What to look for in a "Header"

[Reignstarz]

Hi guys im new to this forum. Hopefully you will see more of me .

I have just a few questions, And I read most of the stickies so i'll try to stay away from the "WHERE DO YOU GET A NICE PART" question.

I'm looking to replace the header in my 1990 honda accord lx. I don't exactly know what to look for.

I saw Ceramic,Stainless Steel, Black powder coated(w/e that means).

What exactly do you look for in a nice header for give the best power output and performance.

My honda engine is f22a1(I believe) any advice Id appreciate it.

-Reign

[ibr_adam09]

i don't understand why people get headers,
bigger "tubes" for the engine to exhale better ? gets you 5 extra hp

w/e you do , dont spend more than 80 bucks, youll find some ones that are like 400 bucks for nothing


just like intakes , just b/c its says AEM does not make it 200 bucks worthy, a 3' inc tube is just as good as a 10 dollar one
( filter matters )

try not to fall for that bullshit that "features " sumtin diffrent then the cheaper one ... all of it is the same

[Flatline]

i don't understand why people get headers,
bigger "tubes" for the engine to exhale better ? gets you 5 extra hp

w/e you do , dont spend more than 80 bucks, youll find some ones that are like 400 bucks for nothing


just like intakes , just b/c its says AEM does not make it 200 bucks worthy, a 3' inc tube is just as good as a 10 dollar one
( filter matters )

try not to fall for that bullshit that "features " sumtin diffrent then the cheaper one ... all of it is the same

Yeah, bigger tubes for the exhaling. hmm.... 5hp. WEll if you did nothing then you would get 0 hp.

If you do get them, and then an intake, cat-back, better manifold, bigger throttle body maybe, your almost ready to throw a cam and a worked head on there. With a tune, that could be 50hp, depending on what you do get.

Like weight reduction, every little bit counts. and a lot of little bits can become a big difference.

[Reignstarz]

Hey guys thanks for the replies, I am new to rebuilding and I was going for cold air intake.

but I heard you have to mod it a certain way because of rain.


So ceramic, or stainless steel doesn't matter? I would think it would change heat other than that would it matter which I went for?

[Accrdwgnguy]

i don't understand why people get headers,
bigger "tubes" for the engine to exhale better ? gets you 5 extra hp

w/e you do , dont spend more than 80 bucks, youll find some ones that are like 400 bucks for nothing


just like intakes , just b/c its says AEM does not make it 200 bucks worthy, a 3' inc tube is just as good as a 10 dollar one
( filter matters )

try not to fall for that bullshit that "features " sumtin diffrent then the cheaper one ... all of it is the same

It does matter if you live in an area that does emissions testing, like Cali. If you live there, you have to get the $300 header because its emissions approved. If they don't check that stuff or your car for emissions in your area, then go ahead and get the cheap stuff.

Megan headers are good, you can find them new for $160.

Bigger tubes isn't the only reason to get a header, they also flow alot better than a stock manifold, providing smoother and faster exhaling of exhaust gases, thus more power.

[Zenzanon]

And the AEM and other name brand ones cost that much because they actually spent time in R&D, as opposed to the knock off companies that just took a name brand one and basically copied it...thus skipping a rather expensive production step. So you can either give your money to a company that really does shit all for the scene as far as progression goes, or pay a company for spending time to make sure their product works as efficiently as possible.

[shadowdlink]

Well, if you want to go the cheap way(the way I went), you could get some stuff off from Ebay(though, Id recommend researching the seller fist and his feedback rating).
I got steel Headers(not the best, but it gets the job done for like $70, but I hear the Megans are decent) and an Air intake(easy to install, pretty cheap) from Ebay.

[jst_4_kiks]

just get the exhaust and intake mani from an A6 accord and grab the cam and ECU too......swap accord parts for other accord parts ...simple...easy...cheap....done right....

[wed3k]

any header other than a bisimoto is pretty much built the same for the accord application.

the coatings are just for heat transfer, the more you can keep the heat contained the faster the air will travel and less engine bay temperatures (which the electronics will thank you for.)

you want equal length tubes, smooth bends, larger primaries and a good collector. look for firing order clocking and to help torque a merger that shrinks and opens back up...this will help the exhaust velocity.

pretty much anything after the cat is useless or for noise suppression.

[lost_accord]

just get the exhaust and intake mani from an A6 accord

Everything I've seen says the A6 & A1 (that OP has) share the SAME exhaust. The A4 exhaust is steel tube header. That is factory rated for +5HP. 90-91 EX model has them. That would be a good upgrade for you.

*edit* had posted that A4 header is stainless. it's not, just re-read something lol. but i still have one on my ex.

[ja23merz]

a4 and a6 headers are different. the one you want is the a4 header. neither are stainless steel.

[Losiracer2]

good build quality and good gaskets. Yeah those ebay headers are cheap, but so are the gaskets, which leak and cause you a BIG headache shortly after installing it. Companies like DC Sports employ the use of crush gaskets like OEM, so they seal perfect multiple times.

I took my DC header off at least 4-5 times throughout me owning it and not once did those crush rings leak exhaust gases. So that shows you it may be worth it to you to invest in a good quality header. I got my DC ceramic 4-2-1 new off ebay a couple years ago for 225 shipped. Never had one issue with it.

[bcjammerx]

90-91 ex's have that header...I was stoked at the jy today...only saw one ex...it was a 90-91...and it had the header

[AndoCommando]

are the headers that are all curly just fancy looking or do they have some sort of purpose looking that way?

[bcjammerx]

If you are referring to the "f1 style" then there is a BIG purpose...check out bisi's, it's actually cheaper than most of that style.

As far as I can tell...all the "dc 4-2-1" styles have the same performance potentials...with not much more over the stock a4 header.

the only difference seems to be quality of materials and welds. I wouldn't use the no name gaskets. IF it cracks...which apparently seems to be the consensus...HOWEVER "ebay" should not be used as a brand...if folks would stop using ebay as a brand name and instead use the brand/seller names that were used we could pinpoint the headers that crack...but just weld it if it cracks...even with those two issues you've got your $50 worth. Seems worth it to me...but not over $75 for it.

However the f1 style offers the greatest gains over stock as it gives the best flow velocities. Is it REALLY worth $800, I haven't seen a dyno with THAT being the only mod so I can't really say.

I think for 800-900 you could get some headwork done and see more gains...imo