Anyone else have quality problems with FRPP ceramic headers?

I

Insane3D

New Member
Jul 21, 2004
310
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#1
I was so excited to get my headers in today, until I got them. First off, the box was pretty damaged in a corner, but it didn't seem to hurt the headers because they were wrapped up. I was a bit surprised at how they package them. They simply wrap them up in a padding material and throw them in a box. No dividers, no other type of cushioning or packing material.

After I unwrapped them, I noticed that one had a black scuff mark that would not come off, and they also had some small gouges on them on one of the primary tubes that went through the coating.

I was going to just shrug this off, but then I noticed the Ford Motorsport nameplate tag was not totally sealed and coated to the header, and it was already peeling back. :(

Looks like they are going back to Summit....hope the next ones are in better shape..

Anyone else have similar issues? I thought the FRPP headers were the cream of the crop in shorties...well other than those $500+ JBA's...
 
#3
It could be the delivery company. Alot are not too considerate when handling packages. It could be damage from it being tossed around. You never saw that video of the airline workers tossing everyones baggage all over the place? If you saw it you would Know what I mean....I live in Hawaii and all my parts get shipped. I know all about damaged and junk packaging....
 
#5
Both times I got FMS JetHot coated headers (once years ago and once recently) they came extremely well packaged and in great shape. As I recall they came in a white box, seperately wrapped in bubble wrap and styrafoam sheeting with cardboard dividers. I remember it was a little bit of a pain to get them all unpacked.

Don't know what to tell you, except to send them back. :shrug:
 
#6
89MustangGX said:
Both times I got FMS JetHot coated headers (once years ago and once recently) they came extremely well packaged and in great shape. As I recall they came in a white box, seperately wrapped in bubble wrap and styrafoam sheeting with cardboard dividers. I remember it was a little bit of a pain to get them all unpacked.

Don't know what to tell you, except to send them back. :shrug:
Click to expand...


That's the thing...these came in a brown Ford Racing box. The headers were wrapped in white padding material, but there was no divider...they were just in the box. Summit must have opened the box because there was their packet and catalog in there. The box they come in was also used as the shipping box. There was no padding or shipping material in there other than what the headers were wrapped in.
 
#7
Here's some pics to illustrate what I mean...

First, there are these gouges...but they are not my main concern. I first thought they were through the coating, but it looks like they aren't. Jet-Hot said it would not peel even if it was through, I just must get rust at that break. I told them they were SS, and he said not to worry. If it did peel, he assured me it would be fixed by them under warranty.

headers3.jpg


Now, here is what worries me...the welded on plate.

header1.jpg

headers2.jpg


The coating seals the name plate to the header tube all the way around, except there. I put a screwdriver blade underneath and tried to pry it up a little, to see how strong it was, and it didn't move. When heat is added to the equation...who knows.

I'm still trying to decide if I want to return them or not. The gouges are not in a visible area once they are installed anyhow, and my car is not a show car, but a big, uncoated, rectangle where the name plate used to be would bug the hell out of me. It was the very first thing that went on my BBK ceramic shorties...

One other weird thing...some of these little beads came out of the header, and some were wedged into the welds inside the collector...are these left over from bead blasting?
 
#8
I don't have an explanation for the packaging -- I've never seen Summit take something out of original packaging and move it. I hate to say it, but those look like installation marks to me...maybe they were returned. :shrug:

With that said, the stuff on the headers doesn't look that bad -- it's certainly a judgement call on them. My tags have always looked like that. They are spot welded all the way around and don't seem to have given me any trouble.

I might be tempted to at least give Summit a call, it could really go either way with returning them depending on how strongly you feel.
 
#9
Summit already told me I could send them back and they would send me new ones. They even said if I include a receipt from my shipping costs, they would re-imburse me.

It's going to delay things, but I think I'll just send them back and see how the new ones are. I'll be happy if they are in a undestroyed box.

Thanks..
 
#10
I'm sure they'll take care of you, they always have with me.

Whatever works best for you in the long run is what's important. I'd probably want to send them back myself just for the sake of having the brand new ones I paid for. :nice:
 
#12
89MustangGX said:
I don't have an explanation for the packaging -- I've never seen Summit take something out of original packaging and move it. I hate to say it, but those look like installation marks to me...maybe they were returned. :shrug:

With that said, the stuff on the headers doesn't look that bad -- it's certainly a judgement call on them. My tags have always looked like that. They are spot welded all the way around and don't seem to have given me any trouble.

I might be tempted to at least give Summit a call, it could really go either way with returning them depending on how strongly you feel.
Click to expand...

When I bought my FMS Aluminum Driveshaft from Summit thet repackaged it, BUT they sent a note that said the original box was damaged and they stuck it in another box.
 
#16
Michael Yount said:
Kev - your friend's engine would look really good if only he could add some more polish/chrome to it. :O
Click to expand...
Well actually he did. :D This was just for mock up purposes. We completely disassembled the engine and had everything chrome plated. We also made a new alternator bracket out of 1/2" aluminum cut on a water jet machine to match the blower brackets.

Here is a shot of it when it was done.
engine1.jpg
 
#17
While I appreciate the wonderful artisanship, I'm personally on a mission to ride the world of chrome and polished parts. It's my least favorite look. When I see them that way at car shows, those are usually the ones I just walk on by. But, it's all about subjective preference. Nice work there....
 
#18
Michael Yount said:
While I appreciate the wonderful artisanship, I'm personally on a mission to ride the world of chrome and polished parts. It's my least favorite look. When I see them that way at car shows, those are usually the ones I just walk on by. But, it's all about subjective preference. Nice work there....
Click to expand...
Yeah. I know what you mean. I am not into that look any more either.
Here is a shot of my motor right before I sold it.
581377_113_full.jpg
 
#19
I just thought I clarify the packaging. They came in what looks like the box Summit get's them in. It's a brown box, with the Ford Racing logo on it, and a packing/barcode label with the part # of the headers on it. This was the box Summit shipped them in, they just slapped a UPS ground label on it.

When I got it, one corner on the bottom was mashed bad, and the box was ripped from there almost to the top, up one of the corners. Inside the box, the headers were wrapped in that thin white styrofoam type wrap. There was no divider, and the hard ware was in a bag on the bottom. In addition to the paperwork that comes with them, there was one of those Summit bags with AOL cd and crap, and a new catalog and tool catalog. I assume Ford doesn't ship their headers to Summit with their latest catalog in them, so Summit had to have opened it. My invoice was also inside.

I think they might have been a return that they had just sitting on the shelf, and they threw in their crap, threw a label on it, and sent them out.

Oh well, I can ship overnight DHL from work for free, so I'm just going to send them out tomorrow.
 
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