What do you guys think of this header? It looks just like the other 3-bolt EL headers on the market. Can anyone verify that these are indeed teh same? Supposedly some company in GA is making them? Coolrex, do these look like your headers?
They look similar to mine but mine are Maddad's. The runners on these are bigger than mine. However I'd be cautious with them....how thick is the metal? My Maddad's are pretty thick which is why Rich has never had a cracked header to his knowledge.
I don't ahve a link just a contact which I cannot disclose at the moment. I think these are the GTSpec headers because the piping diameters are identical and they look identical as well. Funny, I was about to buy a used GT spec header tomorrow. I might pick up both just to compare.
Nah, Matt doesnt have any 3-bolt EL headers. I told him I would buy one so he could produce a 3-bolt up pipe for his rotated setups. ALl of the 3-bolt up pipe headers have the biggest tubing and make the most power on bigger turbos. I just don't see my PNP manifold cutting it when the new motor goes in. I believe JDM-STI ran into this problem with his pnp manifold.
I have confirmed that they are made locally and not from Asia. It is a rip off of the Asian EL headers but with some improvements. One would be using SUS321 instead of SUS304. Supposedly a better grade steel for exhausts and a little more expensive. Usually only used in Aircrafts. Another improvement is in the collector. The GT Spec looks like two pipes coming dumping into one before the flange. Theirs has the two pipes blending into the collector for a smoother transition. I should have one in about a week and give more details about the piece then. Pricing is still up in the air at this time though. I told them they need to get better gaskets
Looks identical to the ones I have seen made in china, tiawan, etc. Even the same cheap clips in the middle to hold it together. The middle was my only complaint on the ones on Ghost's car. But the one he had on his car had very nice welds.
using 321 over 304 is interesting... but not really that useful IMO (if there's a price premium) they add titanium in 321, increasing corrosion resistance (not really that big of a factor for an exhaust system). the interesting part is the titanium prevents carbide precipitation during welding. so basically, you can weld it sloppy and not ruin it. if you've ever welded 304SS too hot, you'll know what I'm talking about. the carbon precipitates out and makes the weld weaker (and black and ugly)
Interesting...It does not come at a premiumi price...that is just the piping they use at their factory and what is readily available to them so they use it. Thanks for the info Nicad. I am going to get one next week and take a look at it. If all looks well, these might go on sale in the very near future from either a vendor on here or by a new vendor
Yep, I've got a mad taper in my high boost map that we couldn't do anything with. Scott says it's either the PNP'd stock header or possibly my TXS FMIC being a little too small. I tend the lean toward the manifold...
Regardless, the initial pricing will be lower than all the other 3-Bolt up pipe EL headers on the market.
They almost look like the GT Spec headers except for where the right bank merges into the left bank. GT Spec has a 4 to 1 collector that cracks like a mofo...I had one. :/
I think you are thinking of the UEL GT Spec headers....THis looks almost identical to the Equal Length GT Spec Headers. I may also purchase a used GT Spec EL header just to compare it with.
Interesting read I found regarding SUS321 on headers. Seems like these people think 321 is a better material than 304 for headers. http://www.burnsstainless.com/TechArticles/TurboHeaders/turboheaders.html Exhaust gas temperatures (EGT) for many race applications can exceed 1400° F which is beyond the working temperature of mild steel and 304 stainless steel. At these temperatures, regular austenitic stainless steel grades such as 304 experience carbide precipitation and the resultant inter-granular corrosion (Figure 1 - SEM Photo of Intergranular Corrosion) can lead to header tube failures. In Figure 1, the scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of a stainless steel sample shows the progression of intergranular corrosion. To address this problem, stabilized grades such as 321 have been developed to alleviate carbide precipitation. 321, stabilized with titanium, is an excellent choice for most turbo applications due to the increased material strength at high temperatures. For systems with higher EGTs one should consider using Inconel. Another benefit of stainless steel is that it conducts less heat than mild steel helping to reduce heat under the hood, and direct more exhaust energy to the turbo. In most cases, 16g (0.065? wall thickness) makes excellent header tube material. 3/8? to 1/2? thick 304SS is fine for head flanges as the heat transfer to the head will minimize thermal loading.
Just an update, I should have the header on Monday and will be taking it around for some of the vendors to take a look at. Look for a groupbuy being offered by one of the vendors on here soon!
Header just got here.....They are beautiful. Very thick flanges, clean welds, ported with no sharp edges anywhere. More pics to come later tonight.
The shipping weight was 21.2lbs for everything including the up pipe, gaskets, bolts, and packing material. I will have to get back to you on the thickness of the tubes. I believe it was 14 gauge maybe? It is thicker than ebay stuff I had gotten and just as thick, if not thicker, than the Maddad V2 headers I had.
Can't be anywhere near the Maddad weight. I have my old Maddad box right here and the shipped weight was 28.9 lbs. 9 lbs is a good bit more steel. Not bashing this as I know nothing of it but just iterating some of the strengths that make the Maddad's so much stronger. However isn't these made from a stronger metal? If so that will explain why it's lighter....don't need as much.
Yup, these are made of 321 stainless instead of 304....I am looking at the tag and it say actual weight = 21.4 lbs. I believe 321 SS is lighter than 304 SS and that might be the difference in weight?
Yeah, I just read on Burns's website that it said 321ss is lighter than 304ss. Regardless, these headers sitting next to me look bullet proof. They look and feel just as strong as the two sets of maddad headers I have owned.
http://www.iagperformance.com/ IAG makes one but I dont know if they will sell it seperate from their header package. Honestly almost any tuner shop should be able to plumb an ewg onto the up pipe. It isn't rocket science just need to be able to punch a hole and weld SS.
Here are some pics with my crappy camera. Anyone do product pictures by chance? Let me know if there is anything specific you want to see. All flanges are 5/8 thick and machined and then decked after welding to ensure a flat surface. All ports are ported and smoothed after welding. The collector actually has a divider for the two tubes coming into it. This helps reduce turbulence. The up pipe has a velocity stack to help improve flow to the turbo. Please contact me with any questions. As of right now there is no pricing set and I am not even 100% sure if this will go through. Check back with this thread for more updates.
The EWG option can be done by almost any of the Vendors on this board. I thought about the V-Band option and still might get the manufaturer to make one but my only concern would be how reliable (Stregnth Wise) would the v-band joint be. First things first. Let me get the ball rolling on these headers and then I will look into producing them with a v-band. There might a minimal amount I would have to purchase so it might not be worth the trouble.
Just a FYI - to support this board I am giving two supporting members a chance to get this header at below cost. If you are truly interested, please support the board and you will see the sale in the supporting member area.