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Headers - Are they worth it?

yep, right up until you realize that the biggest henderance in the stock exhaust system is the factory down tube, with its performance enhancing drvieshaft clearing dent right after the manifold attachment. Gibson, banks, eldebrock, etc......are good and will show signs of power gains.
 
I've seen that dent - an exhaust shop tried to convince me that I bent it off road and needed to replace it - Sleezy #&$^!

So if I understand what you said - Yes I will see an improvement even with the factory down pipe with its wonderful dent?

Is the improvement worth the cost of the $330 Gibsons ?

A shop is telling me that it'll take about 5hrs to replace the headers?
and is it worth the $325 to have it installed?

Thanks
MIke
 
I'm also looking into headers, I just installed a magnaflow cat back system yesterday...sounds GREAT!

I will be keeping an eye on this thread good luck School Bus Man.
 
School Bus Man said:
I've seen that dent - an exhaust shop tried to convince me that I bent it off road and needed to replace it - Sleezy #&$^!

So if I understand what you said - Yes I will see an improvement even with the factory down pipe with its wonderful dent?

Is the improvement worth the cost of the $330 Gibsons ?

A shop is telling me that it'll take about 5hrs to replace the headers?
and is it worth the $325 to have it installed?

Thanks
MIke
Click to expand...


5 hours if they have never worked on an XJ, I've gotten down to about an hour and half deal, even in the autozone packing lot, with the right tools. All you really need is a 10mm, 13mm, 15mm deep well socket, extensions, 9/16 ratcheting wrench, 1/2 wrench, 9/16 socket, 15mm wrench, fuel line disconnect tool, oh yeah, having double joited monkey arms helps alot, well at least on the aftermarket headers.

Go buy a ~$20 repair manual and the tools and you could probably do it yourself in about 3 hours, 4 if you have no mechanical skills.

Yes even with the dent you'll see improvement. And from my experiance exhaust shops really have no clue, unless its stock, or has a V8.
 
School Bus Man said:
My OEM headers are fine. Will there be any justifiable & noticable improvement if I install Gibson headers?

I've already installed a nice exhaust system & K&N FIPK.

THanks
Mike
Click to expand...

The OEM exhaust manifold isn't all that restrictive. The stock downpipe and cat are the biggest restrictions in the exhaust so here's what I suggest. Ask your local muffler shop to fab a new 2.5" downpipe and replace the old cat with a 2.5" Carsound unit.
 
I have a borla. Installed it myself in my apartment parking lot. Took me about 6 hours with beer breaks.

I personally wouldn't replace the OEM header unless it's cracked. Mine cracked so I replaced it. Only improvement I noticed was that my jeep didn't sound like a train anymore!

I would get a free flow car, flowmaster (or your muffler of choice) and a rustys air tube. If/when your header cracks replace. Otherwise take that $800 and put it into suspension or something else right now.

Peace,
Mike
 
I have replaced most of what has been mentioned here, here's my opinion.
If you replace the header replace the downpipe, otherwise you won't get the full potential of the header. I went a week with my stock downpipe, found little to no gains with Banks header installed and Flowmaster 50 cat bak.
Took to Midas, custom downpipe and BAM, more pep, stronger pull, better sound from exhuast and I would guess better flow. Only thing, make sure you have a good look at the custom downpipe, mine didn't clearance the front drive shaft properly as it was fabbed on a frame lift so the axle was droopin... with it up, on the road it rubbed on right turns. Took it back and the repaired it, but just cut n rewelded it, looks like shiat now... buts still works better than that indented stock one.
 
CartsXJ said:
yep, right up until you realize that the biggest henderance in the stock exhaust system is the factory down tube, with its performance enhancing drvieshaft clearing dent right after the manifold attachment. Gibson, banks, eldebrock, etc......are good and will show signs of power gains.
Click to expand...

Ahhhhhhhhhhh! Did they actually put that dent there on purpose? I thought it was caused by an impact that I had a long time ago. Am I an idot?
 
What is a lower end header unit?

I have a borla from head to tail with free flow cat. Improved low and high end rpm and more horsies at the top. How do I know? I can easily peg the speedo when it took a long time before. Improved milage too. - 90 with AW4.
 
88-xj-laredo said:
Just wondering how the lower end header units perform if anybody has them, such as pacesetter.
Click to expand...
I ordered a Pacesetter for my 90 XJ last week; it got here today and is going on tomorrow. I'll post my reactions after I've driven it. It seemed like a nice enough kit; it came with a new downpipe with smooth mandrel bends. I can't wait to get it installed.
 
yeah you might be right about HEADER.............but just to be difficult the PIPES on my Jeep are 2 groups of 3 running int 2 till just past the sump plug and then into 1 before a 90 degree turn and then heading out back, so i think they (Plural) could be described as HEADERS:roll:

one thing to watch for is that on the PIPES on my car changing engine oil can only be done with a ring spanner and then it drains over the 2 pipes on its way out, its a bit of a pain

Ewen
 
i have a 4.0 bored .30 over stock air box with k&n filter, stock throttle body, with borla headers, new cat, and 50 series flowmaster through 2 1/2" pipes. It sounds bad ass and rips ass from about 25-55 mph (thats seat of the pants no science, and half it is the badass sound that makes it seem "faster" i am sure lol ). Not worth the cost or time though if your exhaust manifold is still fine. Mine was cracked and i wrecked my engine and did both at the same time. Otherwise i would keep the stocker exhaust manifold till it fails.
 
I bought a jeep with cracked manifold about 3 months ago. 217k. My other XJ I replaced with the cheap header off of ebay it is like 150 shipped. The improvemtn isn't incredible but it def. flows alot better than the stock. I jsut bought the same header for this one this time I am putitng it on myself. I head the installation on these ones suck and thats probably why they are cheap.
 
Headers are only worth the time if badly cracked but yeah how bout that down pipe dent.haha the best you can do is rustys performance package air cone, throttle body space, flowmaster 40 . really helps get the grunt after puttin on bigger tires
 
I have the complete Borla setup w/ a magnaflow cat and I love it--to me it was worth the $750. I also have a 62mm TB, K&N FIPK, Jet 2, and the 99+ intake manifold, so it is breathing like a champ.
 
88-xj-laredo said:
Just wondering how the lower end header units perform if anybody has them, such as pacesetter.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't exactly call them low end. I have them on my 98, just the basic non-coated, into the factory CAT, then 2.5" Super 40, followed by a 2.5" rusty's tail pipe. Over all the package woke my engine up, great low end and I cruise 55mph at 2100rpms with very little kick down on the hills.

Now if I can just get that running lean issue handled.

For questions like this check out the Speed and Performance section, there are about a dozen threads just like this one.
 
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