damn up pipe is leaking

[Guest]

Gave the car a service with Subaru upper engine cleaner on the weekend - Man this stuff is great for finding exhaust leaks, white smoke came pouring out of the up pipe heatsheild, got to see just how much exhaust gas is been lost.

If your trying to find an exhaust leak this stuff is perfect - white smoke will pour from the leak

Anyway Ive booked the car in and getting those headers installed. From all the research Ive done on those headers and talking with people who have actually used them. I should be ok. Its only when your thrashing them around a race track or on the dyno that they can fail. - Which I wont be doing.

Ill also give my feed back on them once done, for anyone interested in these headers.

[Guest]

So got the headers and in the process of heat wrapping them, getting installed on Monday.

The quality of them is great for the price you pay, tig wields, ports cleaned up, mandrel bends, all gaskets and bolts included. Mechanic checked them over, said there perfect for a street car. Obviously wouldn't use these on race car, but as a replacement for factory car with leaky upipe/headers, these are awesome.

Snapped some photos before heat wrapping

[funkytown]

that collecter looks a bit hucker to me..

[Stoffa]

yep, the good sets have a spike where all four pipes meet. its ment to have a scavenging effect.

you were warned about these, just dont over tighten the pressed flange.

[Guest]

lol you guys are way to fussy. My mechanic who use to build custom headers for race cars, checked over these and said they will be fine on a street car, hes installing them and knows how the gaskets work and not to over tighten.

[funkytown]

nice job on the wrapping - that looks very tidy.

FWIW - this is a forum, you've asked for opinions which we've given. Dont get offended if people are saying stuff you dont like, albeit true.

[Guest]

Headers installed now, car is running much, much better. Gained power right through the rev range and boost kicking in a little more early. Still got the subby rumble on idle ( ;D ) but as the motor revs out it goes away and sounds more throaty/raspy. Pretty damn good for $360 header+up pipe. Only bad point is they do hang low.

I'd recommend these for anyone wanting to replace there f'd up-pipe and get a little more power.

I cant comment on what there like to install tho, as mine where installed by a mechanic who's done alot of work on Subaru's and owns a WRX himself.

[funkytown]

did you have the car dyno'd before and after header change?

[Guest]

No, I'm not into dyno'ing this car and thrashing it around on race track, its just my daily driver, got these headers as a fix for leaky up pipe which was making the car sound like a tractor.

Before I was hitting full boost about 3000rpm, now hitting it about 2600rpm. Can defantly feel the gain in pickup as before the car was quite sluggish.

If your into drag-racing and taking your car on the track, then I wouldn't bother with these headers as they probably wouldn't handle the punishment.

[Ninja8)]

so u reckon its worth it in the end?? i got a set myself as Marc said and im sorry for not posting any info. Watch the driveways etc mate. they do hang VERY low on the ground. mine has already been scrapped a few odd times and i cant even get up my house's driveway lol. As for the doughnut joiner thing..mines just started to f*ck out and its been almost a year now since ive had them so you should be fine.

I did heatwrap my headers exactly like you but once you have scrapped twice or so the heatwrap will start ripping and splitting which happened to me which is why i removed the heatwrap from the headers. Up-pipes still wrapped and doing mint Definitely will be upgrading them one day though.

[funkytown]

i was just wondering how you measured the power increase, as your up pipe would have been dying thus your boost not come on as fast - and the increase in 'power' wrongly associated with new headers and not an up pipe thats not leaking.

hitting full boost at 2600 sounds i would need proof to believe tbh - I'm assuming you run a vf28 being a v5 sti.

[Guest]

Yeah I'm happy with the out come. My car isn't lowed so still have a lot of room between the headers and road. But will take it easy on drive ways.

I've got 12month warranty on the headers+workmanship so if anything fuct's out in that time, take it back and fixed for free.

Ill take some photos of them on the car soon.

[Guest]

 funkytown said:

i was just wondering how you measured the power increase, as your up pipe would have been dying thus your boost not come on as fast - and the increase in 'power' wrongly associated with new headers and not an up pipe thats not leaking.

hitting full boost at 2600 sounds i would need proof to believe tbh - I'm assuming you run a vf28 being a v5 sti.

Its WRX V3, think I have the TD04 and running ball and spring boost tap set to 12psi. Also have 2.5" Rage Siamese down pipe to full 3" exhaust

[slystiguy]

td04 spools really quickly 2600 is NORMAL, id say these headers have done little to nothing to your car, a leaking uppipe will give approx 30% powerloss if its really bad...

mates got a td04 wrx, they are not slow cars an keeps up with my td05 sti... (well still not the same car but not a hell of alot of difference really)

should only have increased mid range power I think... is what redline told me

Still think you should have gone with sti headers but hey as long as ya happy! an you also can't complain about the warranty thats definitely a bonus eh!

