How Much HP Do Shorty Headers Add To A 5.7 HEMI And What Do They Cost?

Mopar engines have had their ups and downs throughout history, and experts advise staying away from a lot of them. However, Chrysler vehicles have seen their fair share of excellent powertrains throughout history, with one of the best modern ones being the 5.7-liter Hemi V8. A new take on the original Hemi from the middle of the 20th century, the 5.7 brought back hemispherical combustion chambers, hence the name. It had all the makings of a dependable, powerful, and tunable powertrain, most notably a cast iron block. Mopar people were so upset by its disappearance, in fact, that Stellantis reintroduced the Hemi V8 for the RAM 1500 beginning in 2026.

Despite not having any forced induction and, well, not being the Hellcat motor, the 5.7 is still an excellent tuning platform, and it can take a beating when it comes to upgrades. One of the most common upgrades you can do to a 5.7 Hemi is what's known as shorty headers, or short-tube headers. While these promise only moderate power gains of around 10-15 hp, they do provide a host of other benefits, one of those being affordability. Shorty headers generally go for about three to four times less than long-tubes.

The two most common exhaust manifold upgrades are long-tube and short-tube headers, and short-tube headers' most notable benefit is improving the usable torque in the low and middle part of the rev range. It's important to note that the 5.7 Hemi is a pushrod V8, much like Chevy's small block, and thus low-end torque is one of its benefits by design, but shorty headers improve that further. Not to mention, shorty headers are also easier to install than the long-tube variety. They're also quieter, which will likely make you less of a nuisance to your neighbors in the early hours of the morning.

The aforementioned modest power gains of around 10-15 horsepower go to the wheels, not the crank, so it's a more noticeable improvement. They also don't require tuning. You can still tune your car after applying the short-tube headers, but it's not necessary, as they're perfectly happy working with the stock catalytic converters and midpipes. Finally, shorty headers are pretty affordable. 

A decent set of shorty headers for a 5.7 Hemi goes for around $1,000, whereas longtube headers can easily fetch $4,000. Admittedly, it won't make a huge difference in the exhaust note, but that also depends on the other exhaust modifications, and whether you have those at all. Short-tube headers are an excellent, relatively affordable way to get a decent improvement in horsepower and sound on your 5.7 Hemi. Plus, it's an excellent starting point for other modifications, all of which this powertrain is perfectly happy to accept.