Thoughts On These Headers

[mikestang63]

$99 for brand new headers from brothers. Would you put these on your car?


http://www.brothersperformance.com/...g-50-unequal-length-shorty-headers-black.aspx

 

[Gordo110]

not bad if it says its a direct bolt on and all that good jazz, try them out, only thing with steel is they generate alot of heat, but 100 bucks you can't beat that, I just bought the BBK longtubes, going to be installing them this weekend!

 

[f8tlfiveo]

Rather have steel than stainless.. Especially if its cheap stainless.. Looks like a good deal to me. Are they on sale?

 

[ratio411]

Those look identical to the Summit house brand headers.
The steel is thinner than some at 16 ga, and the welds are rough, but they work.
I also noticed the flanges that the H-pipe mounts to is thinner, and bows easily when you tighten the pipes together.
It hasn't been an issue on the Stang, but my F150 has had an exhaust leak there since day 1, and I can't get rid of it.

The paint on any painted header is also going to suck.
Strip it, clean it and prep it really good with acetone, then never touch the surfaces again with bare hands, before or after paint.
Any oils, even WD40 sprayed by someone half a block away, will settle on or under the paint, and burn it off right away.
The paint must be heat cycled once before the paint will take, and that is only if you use the proper paint.

If you don't paint them meticulously, they will develop surface rust in short order.

 

[Gearbanger 101]

Those are Wysco brand headers. They're a cheap, ty header, but functional. Expect the paint to burn off almost instantly and them to rust shortly after that. They won't be pretty, but then neither are the stock manifolds.

Personally...I wouldn't run any header but a Long Tube, but that's just me.

 

[mikestang63]

Thanks for the heads up. Think I will take a pass on them... Would you mind giving an opinion on theses? I know they are a "house brand" UPR set, but I figure they have a lifetime warranty and are ceramic coated for $180 without a coupon. I want a decent set but cant cough up the $400 for a set of FRPP shorty ceramics, and haven't seen a decent set of used headers anywhere. I don't want to do this twice or put on a pair of crap headers just to save some $$$...

http://www.uprproducts.com/mustang-shorty-headers-302-ceramic.html

 

[Gearbanger 101]

I'm sure they're fine. I have no experience with the UPR headers. Let me ask you this though....

Are you changing the heads? Doing any significant modifications to the car? If not....hold out until you can afford the headers you want. You won't see much in the line of gains with just a short header swap alone. Shorty headers are designed to be inexpensive and convienient because of their ease of installation. In some States they're necessary because of smog compiance....otherwise, if you want to make any sort of power gain, long tubes are what's going to make them...not shorties.

 

[mikestang63]

Not looking to change the heads right now. Only reason I am looking to swap from stock headers and cats is after about 20 minutes of driving when the car goes into closed loop the CEL comes on and I'm getting codes 41 and 91. The smog pump makes a loud squeal/grinding noise when you start the car and put it in drive or put a load on it but the noise seems to go down a little when warmed up. It def sounds like a bad bearing. I detailed that in another thread- checked all the vacuum gauges, PCV, no open breather, orange O2 and engine grounds, and all looks well. Crawled under the car today and the fuel filter looks old. Didnt check the FP or regulator yet, but with the noisy smog pump I can't imagine it's anything else? All stock motor except for a set of flowmasters and a cat back, a K&N FIPK, fresh plugs, cap, rotor, and FMS 9mm wires, and I swapped a 130 amp 3G last week. I'm bringing the car to the local Mustang shop to have them scope out the reason for the codes Thursday.

To get the ones I want would be $400 for the FRPP ceramics and then $150 for the H pipe. + another $300 for install.. That is a ton of money so I was looking to save some coin on the headers. Unless I wait to find some used ones. Most are beat up or equal length, long tubes which I dont want.

Think I should just slap on a reman smog pump and call it a day? For the same money or less I could throw in a set of 3.73's and get more bang for the buck.

Thanks again for all the advice.

 

[Gearbanger 101]

Well....since swapping the headers won't cure any of the issues above, I'd just do that latter and install a remanufactured smog pump for now. No sense buying something you don't really want. For what you'll pay for those now, then what you'll pay for the FRPP shorties later, you could be into a set of brand new Ceramic coated Long Tubes.

If you really want the FRPP ceramic coated headers, then I would save for them. Of all the shorties sold, I'd say the FRPP ones are the best of the offerings.

Keep in mind though. You won't spend much more than that on quality ceramic coated long tubes and matching H-pipe. The headers themselves will be more than the shorties, but the H-pipe will be cheaper.

I got my BBK LT's used with litterally nothing by dyno time on them for $375. They look brand new. I picked up a Mac O/R shorty H-pipe for $35. So the deals are out there, you've just got to look for them and be patient.

 

[88LX5.Oh]

The only headers I would put on any vehicle of mine would be long tubes. But that's just me. And apparently, Brian lol

 

[ratio411]

I am not taking up the long vs short arguement, just passing on some info.
(Long tubes are better, but I usually only have the dough for shorties.)

The Summit house brand with ceramic coating is a few bux more than the UPRs, but you might compare shipping and see them get closer together in price. (might not though)

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-G9070/?rtype=10

The thing about the Summits is that the metal is thicker. 14ga vs 16ga. It does make a difference.
I think the flanges are thicker too.

Just sayin...
I would buy these if my budget was tight, even though I'd prefer something that costs 3x as much.

 

[ratio411]

My son has the SN95 Summit brand headers on his 94 GT. The $99 set...

He is replacing them with this set:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-G9072/

The painted set has worked great, but we are building new engine, and doing away with the SN95 specific plumbing, so therefore the swap to Fox headers. These are priced great for the thickness and being polished stainless. They also have more conventional port shape, instead of the unrealistic oval ports that cheap headers have.

 

[mikestang63]

Thanks for all the comments. I agree that LT make more power etc, but remember this is a stock motor. Until I decide to do an HCI swap or blower, isn't that too much header?

Back to the damn CEL,... came on again today after about 15 minutes then went away after 5 minutes. It is very intermittent. Comes on some days and not others. Bringing the car in tomorrow to the shop so we will see what they find. Kind of leaning with Brian, for now if it is the smog pump just to replace that and call it a day until I find a good set of used headers and h pipe. The HP difference for now isn't worth $750 for the parts and labor. I'd rather spend the money on subframes and going from the stock gears to a set of 3.73's (automatic).

 

[gearheadboy]

I bought a nice pretty set of stainless shorties off Ebay new. They looked fabulous and good quality. Fit the engine great, but passenger side would not seal or fit at the H-pipe. I tried every trick. Took um back off to find that the flange was welded on way wrong. After some discussion I got my $ back and bought some chrome BBK's cause money was tight. Should have bought ceramic. They are ugly as heck now.