What'ya think about ebay headers?

ratfink · 10-21-2009, 09:00 PM

02 03 04 05 06 Subaru WRX STI header manifold 4-2-1 New:eBay Motors (item 250516966259 end time Oct-22-09 17:49:05 PDT)

08 09 IMPREZA GRB STI WRX EQUAL LENGTH HEADERS MANIFOLD:eBay Motors (item 360163545932 end time Nov-14-09 10:02:09 PST)

Or any other you recommended.

newtothegame · 10-21-2009, 10:16 PM

I have a Kakumei up pipe on my car. Good stuff. If that header is actually from them should be a quality piece.

man show · 10-22-2009, 10:54 AM

I try to avoid cheap-o eBay products at all costs. There are just too many people who have issues with poor quality and fitment. I prefer to wait the extra amount of time and save up for quality parts. No sense in doing the same thing twice, especially if it's not a fun job or costs you a bunch in labor. Plus, you have an STi... that car deserves the best it can get, imo.

newtothegame · 10-23-2009, 11:37 AM

Kakumei isnt really an ebay product though. Its a manufacturer in Japan. Theres really only a few places that have the actual license to sell thier stuff.

c2bcoolwrx · 10-23-2009, 12:10 PM

Avoid cheap ebay headers. Headers a very problematic aftermarket upgrade. This is b/c of the welding process many use actually weakens the headers at the welds and leads to cracking. That is why the stock cast iron headers are so much better than many of the aftermarket Stainless Steel headers.

I would get the stockers PnPed and coated.

VD5505 · 10-23-2009, 04:45 PM

Stay away from those headers you can modify your stock manifolds to flow better than those types of headers you find on alot of sites. And pretty much you can say goodbye to the boxer sound when you put headers on your car. Take your stock manifolds off and P&P then and you will be much happier, What is a list of mods you have done to your car now??

ratfink · 10-23-2009, 04:52 PM

I could give a flying fart about the inefficient headers making a "boxer" sound. I am looking for equal length headers. No amount of porting is going to make the factory headers equal length, so you are losing torque and hp across the board ported or not. Equal length makes the turbo spool faster (3-500 rpms) and makes roughly 30 HP and 30 lbs at the lower rpms. Ported stockers actually LOSE torque and HP at the bottom of the rpm range, how is that better?

Chase · 10-23-2009, 05:01 PM

Sounds like you made up your mind. I liked the feel of the unported stock headers on my WRX more than the Invidia one piece I had. (To be fair, they were unequal too) But regardless of brand, anything can break. I wouldn't buy Invidia again personally because I had a header completely break off from the rest of the piece, an inch away from the weld.

My point is, anything can be cheaply made, most companies manufacturing for WRX's have yet to prove their longevity, they only have popularity. Name brands when it comes to Subaru aftermarket don't mean a lot to me yet. Most guys have good luck with ebay exhaust pieces, if fitment is an issue send it back.

ratfink · 10-23-2009, 05:06 PM

I haven't made up my mind on what to buy, I just hate to hear people decide against equal length because of sound. I think that Perrin probably makes the best EL headers out there, but I also feel $700 is way overpriced. That's why I asked about some ebay brands.

My STi is basically at the limit of the factory turbo without headers unless I go E85. I loved E85 on my WRX, but there's only one station across town carrying it. I got tired of going back to premium for road trips. Headers basically give you the boost of E85 with the ease of 93 octane.

VD5505 · 10-23-2009, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ratfink

I haven't made up my mind on what to buy, I just hate to hear people decide against equal length because of sound. I think that Perrin probably makes the best EL headers out there, but I also feel $700 is way overpriced. That's why I asked about some ebay brands.

My STi is basically at the limit of the factory turbo without headers unless I go E85. I loved E85 on my WRX, but there's only one station across town carrying it. I got tired of going back to premium for road trips. Headers basically give you the boost of E85 with the ease of 93 octane.

I have been working on and building Subaru's longer than you ever will, I have done alot of different setups and spent more time on dyno's than you prob have been driving your car. I have seen EJ25's make 600whp with the manifolds on there and they have reworked them.

As for E85 its kinda a joke, just cause its E85 doesnt even mean its E85 and it depends on the state what they use to make E85 out of, so it matters where you fuel it up cause the E85 you tune your car on will be different if you use another E85 station in another state and even a different part of the same state. I'm not turning this into a debate or anything but dont come calling someone when more than just one person has been around the block before with this,

ratfink · 10-23-2009, 05:58 PM

So it's your professional opinion that equal length headers produce LESS power then factory P&P headers?

I can make huge HP numbers with a poorly designed setup as easy as the next guy, I'm not looking for a special number, just an efficient setup.

"I'm not turning this into a debate or anything but dont come calling someone when more than just one person has been around the block before with this,"

Care to translate this?

VD5505 · 10-23-2009, 06:05 PM

It was a very efficient setup for real, they bench flowed the modified header against the aftermarket header and the modify header flowed better all across the bored. and keep in mind that cast iron keeps heat in better!!!

ratfink · 10-23-2009, 06:17 PM

You tested equal length perrin headers?

Of course it's not just flow but pulse smoothing as well.

ratfink · 10-23-2009, 06:23 PM

VD5505 · 10-23-2009, 11:18 PM

Cool Deal!!!