China Headers
- Thread starter SAMBALLS1
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Mike Licht
I was here first
- Joined
- May 23, 2001
- Messages
- 4,642
The flanges are not cast, they are cut out
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2005
- Messages
- 4,368
thats what id do
Well I got my headers today and the craftsmanship is top knotch. Also the gaskets that came with them are thicker then the Felpros "MS 90508" I already have and look to be the same material.
Has anyone found a stud kit that will fit these headers>?
I did some research and it seems if you order a ARP stud kist they send you 12 studs all the same length and I know you need at least 2 longer one for the top on the drivers side. The factory header on the pass. side also has longer studs on top but with these headers you do not need longer ones cause they do not have the 3/4 sleeves on the flanges on top like the factory has the bolt goes thru.
I did find this however>>top headers bolts 3/8-16 x 1.75in,long, lower bolt 3/8-16 x 1.00in long . If someone can verify this I might just go to hardware store and see what I can find!
Has anyone found a stud kit that will fit these headers>?
I did some research and it seems if you order a ARP stud kist they send you 12 studs all the same length and I know you need at least 2 longer one for the top on the drivers side. The factory header on the pass. side also has longer studs on top but with these headers you do not need longer ones cause they do not have the 3/4 sleeves on the flanges on top like the factory has the bolt goes thru.
I did find this however>>top headers bolts 3/8-16 x 1.75in,long, lower bolt 3/8-16 x 1.00in long . If someone can verify this I might just go to hardware store and see what I can find!
Back when the 99 cobras were a year old and people started making longtube headers for them, it was discovered that MAC longtubes were causing the destruction of every cobra engine they were bolted onto. Within 100 miles, the engine would be sucking up a quart every 50 miles, smoking like a train, and when torn down, the damage was always the same...scored cylinder walls, cracked ringlands, rings wiped out, exhaust valve guides/seals wiped out, etc. No one could understand why this was happening. I had a theory that turned out to be the problem. During engine braking, a high intake manifold vacuum is created. Valve overlap allows the exhaust to suck right through (and the EGR valve being open), the weld slag was being sucked right out of the primaries, into the cylinders, and all the way to the plenum of the intake manifold. The quality was HORRIBLE. These headers, new, were FILLED with slag, big weld stick remnants and tons of abrasive material....most likely all the grinding tables and wheels. They werent putting any effort into cleaning the headers properly (for some reason just the cobra header line) and this crap was sucking into cylinders and destroying engines. I had a little challenge, (people had alot of different ideas as to what was doing it) that if I were to buy a used set of MAC longtubes, that had already trashed an engine (all the crap already got sucked out of the headers), and stick them on my car, that my engine would be fine. I found a set that were filled with carbon because the engine they came off of had been destroyed and it was consuming major oil. I put them on my car (12 hour installation), and my engine was never damaged.
Anyway, putting headers on an engine that are filled with slag is a major risk. Especially when those primaries are ending up going through a TURBINE. I welded up a crack on my headers, and didnt clean out the slag...just flushed it, but I couldnt get in there and hammer every bit of the crap out...1000 miles later, the thrust bearings in my turbo are shot. And thats just from welding up a crack, let alone all the slag from an entire set of headers.
Be careful people!
But, these headers look like diamonds compared to that MAC garbage. After seeing these ones, I doubt they'd do any damage. Im pretty stumped by how they can afford to charge 300 for these things. They're beautiful! Oh yeah...when workers make 1-2 dollars a day, thats how.....
Anyway, putting headers on an engine that are filled with slag is a major risk. Especially when those primaries are ending up going through a TURBINE. I welded up a crack on my headers, and didnt clean out the slag...just flushed it, but I couldnt get in there and hammer every bit of the crap out...1000 miles later, the thrust bearings in my turbo are shot. And thats just from welding up a crack, let alone all the slag from an entire set of headers.
Be careful people!
But, these headers look like diamonds compared to that MAC garbage. After seeing these ones, I doubt they'd do any damage. Im pretty stumped by how they can afford to charge 300 for these things. They're beautiful! Oh yeah...when workers make 1-2 dollars a day, thats how.....
That does make sense and that was one of the first things I checked and just found a lil bit down in one primary. Tried to knock it out with a flat head but looks like will have to hit it with a porting bit and that will not be a problem to get too.
Got mine the other day. Nice and shiny, that's for sure! The gaskets are nice and thick and match the stock headers. Unfortunately they don't match these new headers. I had to cut the gaskets into 3 parts per side and put them on one by one. The drivers side fits pretty good,though it is barley touching the steering shaft. Crossover fits nice. Passenger side fits nice as well, except one problem.
The turbo mounting flange is crooked and not level side to side. When the turbo is mounted it sits **** eyed and you can no longer use the turbo mounting bracket. It tilts the turbo down toward the drivers side fender and now my cold air pipe presses the rad hose into the serpentine belt.
Good times.
Now to go make a new rad hose from scratch I guess.....
Just my experience...
The turbo mounting flange is crooked and not level side to side. When the turbo is mounted it sits **** eyed and you can no longer use the turbo mounting bracket. It tilts the turbo down toward the drivers side fender and now my cold air pipe presses the rad hose into the serpentine belt.
Good times.
Now to go make a new rad hose from scratch I guess.....
Just my experience...
turbo nasty
Turbo Dojo / MNTR
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2001
- Messages
- 9,478
Sorry for your luck. Motor mounts cant be blamed for the turbo flange being cockeyed.
Got any pics?
I had the same problem with the gaskets supplied. I had a set of felpro 1400's laying around that I checked against the flanges to verify if it was the gaskets supplied that were off. The 1400's are much closer but still have to be aligned to match. The gaskets supplied are closer to the coppers and you will have to break out the grinder especially for the passenger header. I am not using a turbo mounting bracket but I am concerned about the the tilt.
Nasty Wendy
Perverted Lurker
- Joined
- May 24, 2001
- Messages
- 2,203
There in lies the problem with these types of headers. That turbo mounting flange is a CRITICAL component that no one thinks about. It MUST be in perfect position in relation to the stock header flange position. The turbo MUST be in exactly the same position and angle. Why? because almost everybody is now running a down pipe that bolts directly to the turbine housing. Even the slightest mistake in the turbo mounting flange angle and position is going to be hugely magnified by the time you get a few feet down the down pipe, and gets progressively worse the further down the pipe you go.
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2005
- Messages
- 4,368
hummm.. mine is slightly cocked, and all my stuff fits fine..
LOL what a funny guy
ThatDamGoldCar
not a Buick nutt hugger
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2006
- Messages
- 233
Just elongate the holes a little and turbo will sit straight.
