhaust tip, so the headers are the ‘front’ of the exhaust system.

Some of the popular brands of headers that you’ll find are: DC Sports, Hedman, Hooker, Doug Thorley, Pacesetter, and Flowtech, among others.

We get asked a lot if you can get buy headers but still leave the catalytic converter stock. The answer is yes in almost every case, as the vehicle-specific headers are still designed with flanges in most cases that will mount right up to the existing factory parts.