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are new headers supposed to look like this?

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jsta6

John 15:17
Joined
Nov 12, 2001
Messages
2,930
 
They're Postons right? Just clean up the ports (gasket match) and slag and they'll be fine. There aren't any headers on the market that don't require some kind of work. Even the $1000 TA ones weld on the inside like that, supposed to be the best way to build them. Or maybe the easiest??? I am sure they at least fit better than the ebay headers.
 
T Spool said:
They're Postons right? Just clean up the ports (gasket match) and slag and they'll be fine. There aren't any headers on the market that don't require some kind of work. Even the $1000 TA ones weld on the inside like that, supposed to be the best way to build them. Or maybe the easiest??? I am sure they at least fit better than the ebay headers.
Click to expand...

you are a winner!

I was planning on cleaning up the slag, even before I got them. But now I am concerned about the port matching. I don't want to start grinding on that ceramic coating and have it start to come off and get in my turbo??? :confused:
 
The ceramic coating is going to wear off whether you grind the ports or not. Heat will break it down. The important thing is to thoroughly flush them out with soapy water when you are done grinding. I wouldn't just blow them out with compressed air.
 
And I bitched about my ATR's when I first got them! Looks like you could clean them up with out too much work if you have steel heads with small ports. Some people like the poston headers & go fast with them, but I would send them back! try TA's
 
jsta6 said:
I was planning on cleaning up the slag, even before I got them. But now I am concerned about the port matching. I don't want to start grinding on that ceramic coating and have it start to come off and get in my turbo??? :confused:
Click to expand...

I've never seen headers that looked that horrible. The ports should be perfectly square. They look uneven. I thought ceramic coating was supposed to be almost like chrome? The headers on my '69 Camaro and the most recent Hooker Super Comp headers I've purchased for my '65 El Camino are ceramic coated. They are shiny and nice. Those look like they were sprayed with silver paint. I've never purchased headers for a GN, since the GN I've purchased already had headers on it. I've never taken them off so I don't know what they look like inside. Maybe GN headers are supposed to look like that inside.

Here is a picture of the Hooker Super Comp Headers in my '65 El Camino I'm currently building. They are ceramic coated.

U%3A%
 
That is terrible! They would be shipped back IMO! Good luck with them.
 
PsYcHo GN said:
I've never seen headers that looked that horrible. The ports should be perfectly square. They look uneven. I thought ceramic coating was supposed to be almost like chrome? The headers on my '69 Camaro and the most recent Hooker Super Comp headers I've purchased for my '65 El Camino are ceramic coated. They are shiny and nice. Those look like they were sprayed with silver paint. I've never purchased headers for a GN, since the GN I've purchased already had headers on it. I've never taken them off so I don't know what they look like inside. Maybe GN headers are supposed to look like that inside.

Here is a picture of the Hooker Super Comp Headers in my '65 El Camino I'm currently building. They are ceramic coated.

U%3A%
Click to expand...

You can't compare Turbo Buick headers to V8 headers....two different animals. I agree they do look pretty bad, but there's alot of meat on the Postons headers to port match. As for ceramic coating, there is more than one color/sheen. They are not all shiny like chrome. Give your shiny new headers a year, they will look like my shiny new headers on my 461 BBC after a year......nasty!

Those headers compared to the JDMMOTORZ ones I had last fall are mint...lol :rolleyes:
 
the other day a reputable buick builder on the westcoast pulled out a poston header, they had a huge crack in them, somebody made alot of power and the pressure got the best of the header:eek:
 
PsYcHo GN said:
I've never seen headers that looked that horrible. The ports should be perfectly square.
Click to expand...

I agree. I don't have any photographic evidence but I can tell you that my TA/Nick Micale/G-body headers did NOT look like that. Either they had ground down the slag before coating them (Jet Hot) or the welds were better in the first place.

Jim
 
Send those back!! Those are horrible. I would be ashamed to sell something like that to a paying customer :rolleyes: ...
 
Send that junk back.

