Ebay header vs. quality (pics) [Archive] - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

Neejay

10-31-2007, 12:54 PM

Ok, I was curious, so I bought a ebay special stainless-steel header. Got it in the mail yesterday and was amazed at the exhaust exiting at the flange. I stumbled across a DC Sports header on here last night while looking for tq specs.

Here is a DC sports:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/neejay/dcsportsheader036pj.jpg

Now here is the ebay special that I got in the mail:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/neejay/header4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/neejay/header3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/neejay/header2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/neejay/header1.jpg

:ugh: I'm not looking for a pity party, because I already expected semi-shit, but just informing anyone out there thinking about getting one...I'd reconsider. What effect would those kinds of exits have? Minimal?

EDIT: Posted outside welding pics further down: http://www.zilvia.net/f/showpost.php?p=1622179&postcount=26

jackjack

10-31-2007, 01:02 PM

i'd probably install it if i got it for free. wouldnt pay for it though.

Daniel.

10-31-2007, 01:11 PM

I wouldn't install it at all. Just look at it, it's a POS.

bigOdom1

10-31-2007, 01:16 PM

that thing needs a lot of work sometimes you luck out and get a semi quality peice this time you didn't

GabeS14

10-31-2007, 01:18 PM

what company/brand was it?
you can find REAL hks/greddy/and all other big brands on egay too. you need to know who you shop with

los_inc

10-31-2007, 01:28 PM

i got an obx header once for my sohc it use to hit the body
terrible fitment til i coached it a little with my BFH.
-los

azndoc

10-31-2007, 01:32 PM

You might as well stick with stock.

I had a egay manifold before.

Compared it to the stock one. Same shit.

Just that the stock one doesn't really crack that's all.

lilredstiffy

10-31-2007, 01:38 PM

Even though the build quality is low its way better than stock.

A lot of bang for the buck in my opinion- and whats 1-2hp from proper porting/finishing matter anyway.

Jung918

10-31-2007, 01:53 PM

You got any pics of the welds on the outside?

Iceman00

10-31-2007, 01:55 PM

Even though the build quality is low its way better than stock.

A lot of bang for the buck in my opinion- and whats 1-2hp from proper porting/finishing matter anyway.

agreed. +1

If you have it, might as well use it.

stinky_180

10-31-2007, 01:56 PM

wow, those pictures really make me not want to get a a header from ebay... buts its so cot damn hard to find a SOHC header! i guess i'll have to go to a specialist here... pj..

UfoZ8myCow

10-31-2007, 02:07 PM

Save your money, that thing looks like shit. I could probably weld you up a better set of headers, and Ive never welded anything in my life.

S14DB

10-31-2007, 02:10 PM

Bah who cares? Show pics of the welds.

Jung918

10-31-2007, 02:15 PM

I think their grinding skills suck more then their welding skills. However, you can see that the sucky welding by looking at how they are unevenly spaced and that they welded too fast.
Most of those knock off companies usually just weld on the outside and not the inside. Would like to see the welds that have not been grinded down on.

unicoladron

10-31-2007, 02:23 PM

whip out your dremel my friend. those crappy exits will cause turbulence, but since it's for your NA motor, turbulence should be the least of your concerns.

PRADOgy

10-31-2007, 02:33 PM

Just take your stock headers and getem machined, and get away with it from poh poh

IIIXziuR

10-31-2007, 02:40 PM

Man that does look terrible.
How much $ did you end up dropping on that bad boy?

I'm thinking its better to either go custom or a quality after market one.
True it is better than stock, somewhat, but the ebay special looks...well special

projectRDM

10-31-2007, 03:34 PM

All the knockoffs look like that, but with the better exhaust flow and reduced weight (the OE shit is three times as heavy) you're not hurting anything by dropping $110 or so on one of these things. I've put OBX stuff on a LOT of cars, no one complains. Sure it's not perfect, but for the price it never will be.

Silverbullet

10-31-2007, 06:18 PM

That is not going to make a difference in performance... espeically for your naturally aspirated car.

Neejay

10-31-2007, 06:21 PM

All the knockoffs look like that, but with the better exhaust flow and reduced weight (the OE shit is three times as heavy) you're not hurting anything by dropping $110 or so on one of these things. I've put OBX stuff on a LOT of cars, no one complains. Sure it's not perfect, but for the price it never will be.Ok. That's pretty much what AJ was telling me. I don't have any experience with them, so I didn't know what to expect/look for.

Neejay

10-31-2007, 06:23 PM

That is not going to make a difference in performance... espeically for your naturally aspirated car.Yeah. I figured, but I wanted to make sure with other people's opinions/views.

Thanks guys.

dirtdiggler666

10-31-2007, 06:38 PM

lets see some outside pics

Neejay

10-31-2007, 06:44 PM

lets see some outside picsIt's dark now, but I'll take some tomorrow.

axiomatik

11-01-2007, 12:16 PM

will that thing even line up properly with your exhaust ports? look at where the stud holes are relative to the flange. looks like the drilled it free hand.

