GreekPT

I was talking a vendor who appeared very knowledgeable regarding Vettes and he claimed all "big name" headers are too thin and you can expect them to crack after a year of use at HPDE events. He likened the header to a replaceable part like pads and said he's determined this from personal experience of selling headers and working on customer's cars.

I'm in the market for some LT's and this is discouraging info at best.

But I have no first hand experience with this so I'm hoping to get honest answers.

Thx,
Phil

Cobra4B

I've had kooks 1 3/4ths long tubes with cats in since January '04 w/o issue.

FactoryRaceCar

I have LG PROs without any issues. LG actually race their headers.

Bink

I had the original type LG Longtubes (built before the Borla "Pro" construction) - the right and left both leaked at the collector after about 18 months of use. Street use only. FWIW.

emf

LG custom LT's as well, since Dec '02. About 9k street miles and about 13k track miles (and, a whole bunch of offs, to boot!) . . . not a single issue.

I think a bunch of it counts as 'YMMV', but for the most part you can get an idea of how things are going to hold together just by looking at the materials. doesn't save you from a bad weld now and then . . . . but that's a different story

tcmc5

I'm personally unaware of any C5 LT header failures after 5 yrs of doing track events and autox's. I'm sure they occur but I don't think they're as common as your source said. I used a set of TPIS headers for 4 yrs of hard track and street use and they held together fine. TPIS is one of the less expensive headers available and made of mild steel not stainless like LGs or Kooks. With the occasional exception, I would expect the 'big name' headers to be fine for years of HPDEs.

AU N EGL

Phil

Sounds like some one is trying to sell you a bill of goods.

Get the better names and their top model.

I have run 2" TPIS ceramic coated mild steal headers for three years now. almost exclusivly on the track with no issues what so ever.

There are many very good names. Some slightly better at RR and others for DR. but it is not by much.

Top names in no particular order

Borla
LG ( Special Made by Borla for LG )
TPIS
Corsa - Corsa makes more Road Racing headers then all the others combine. almost all the LSx engines in Grand Am run Corsa and the C5r and C6R run Corsa. no not off the shelve but custom made.
Kooks for drag racing, hands down and v. good for DEs

If you looking at spending 500 vs 1000 -1500. Send the higher amount for the better header. $500 headers only have the name of the better Big brother, not the quality.


Now if you have a mandle bending machine and like to bend a little tubing make your own.

now mufflers are a different story all togther.

For an exhaust system you want the fewest bends and smoothes flow charicteristics as possible. 1 7/8" or 2" into a 3" collector, a smooth X pipe )( vs X and no H pipes and 3" tubing out. Lowers the back pressure and gives a pony or 3 more.

also dont forget to tune the car. You cant expect differences when just bolting on things. Dyno tune get the most out of your bolt ons.

Sully C5

Coated StainlessWorks 1¾" Long-tube headers on our C5R-427 for 4 years. Had a minor leak at a weld after three years...fixed for free.

Mark VerMurlen

I've had TPIS headers on my car for the past 3 years and do 3 or 4 HPDE events on them per year plus some autocrossing too. I've not had any problems with my headers thus far. I know of other people at these events that are running headers as well and I've not heard of any one cracking a header.

- Mark

Red Gump

4 years with stainless works 1 3/4" long tubes here, NO leaks. just got my car back from a shop in lauderdale that works on grand am and world challenge cars almost exclusively and got many compliments on quality.

John Shiels

air tube broke on my LGM's I had to get it re-welded after removing.

Z06 Silver Bullet

Kooks heat treated in and out.
Huge difference to temps as I can almost touch my header after a run.

No issues but little power gain from full exhaust change (15rwhp).

Save and do with cam at a minimal is my advice.

DALE C

I have had the same set of Mellrose headers on my car thru 2 engines and and 2 sets of body panels with no problems. Usualy if something can be broke I will break it.

RAFTRACER

Not only has that particular set of headers survived body panel damage and tow engines , they also survived a particular ASP car for some time. I do know of one set of Melrose's that had an air pump tube break off on a race car, but that was an isolated incident and that car shouldn't have had air pump tubes in the first place. Melrose was notified by myself of that incident and they immediately changed the air pumptube design. Melroses are a GREAT header for the money, and make really good #'s (amoung the best).

The only headers I have seen problems with are the TPIS headers . They are the lightest wieght of the bunch , and are made of the lightest (thinnest) material. Air pump tubes and the welded on brackets for the bellhousing are the first things to break. If I still ran the TPIS's I would not attach them to the bellhousing . When the exhaust expands the brackets are "stressed" which casues them to break off.

For the most part , I think all of the manufacturers build their headers pretty well and should not fall apart ( and I have seen alot of headers). For a roadrace car I would certianly have the headers coated FWIW. Coated headers are easier on everything including the driver and coatings actually make a little more power.

96CollectorSport

I've installed 4 set's of the Melrose headers, all on track cars. That was last year and after looking over 2 of the sets the coating is holding up good and they still look great. Plus they are now a forum vendor
www.melroseheaders.com

Cobra4B

^ But the melrose headers aren't stainless.

melrose

Why do you want stainless?

John Shiels

who wants to look at rust? Coatings are fine till they get scraped or nicked.

Cobra4B

Stainless headers don't rust or corrode or break down. Mild steel headers will over time.

I'm not running a race car so I can't afford to just swap pipes if they wear out. I want something that'll last "Forever"

RAFTRACER

Melroses are not currently built of stainless, but they do come coated (JET HOT) and they do cost less than the stainless headers. Stainless is a better material to use , but on any race or tracktime car it is important for the headers to be coated because this saves all of your wiring , underhood temperatures and clutch hydraulics. Not to mention how hot the floor board on your car gets ...

With that said , we use Melrose headers alot. Have them on race cars, and street cars and even ones that are driven in the winter and have not seen the JET HOT coating come off of one yet. Melrose headers dollar for dollar are about as good as it is going to get.