[Guest]

haha they look prty nice man.nice and shiny

my opinion is that they sound like a honda with a straight thru exhaust with a wastegate(if your gated)

its kinda defeting the hole purpose of a subaru.every one knows them for the rumble and buy putting them on you may aswel pull all subaru badges off and chuck some honda ones on..

yeh they may be a upgrade and may feel like theyv given abit more power but how they sound is a shocker haha

rather get some unequal length ones that maintane the best sound in the world.that is the rumble

my 2cents

[Ninja8)]

 sti8u said:

haha they look prty nice man.nice and shiny

my opinion is that they sound like a honda with a straight thru exhaust with a wastegate(if your gated)

its kinda defeting the hole purpose of a subaru.every one knows them for the rumble and buy putting them on you may aswel pull all subaru badges off and chuck some honda ones on..

yeh they may be a upgrade and may feel like theyv given abit more power but how they sound is a shocker haha

rather get some unequal length ones that maintane the best sound in the world.that is the rumble

my 2cents

The headers we have are UNEQUAL therefore still keep the subaru rumble most times. Yes it gets rid of the rumble but i rather have people thinking: Fark that suby doesnt sound like a suby at all..buzzy. Like you said..Subarus are known for their rumble. So what if you have a subaru WITHOUT the rumble: you must be a "special" subaru lol. I dont want your 2cents. I want 20BUCKS!!! ;D But yea..as stated above.. Full boost at 2600rpm would be normal on a TD04. I had one factory on my car and definitely spools up earlier than a VF29.

[Guest]

 Ninja 8)']

[quote name='sti8u said:

haha they look prty nice man.nice and shiny

my opinion is that they sound like a honda with a straight thru exhaust with a wastegate(if your gated)

its kinda defeting the hole purpose of a subaru.every one knows them for the rumble and buy putting them on you may aswel pull all subaru badges off and chuck some honda ones on..

yeh they may be a upgrade and may feel like theyv given abit more power but how they sound is a shocker haha

rather get some unequal length ones that maintane the best sound in the world.that is the rumble

my 2cents

/quote]

The headers we have are UNEQUAL therefore still keep the subaru rumble most times. Yes it gets rid of the rumble but i rather have people thinking: Fark that suby doesnt sound like a suby at all..buzzy. Like you said..Subarus are known for their rumble. So what if you have a subaru WITHOUT the rumble: you must be a "special" subaru lol. I dont want your 2cents. I want 20BUCKS!!! ;D But yea..as stated above.. Full boost at 2600rpm would be normal on a TD04. I had one factory on my car and definitely spools up earlier than a VF29.

:P youl see when we ra*#

[Ninja8)]

hehe and Spencer awaits the day :-\ 4 n Rotarys in 2011 and we should have a buzz at MegaMeet next year too

[Guest]

lol mine still has the subby rumble, ill get a recording of it.

[zarnah]

 sti8u said:

haha they look prty nice man.nice and shiny

my opinion is that they sound like a honda with a straight thru exhaust with a wastegate(if your gated)

its kinda defeting the hole purpose of a subaru.every one knows them for the rumble and buy putting them on you may aswel pull all subaru badges off and chuck some honda ones on..yeh they may be a upgrade and may feel like theyv given abit more power but how they sound is a shocker haha

rather get some unequal length ones that maintane the best sound in the world.that is the rumble

my 2cents

haha, thats awesome, im going to use that whenever i see a suby rolling on chromes, sporting a massive bodykit, or plastered in stickers

[Guest]

Ok here is what they sounds like on idle

And on the car

[funkytown]

blip the throttle and i bet that flat "honda like" instantly

[Guest]

haha, I use to own a turbo Honda civic and the wrx redline headers sound nothing like a Honda, even on full tit.

I kinder like the sound of these headers over factory, they have quickly grown on me , and Im liking the new power band, a lot more mid range power

pics of the honda for proof

[Ninja8)]

so u dont think it sounds like a honda at all?? dang i sh0uld take you for a ride in mine and let you hear my honbaru Honda + Subaru = HonBaru

[Guest]

[edit]^ Did you click on the youtube link?[/edit]

Well it sounds nothing like the turbo Honda I use to have lol, but I do have a full turbo back exhaust system on my WRX which may have saved me from that HondBaru sound. (2.5"inch siamese to 3"inch cat back, RPS cannon muffler)

Ive got the subby rumble up to 3000rpm, after that it changes to a more throaty 4cly turbo sound - which sounds kinder cool.