Header Thread - Availability, price, quality....

tonkabui said:
or you can go custom. get the 4-2-1 header for the mazda 626 (previous incarnation of the fs-de engine) and get an EGR bung welded in the proper spot, then get either a test pipe or a high flow cat for the mid section and you're set. can't go wrong for $127 shipped for the header and no more than $150 for the welding mods with cat, or $50 for just the welds.

header1.jpg
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What is it I need to make it work? As I understood just the EGR Bung and thats it? Does it need the second O2 Sensor bung on the bottom? Also does it mate to the exhaust pipe at the end of the header properly? Oh and you mentioned it came with a cat? That would be great. Is It 150 w/ Bung and cat shipped? Let me know cuz, I really don't want to but, my credit card keeps calling me to use it.

FC3s Boy said:
i like the awr piece for all out racing but it cost a pretty penny, a lot of our guys use the OBX header with good result's I sell it for $210.00 the awr goes for $569.00. Last time i talked to tony @ awr he was backordered on the headers
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Does the OBX include all the bungs? Also where are you located. Maybe even I could pick it up. You said 210.00? Did that include shipping?

Both sound really good. Let me know guys.
 
Installshield 2 said:
well most...It still will be very very hot...But the internals of the catalyst absorb a whole lot of heat, and hold it there for a long time...so after you drive and let it sit, everything under there just swelters...

The best to eliminate heat would be to get header wrap for the header...that stuff has been proven lower underhood temps by a whole lot...
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Cool Thanks, LOL I said cool.
 
20EVOLUTION01 said:
What is it I need to make it work? As I understood just the EGR Bung and thats it? Does it need the second O2 Sensor bung on the bottom? Also does it mate to the exhaust pipe at the end of the header properly? Oh and you mentioned it came with a cat? That would be great. Is It 150 w/ Bung and cat shipped? Let me know cuz, I really don't want to but, my credit card keeps calling me to use it.



Does the OBX include all the bungs? Also where are you located. Maybe even I could pick it up. You said 210.00? Did that include shipping?

Both sound really good. Let me know guys.
Click to expand...

make sure to get the one with 2 o2 bungs. you have two options. one is to plug in the second o2 sensor at the second bung and do the MIL eliminator. two is to do a custom hi flow cat with a second bung made behind the cat. the header i got came with a second bung bolt, so i left that there and had a second bung made on some custom piping behind the cat. i used the stock cat cause i didn't have another $100 for a hi flow. piping, welding, etc. all would have cost about $100 in parts and labor. any exhaust shop can do this for you. the header does not meet up to the catback section of the exhaust. it falls short. what you would do then is either get a test pipe to make up for the difference in length, or get the cat and piping put in. i opted for the cat with custom piping. i ended up using 2" lexus pipe since the racing beat catback at the point where it bolts up to the cat is 2" then increases to 2.37" further downstream. the runners are 1.6", then 1.8" where it goes from 4-2, then almost 2" from where it goes from 2-1.
 
tonkabui said:
make sure to get the one with 2 o2 bungs. you have two options. one is to plug in the second o2 sensor at the second bung and do the MIL eliminator. two is to do a custom hi flow cat with a second bung made behind the cat. the header i got came with a second bung bolt, so i left that there and had a second bung made on some custom piping behind the cat. i used the stock cat cause i didn't have another $100 for a hi flow. piping, welding, etc. all would have cost about $100 in parts and labor. any exhaust shop can do this for you. the header does not meet up to the catback section of the exhaust. it falls short. what you would do then is either get a test pipe to make up for the difference in length, or get the cat and piping put in. i opted for the cat with custom piping. i ended up using 2" lexus pipe since the racing beat catback at the point where it bolts up to the cat is 2" then increases to 2.37" further downstream. the runners are 1.6", then 1.8" where it goes from 4-2, then almost 2" from where it goes from 2-1.
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Cool Thanks also where do I get one if I deside to go with this one. I can weld pretty good. I have been welding for about 8 years now with an Arc Welder and have gotten really good. Oh I have forgotten about the flex pipe. I installed one cus the Engine Flex, Even though small, kept breaking my bolts in the rear of the exhaust hangers. I'll probably have to mount it behind the Flex Pipe and extend the wires for the O2 Sensor. Oh also you passed emissions with that mod right? I am planning on moving up to Tucson sometime in the future.
 
An arc welder might be a pita. Also no offense the welds generally look like s***. But hey its under the car right. First to have a custom downpipe made will cost a little more than $40. First the entire downpipe is cast meaning u cant work with it for s***. Second u have all these weird flanges that have to be custom made. I was quoted $240 for downpipe+flex joint+flanges. Now thats a little high but it is in the general area. The ebay 421 is a great idea imo however the custom work that goes into it makes it much more pricey. Currently shipped they are like $170+at least $100 for the modifications and another $50-$100 for cat and pipe. That makes a ebay header cost as much as an AWR almost. Another thing is that many exhaust places wont remove a primary cat unless u install another one. This depends on the state but here in NJ they will not do it. Thats why i want the OBX cause although its only 41 it basically bolts right on, meaning i can do it myself, and the price is more or less final@$240(there is actually a GB about to go on) except for the 2nd o2 bung u need but thats like maybe $20. BTW tonkabui how does that header perform. I remember when zmepro got his and he was having some problems even after the EGR was fixed.
 
