Reply to "What is the point of 180 headers?"

The "throws" of V8 crankshafts can be configured in either a "cross plane" design or a "flat plane" design. The configuration of the crankshaft is what gives certain V8's a burbling exhaust tone, while others (like the Ferrari V8's) produce a smoother exhaust tone that has a "whine" to it. A "cross plane" crankshaft produces an exhaust tone that burbles, a "flat plane" crankshaft produces an exhaust tone that has a smooth whine.

The firing order of the 4 cylinders in each bank of V8 engines with a "cross plane" crankshaft are not evenly spaced, so when the exhaust of all 4 cylinders in the common banks are connected in a common collector or header, the result is that uneven exhaust "burble" we all love so well.

However, that unevenly spaced firing order per bank results in uneven "pulses" within the exhaust system for each bank. That robs power. How much power you ask? About 30 to 40 bhp, depending upon the state of tune of the motor. That's too much bhp for a racer to give up.

The purpose of the "bundle of snakes" is to even out the spacing of the firing order in each side of the two exhaust systems, evening out the pulses, and gaining that 30 to 40 bhp that would have otherwise been lost.

cowboy from hell