Header?

[91AccordSE]

Which is better in performance/looks/longevity (durablity and how long can it last), chrome headers or Stainless steel? Thanks for any replies.

[phatdoughnut]

Re: Header?

Originally posted by 91AccordSE
Which is better in performance/looks/longevity (durablity and how long can it last), chrome headers or Stainless steel? Thanks for any replies.

you probabaly already know, but you have a header..not headerS
well i could be wrong, but you might have a 6cly

pretty much the same isnt it? or are you talking about a ceramic header? and a stainless steel one weights more than a ceramic one...

[h22sparkle]

well put it this way as for looks who cares as long as i cant see the next guy left or right of me when im runnin him its like whatever. as for the ceramic vs stainless i prefer ceramic cause stainless rusts well some of em from what ive seen like the dc sports longevity would have to play a role you know we want what we invested into to last and not brake on you braking something else.

[91AccordSE]

Ive always been told/taught by everyone that Stainless does not rust, under any conditions. (main reason why it's used so widely in exhaust apps and such like that). Ive heard that Chrome header(s) crack/warp under high heat (obvioulsy not good for header(s) considering the fact of whats passing through them). Anyone else have an opinion on Chrom or Stainless Header(s)? Which perfoms better and lasts longer? Thanks again for the replies.

[cokinut]

i would get ceramic. hold's heat better and is ultimately better for performance (from what i've read).

[Andrew]

The reason the so-called 'stainless' headers rust is that they aren't pure stainless steel. You ever heard DC Sports [with the new strut bars] use the term "Aerospace Grade Titanium"? Guess what - aerospace grade is the same crap, and yes it's very imperfect crap, that they use in sports materials like Ti baseball bats. Much better stuff exists, contact a company like Reynolds to find out about it... but DC wouldn't like you to know that. It is possible for real, honest to god, high quality Stainless to rust, but not in your lifetime.
If you've picked up on the trend of manufacturers "cheaping out" then you might guess that it doesn't stop at stainless... in fact, why would it? Ceramic headers are usually cheaper, so it doesn't take a brain to realize that the ingredients there aren't going to be top dollar, either. The ceramic coating process that most manufacturers, top dollar alternatives aside (read: not the best of the less type places like DC Sports) doesn't completely seal the metal... so they can "self destruct" pretty quickly (especially in abusive environments). Rust can play a big factor, as well as increased fatigue by heat. This can particularly accelerated by header wrap... which brings us to our next step.
Header wrap keeps all the heat within the header(s), it's job is to let as little escape as possible... this leads to higher average temperatures of the metal and increased stress. Cheap strikes again! Cheap welds (read: poorly done and/or MIG or cheaper) can, and do crack under these kinds of stresses.
Now, chrome I don't know so much about, but judging by the prices I've seen them go for I'd say to just stay away from them.
Enjoy.

[DrLove'sKuDang]

i wouldnt worry too much about whether its ceramic or ss. just pic a reliable company. i used to have a cheapo ebay ss header. i forget the xact amount, but i would say it was in the $100 range. now i have a more expensive ceramic dc header. i never had problems with either, but i needed to get a dc(although greddy would have been better), because its carb exempt. and living in CA, having that is a priority.

[theone]

i have chrome (was chrome) now there bronze/gold/purple/blue color, looks better now...lol

but as far as heat, just say after i finish racing up and down the street a few times and pop the hood, its warm not hot but warm under the hood, i can touch a lot of things. it doesnt be a lot of heat coming off the header but if u touch the header, thats a different story ..........

[h22sparkle]

That fact is true about the header that header does alot of the heat in. I grabbed it with my hand it didnt begin to burn until like five seconds runnin it hard with my previous f22. But they dont give that much power for a h22 I say go with smsp If money is available you can get 18 to 15 if properly tuned.

[91AccordSE]

So in everyones opinion (if you guys have the time), look on ebay at the headers that are available, and tell me which you think would be best out of the ones available. Chrome, Stainless, Ceramic? Just overall, which is better for performance. Thanks

[theone]

im not gona fake
i got mines off ebay
the chrome ones
130total
and i noticed a good gain and that was just bolting on the top part of the header, im about to get the down pipe of the header put on tomorrow.
i have a st8 pipe instead of a cat converter and the pipe welded to the down pipe of the header so i need someone to cut it and weld the new one.
i notice a gain with just the top of the header on, so i cant wait to see how it feels with the whole header + new o2sensor on.

[Andrew]

Heh, good luck getting an SMSP fabricated in the next year.

There are some good "ebay brands" around, like the ones the Megan Racing sometimes offers. Ask before you purchase, though: all headers are not created equal (for example: stay away from Pacesetter).

By the way, is it just me or is tuning the next buzzword? I don't know about anybody else, but I hear just about every ricer and teenage hot dog talking about "tuning 'dat shit." I'm going to smack the next kid "tunes" his radiator...

[Fearit22]

I have Pacesetter headers and they aren't all that bad. I noticed a pretty decent gain in performance. The main bad thing about them is that the "ceramic coating" on them is complete shit. Once you put them on the paint will burn right off and make a little bit of smoke and smell in the process. They didn't fit perfectly either, but I only paid 450 including shipping for an i/h/e package so it was still a pretty sweet deal.