KA24DESOneThree

11-01-2007, 04:38 PM

(the OE shit is three times as heavy)

Factory upper and lower exhaust manifold: 28.3 lbs.
Hotshot header: 15 lbs.
Difference: 13.3lbs.

Factory might be twice as heavy depending on the accuracy of the scale, but three times as heavy is pushing it.

For me, it's all about how I feel when I think about what parts are on my car. If I was going through the list of parts on my car and read Megan, Megan, Megan, OBX, TC Sportline, Megan, OBX, I'd think to myself, man... is my car a piece of shit or what?

Neejay

11-01-2007, 07:59 PM

will that thing even line up properly with your exhaust ports? look at where the stud holes are relative to the flange. looks like the drilled it free hand.It lined up...kinda. One stud was kinda off, but I wiggled it back and forth a little and got it on.

Factory upper and lower exhaust manifold: 28.3 lbs.
Hotshot header: 15 lbs.
Difference: 13.3lbs.

Factory might be twice as heavy depending on the accuracy of the scale, but three times as heavy is pushing it.

For me, it's all about how I feel when I think about what parts are on my car. If I was going through the list of parts on my car and read Megan, Megan, Megan, OBX, TC Sportline, Megan, OBX, I'd think to myself, man... is my car a piece of shit or what?I'm pretty sure Russ didn't mean it *literally*. Figure of speech.

And the oe exhaust manifold was HEAVY as shit. I feel like Ive been lifting weights after trying to get this thing on. Pics of the welds:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/neejay/header5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/neejay/header6.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/neejay/header7.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/neejay/header8.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/neejay/header9.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/neejay/header10.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/neejay/header11.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/neejay/header12.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/neejay/header13.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/neejay/header14.jpg

I didn't finish installing it due to the EGR tube. Tomorrow I'll have to take the header off again, slightly, and attach the EGR tube then re-install the header to the head.

babowc

11-01-2007, 08:49 PM

^indeed.
stock ones are heavy as fuck.
i regularly lift, but that fucking oe mani caught me off gaurd and i fucked my hand up bc of it.
heavy piece of shit.

ch1873857

11-01-2007, 09:42 PM

hmm...welded with a wire fed tig. no craftsmanship. lots of undercut and minimal penetration and the mother fucker is definately not back gassed. TRASH

S14DB

11-01-2007, 10:35 PM

What's wrong with a Cold Wire TIG?

infinitexsound

11-02-2007, 12:01 AM

looks good to me but could use some more porting....... best bang for the buck...

ch1873857

11-02-2007, 04:53 AM

What's wrong with a Cold Wire TIG?

personal preference. its rare to see it penetrate as well as normal tig. i dont even like the look of it. thats just me though.

s13sr20det17

11-02-2007, 05:19 AM

lol im thinking about my boys honda and he got some ebay headers. and it fine and everything. no problem yet. but the one thing he has it that when he gose into high rpm like 8-9.5 exuasght fumes come out of the top, where the headers are connected to the head. well it ant that bad. bang for the buck though. he had his car recently tuned and did make some little horepower out of it. but he did buy an muffeler on ebay to and that just poped off with all the perrsure. lol

Dirty Habit

11-02-2007, 06:19 AM

^ What? msglgnth.

S14DB

11-02-2007, 12:45 PM

lol im thinking about my boys honda and he got some ebay headers. and it fine and everything. no problem yet. but the one thing he has it that when he gose into high rpm like 8-9.5 exuasght fumes come out of the top, where the headers are connected to the head. well it ant that bad. bang for the buck though. he had his car recently tuned and did make some little horepower out of it. but he did buy an muffeler on ebay to and that just poped off with all the perrsure. lol

Your boy's an idiot...:ugh:

Daniel.

11-02-2007, 01:15 PM

lol im thinking about my boys honda and he got some ebay headers. and it fine and everything. no problem yet. but the one thing he has it that when he gose into high rpm like 8-9.5 exuasght fumes come out of the top, where the headers are connected to the head. well it ant that bad. bang for the buck though. he had his car recently tuned and did make some little horepower out of it. but he did buy an muffeler on ebay to and that just poped off with all the perrsure. lol

Puahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahahhahahahahah hahahahhah......

*takes a breath*

ahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahahahahhaha :rofl:

....
....
....

*sigh*

AceInHole

11-02-2007, 02:02 PM

That's odd that they went easy on the porting. The turbo manifolds I've seen off ebay have been ground to hell. If you have the means, check to see if you can grind it out and polish it a bit. Smoother surface = less carbon buildup. It won't necessarily hurt if it's not port mached, as a larger header port will step the transition in your favor.

I'm not sure why so many people complain about the quality... it's an Ebay header. You can basically expect quality 3 ways: pay more, do it yourself (assuming you're capable), or some combination of the two.