Woah dude...240???...My quote was for a welded standard 2" mandrel bent downpipe that replaced the stock one...simply bolted to the stock primary cat, and made a 90 or so bend towards the secondary cat...I don't remember if they were just going to weld it before the hangers to the rest of the exhaust or what...

either way you are right...40 was cheap, and probably would have been s*** work...I am just illustrating the stock crush bent thing needs to be ridded of...
 
the obx 4-2-1 doesn't need a flex pipe. it comes with one already. all that's missing is a tiny bit of pipe, about a foot long. you can either get a cat in there and weld it to a flange to fit, or you can just weld a test pipe to a couple of flanges to fit. either way, it shouldn't cost more than $100 TOTAL for piping and modifications. if you know how to weld yourself, you might be able to do the project yourself. just be sure to measure how much pipe you need exactly.
 
tonkabui said:
the obx 4-2-1 doesn't need a flex pipe. it comes with one already. all that's missing is a tiny bit of pipe, about a foot long. you can either get a cat in there and weld it to a flange to fit, or you can just weld a test pipe to a couple of flanges to fit. either way, it shouldn't cost more than $100 TOTAL for piping and modifications. if you know how to weld yourself, you might be able to do the project yourself. just be sure to measure how much pipe you need exactly.
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Ok, and how mush was the OBX 4-2-1? That one interests me more since it already has a flex pipe. I can just cut my original exhaust pipe and fit a cat like you said and weld a bung to the rear of it. A regular nut will work fine for the bung right. I have seen people well the correct size nut and screw the O2 sensor in, they didn't complain of any problems. Well all in all I want it to look as professional as possible.
 
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20EVOLUTION01 said:
Cool Thanks, LOL I said cool.
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I'm going to have it wrapped, then I'm putting my friends stock Prelude heat sheild on. I'm going to have bosses mounted to my custom header. Not only will it keep underhood temps down, it will look completely stock. "I swear officer, I wasn't racing. Look, it's stock"
 
batmang said:
How long did it take ES to get you your header cdglowred5? I sent my order in, and it got cleared on May 19th. So now im still waiting on the shipping invoice and I havent gotten that yet. I know its not gonna be a quick deal, but how long did it take before you got your header after the payment's were cleared?
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I'm running Kevin's shorty "bundle of snakes." Perfect fit, excellent build and finish. Took over a month to get it. Actually came from a guy in Tennessee who ordered one previous to me and wrecked his car. No longer had any use for it and shipped it back to Canada. ES shipped it on to me. Don't know how much longer it might have taken to get it from Hoserland direct. BTW, ES headers come with both new gaskets.

Installed it and ran a dyno check. Surprised the hell out of all of us during pulls. No increase in WHP, no increase in torque over previous non-header runs with Injen CIA and Magnaflow CB. Go figure. ES claims 7 hp increase and around 10 ft/lb increase in twist. Called Liphard and told him what the dyno said, even though the car is quicker by the clock. He was baffled; couldn't figure the dyno readings.

Next thing I'm doing is dumping the primary cat even though we're an emissions state--Colorado doesn't visually check the system, they look for a CEL and run numbers. Should pass next time around.

No dyno kick in the shorty is why I'm waiting for one of you guys with the ES 4/2/1 to make a dyno run. If the numbers are there, I might make the investment. If not, I may go another route for my '5 and move the shorty to my SOs ES.
 
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tonkabui said:
i got mine off ebay for $125 shipped. There are a few of them on ebay right now.
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Hey, just wondering where you got it for $125 shipped. I see one for $200.00.

For anyone to answer.....

Sorry for asking but is the Forza a good header? It is an OBX or one like it? Also where can I find one for a good price. I am looking for one. I don't have emissions where I live so I am going catless. Which one is better 4-2-1 or 4-1? Any dynos yet out there?
 
If you dont have emissions then go with a 4-2-1, bigger gains are to be had in better parts of the power band and so forth. The Forxa header is similar to the OBX but is the 4-1 design, but it bolts up to the stock catback exhaust so you wouldnt need to have a test pipe made like with the 4-2-1 OBX. Difference in price is the 4-2-1 Can be had for about 125 shipped like truc said with another 100 bux of work to get it to fit perfect, the Forza will be 200-220 shipped but needs no modification.
 
i think alex isn't quite all the way awake yet;). what he meant was the obx, forza and ractive headers all bolt up to the midpipe, not the catback. the 4-2-1 obx one is too long to bolt up to the midpipe but too short to get all the way back to the catback.
 
Ractive is made of steel..not SS. It's nickel plated. It'll rust and change colors like a chameleon. I had mine ceramic coated. Worth every penny. Not only does it cut down on engine bay heat, it also cools down really fast. Make sure to get it coated inside and out.
 
I dont know why ractive made theirs out of regular steel everything else they manufacture uses 304 SS like the axle-back I have.

and Yes, truc corrected me the 4-2-1 is too long to bolt to the midpipe while all the 4-1's bolt directly to it, not the catback.
 
yeah, don't get the protege specific ones. get the mazda 626 from 97-on or the probe from the same era.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=2480524849&category=33631

that one only has 1 O2 sensor bung, so you'll either have to make a second one at the midpipe with cat/testpipe or secure the second one somewhere with the MIL eliminator. it's nice and cheap though.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=2480300567&category=33631

that one has 2 bungs.

those are the cheap ones. there are others that are going for about $125 before shipping. good luck!
 
tonkabui said:
yeah, don't get the protege specific ones. get the mazda 626 from 97-on or the probe from the same era.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=2480524849&category=33631

that one only has 1 O2 sensor bung, so you'll either have to make a second one at the midpipe with cat/testpipe or secure the second one somewhere with the MIL eliminator. it's nice and cheap though.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=2480300567&category=33631

that one has 2 bungs.

those are the cheap ones. there are others that are going for about $125 before shipping. good luck!
Click to expand...

Hey, Thanks also one last question. Does the EGR Valve Bung hook up right to it or do I have to bend it a bit.
 
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