DC Sports Header potential crack issue

[af_1132]

After it's all on, I will get an MRT together and post up a video of the sound. I am interested to hear it myself! I originally wanted to weld on a black dual tip muffler, but I just can't cut into this $500+ cat back exhaust without trying it first. The craftsmanship is excellent. With the DC headers, hopefully the scavenging is good enough with the ceramic coating so I wont have to use wrap.

Yes, tishock , my gasket looks just like yours! Thank goodness.

[af_1132]

Stud problems...oh boy.

I don't want to make too many new threads on related topics, so I will just switch gears a little on this one.

I went to check for proper head/header stud fitment on some stud/nuts that I bought from Autozone. I just lightly touched the stud on the corner of the flange (the one that is visible outside the heat shield) and noticed I could pull half of it right out! It was just sitting in there split in two!


This is what is left of the stud in the flange/head (the hole on the right, what's left is way in there).


I really hope and pray that there is some thread exposed when the header itself is removed, so I can use vice grips to rotate what's left out of the head.

I decided to return the studs I had originally bought (wrong ones) and have Autozone order these:
http://www.dormanproducts.com/p-49769-03415b.aspx

Has anyone ordered whole Doorman sets with either part numbers 03145B or 674-001 for an F22A1? As far as I can tell, they are identical pieces. The ones I gave a link to above have the proper thread specs (M8-1.25 on both ends) and total length of 40mm.

I checked my service manual, and any specifications for the head/header studs beyond the outer thread specs (8-1.25) are nowhere to be found as far as I can see. I have also searched CB7tuner, and can't find this information. If anyone knows these specs, I would greatly appreciate your assistance. Thank you all so much for everything so far.

[illinois_erik]

That sucks.. Just so you know I had dorman studs break on me, figured itd be good to replace them when I installed my header. I noticed a small leak and went to snug them with a wrench..far left top one fell out when i touched it. I dont know if it was operator error (which i doubt) or more like cheapass product. So be aware. For my H I bought some actual studs, extended with hex slots in the end and are rated to 190,000PSI and oxide coated.(yet to be installed)



Good overview. Use a punch to set a small divet, but start with the smallest drill first then work your way up. (So you dont wander and chew threads)Again if youre lucky doing this and working your way up in size the heat generated might loosen it up and the stud will spin out as youre drilling



I dont know if you have a local one..
If you soak it with penetrating fluid these might get them to spin out by them selves if youre lucky
http://www.harborfreight.com/13-piec...-set-95146.htm

The drills with this are right hand.which is silly. The extractor are left handed though
http://www.harborfreight.com/12-piec...-set-40349.htm

[af_1132]

Wow, thank you so much, illinois_erik!

My work buddies knew of that procedure, and we got it to work. It was interesting when we removed the header and found the two most outer studs broken in half, the next two inner studs came out with the locking nuts, and the five remaining studs stayed in the head. We got everything assembled today (well, minus the outer studs, which were supposed to come into Autozone today but...) and and pretty stoked overall:





I ordered the down pipe flange gasket you shared a link to, and the one I received (I wish I took a picture, darn) was cut so that the O ring slots were just barely too small, and the bolt holes were definitely too small. We drilled them larger and sprayed with the High Temp Sealant, but the fit was not prefect. Things were smokey and smelley at first, so we thought there was a leak, but I drove it 40 miles and things are fine, so it might have been excess sealant.

Those studs with hex slots on the end, those remind me of what some call "stud delete kits" like this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ACURA-HONDA-...915d54&vxp=mtr
Maybe they are more like "broken header studs and other header stud problem delete kits" . Let me know when you install them, as I will go for those next time I change headers if they do the job better.

There are quite a few Harbor Freight stores nearby (nearest is about 30 miles away), and I will definitely be going there, so as not to just rely on Sears/Craftsman. After today, I know I'll only be getting Snap-on ratchets!

I would like to give a few comments on the parts, in case anyone else was interested in this setup (DC Sports 4-2-1 with flex pipe, Magnaflow 50 state cat, Magnaflow 2.25" cat back exhaust):

Overall, this set up gives a nice, beefy, and deep tone at all RPMs with not very many overtones. There are no raspy high tones even when climbing RPMs at WOT. This is what I have heard from most Magnaflow users with Civics and Accords.

I am VERY impressed with all the Magnaflow components. The welds, the fitments, and the weight reduction! I would recommend this to any race project over Apexi WS2 any day, considering the cost and the weight (I hear the WS2s weigh a lot more).

I am unimpressed with DC Sports components. The kit was old, missing both gaskets, was not packaged well, and did not come with bolts or a threaded flange to bolt the flex pipe to the Cat. To reuse the ones on my current cat would have been impossible, since the rust made them unrecognizable. The bracket to hold the flex pipe to the frame had to be reversed on the car due to bad placement of the bracket on the flex pipe. The O2 sensor, however, did fit in nicely, and a cable extension was provided.
The worst part was the front motor mount, which the directions said would not have to be removed mimus the speed nut. On the contrary, the whole support bracket for the mount needed to be rotated out of the way to get those headers to fit. This we found out, of course, after we scratched off some of that beautiful ceramic coating .

Time for complete setup: 7 hours for two people who have not done a full exhaust swap before.

Would you guys suggest wrapping the upper radiator hose to protect it from header heat? It is not touching the header, although it looks like it in the photo.

Thanks everyone for your help. Without you, I would still be sitting here, worried about that imperfection in the flange!

[Tishock]

Would you guys suggest wrapping the upper radiator hose to protect it from header heat? It is not touching the header, although it looks like it in the photo.

No need.

[af_1132]

No need.

Oh good. I didn't want to mess with wrap if I didn't have to. On your build, it looks like you've got Bisi ceramic coated headers right up near your upper hose. If you've had no heat issues, then I will certainly not need to worry about heat!