We have to hold the vendors accountable for the products they sell. Its not too often that something like this comes up but that is crazy. One of those pictures of the port looks like my 6 year old made the template free hand with a crayon. I installed a set of TA performance headers (stainless) on my friends car and I was suprised to see how well the ports matched up with the fel-pro gaskets. No clean up at all. How much were those headers any way,500-600? Ill bet for about the same price U can get the mild steel TA performance headers then coat them after Ur happy with the way they look. Theres too many other things to worry about on these cars. Headers should not be one of them. Let us know how they handle the matter.
 
My $.02..x 5

1. The tubes are not properly swedged into the flange. Thus the poor fit.
2. The weld heat eroded the edges of the flange, and put it out of shape. [Note the lack of sealing surface near the bolt holes.]
3. The welding is obviously a wire gun job, and poorly done.
4. The material is most likely mild steel, and WILL crack, especially at the high stress points, such as the welds.
5. Given that the tubes are so far away from the flange holes, porting them will only result in:
A. holes thru the tubes.
B. Very thin areas that will burn out at 1500* EGTS.
The only way to minimize the above problem, would be to add a filet of material at the flange to tube juncture.
6. As for the "coating". That's likely a cheap coating, applied over a dirty surface. Furthermore, unless it's a high grade coat, it will not withstand the 1500* the system will operate at. The true "HI TEMP" silver coating is good to about 1800- 2000*. But, it too will dull up, over time. The low glos black has held up on my headers, much longer. Not as "pretty", but alot less maintenence.:biggrin:
Bottom line: A cheap header, likely made offshore, at HO Chi Min's ricksha factory...:eek:

Like others have said... Send them back.
 
Chuck Leeper said:
1. The tubes are not properly swedged into the flange. Thus the poor fit.
2. The weld heat eroded the edges of the flange, and put it out of shape. [Note the lack of sealing surface near the bolt holes.]
3. The welding is obviously a wire gun job, and poorly done.
4. The material is most likely mild steel, and WILL crack, especially at the high stress points, such as the welds.
5. Given that the tubes are so far away from the flange holes, porting them will only result in:
A. holes thru the tubes.
B. Very thin areas that will burn out at 1500* EGTS.
The only way to minimize the above problem, would be to add a filet of material at the flange to tube juncture.
6. As for the "coating". That's likely a cheap coating, applied over a dirty surface. Furthermore, unless it's a high grade coat, it will not withstand the 1500* the system will operate at. The true "HI TEMP" silver coating is good to about 1800- 2000*. But, it too will dull up, over time. The low glos black has held up on my headers, much longer. Not as "pretty", but alot less maintenence.:biggrin:
Bottom line: A cheap header, likely made offshore, at HO Chi Min's ricksha factory...:eek:

Like others have said... Send them back.
Click to expand...


Ditto Chuck to your evaluations! That's some really poor workmanship!
 
headers need to be purged when they are welded to prevent slag, not a good thing on a turbo car!
 
O-boy, what is with header latley? I can't get a good pair to save my life either. The TA's where no where near that bad and I sent them back for the same reasons. If it's not one thing its another. Send them back.
 
Headers

1 This is undeniable proof that you really get what you pay for.
2 If the price is to good to be true then it probably is.
3 Speed cost money , how fast do you want to go.
4 etc, etc, etc,:biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:
 
Poor weld quality

I am amazed they didnt take the extra 30 mins to clean up welds prior to coating. Like above they were probably dirty prior to coating if they took didnt take exception to the weld work. Its always amazing isnt it that the difference in quality paint work, engine work, fabrication etc is a little more time, prep, and care about what your building. I would send them back unless you got a smoking deal. It looks like the pipe will separate at the flanges with the tack welding in places.
 
id send it back just for the crappy welds. thats horrible... they need to be cleaned up and ground down!
 
Mine looked the same way, couple hours of porting and they loked fine, I had a friend weld the outside of the flange just incase I weakened it too much by porting it.
That didn't bother me, what sucked was after they were all together when I put the turbo on, it was off just enough that the intake side of the turbo was too high and it interferes with the up pipe when I put the MAF pipe on:mad:

I will eventually need a TB spacer to clear it and this is with a stock turbo. In the meantime I just took a hammer to the bottom of the uppipe so the MAF pipe will clear;) Hope that dosen't happen to you!
 
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