headers design

[berdugo]

I'm doing a poll about headers design, I like to have a list of different headers design and hopefully discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each designs

headers configuration

1. brand
2. model
3. flange or v-band design connecting to up pipe, if flanged how many bolts
4. type of gasket of flanged
5. inner diameter of primaries
6. inner diameter going to the up pipe
7. equal/unequal lenght or other configurations.
8. pics of the said headers
9. clearance with aftermarket oil pan if info is available
10. tube material and thickness if available
11. short review about installation, performance and durability if available
12. design flaw/weakness in your opinion

thanks guys

 

[berdugo]

here's mine

1. brand AMR

2. EL Race headers

3. 2 bolt with own UP gasket provided, it bolts with stock UP, in my case it bolts with the Crawford 35R kit UP

4. AMR's own gasket

5. 2in

6. 2.5in

7. equal lenght
8.

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9. it clears my moroso oil pan

10. I don't know the thickness, i wish it was a bit thicker

11. installation is very difficult compared to oem exhaust manifold. performance is laggy but nice, my engine never run smoother than AMR EL Race headers installed .

12. weakness would be the POS UP gasket that came with it :tdown::x, the gasket blew up on me without really pushing my engine hard. that gasket is nowhere near the performance and durability of oem or grimmspeed gaskets.

 

[berdugo]

flanges pics

from the infos I gathered among friends and in the forums, there are common characteristics of some headers.

1. They crack :tdown:
2. they leak - for a lot of reasons but usually leaks due to cracks
3. most use 304 stainless steel
4. most don't like getting wrapped
5. some headers have it's own UP partner for stock or bolt on turbo, some have 3 bolt UP flange
6. some have fitment issues with Moroso Al oil pan
7. most headers that comes with it's own UP won't fit to UP designed for stock exhaust manifold because those headers usually have 3 bolts while the stock exhaust manifold have 2 bolts only

The only headers I know of that don't have cracking problems are Full-Race and Killerb headers. Unfortunately both headers won't fit my setup due to moroso oil pan and both don't bolt with stock location 2 bolt UP.

So basically my options are extremely limited. One solution is to have a custom made headers to fit to my Crawford 35R rotated kit UP and moroso oil pan and Kaminari Race brace. And that is what exactly I did last year after the AMR headers' gasket blew up ).

The headers was equal lenght, had thick walled pipe, great fitment, my only problem was the very ugly and inefficient flanges the local shop made. The headers over all is not bad and looks nice on the outside but the flanges's transition inside it horrible. So I'll have another one custom made but this time I'll provide my own flanges with nice tappering made by a local machine shop. :tup:

 

[berdugo]

flanges pics

Time to post the pics of the said flanges, hopefully the new headers will give me power and reliability and perfect fitment I'm looking for. Am I asking for too much?? :lol:

Seriously a bad designed headers can hurt the power and an unreliable headers can give you a lot of trouble on the road and track. a bad designed and unreliable headers is simply a nightmare and belongs to the garbage can :lol:

flange and pipe materials are 304 stainless steel

flange thickness - almost 1/2 in - if this thickness fails/cracks I'll have a 1in thick flange fabricated!





headers primary pipe inner diameter



head to headers gasket inner diameter



obviously there is a mismatch of the inner diameter of the gasket and the primary pipes, the primary pipe's inner diameter is 1.6695 in while the gasket's inner diameter it 1.85 in. A simple solution is to make a tappared flange


Tappered flange beside gasket, flange side shown is the gasket side



same flange but welding side - pipe will be inserted to the groove and welded from the outside of the flange to avoid ugly inside welds hindering the exhaust gas' flow.

 

[berdugo]

heads to headers flange with primary pipe inserted to the tappered flange



very smooth trapper/transition :tup:

 

[berdugo]

primary pipe wall thickness



secondary pipe wall thickness




secondary pipe inner diameter




headers to UP flange inner diameter

 

[berdugo]

headers to UP tappered flange