Custom Headers

[NismoSkyZ]

Tmorgan4 posted earlier that there is a custom shop that is willing to make headers for us. He wants to judge how much everyone is interested, so please vote if you are. The price should not be too expensive and they will provide a horsepower gain. Here are some pros and cons to keeping or deleting the cats (posted by dernt):

 

The pros in keeping them are:

 

1. You are not violating federal laws by removing them. Many people seem to think that if you do not have emission testing in your area, you can remove them. This is not true. It is a federal crime to remove emission control devices.

 

2. Cats remove some of the toxic gases emitted by your vehicle.

 

3. Your engine control unit (ECU) is programmed for optimum performance including the cats in the system.

 

The cons in keeping:

 

1. They are costly, but unless clogged, you probably don't need to replace the existing ones.

 

2. Some performance gain might be achieved without them, but I don't think there is any quantitative evidence. I could be wrong here and I'm sure someone will let me know.

 

Please vote so Tmorgan knows what to do.

[zonianbrat]

I voted for the 96-99 pathy and to keep the cats. Although I think I might buy a set then have a custom exhaust done at a shop and possibly put on some high-flow cats and a 50 series flowmaster. Might be a good thing to spend my tax-returns on.

[mora2818]

Cats all the way! I just talked (3 weeks ago) to several shops about custom making some exhaust system with SLR Headers and cats or fake sensors and without cats. Basically shops weren't willing to mess with it or if they were it was way too expensive. So I just spent $500 to fix a cracked exhaust manifold.

 

Headers with cats and a custom exhaust probably wouldn't have been too much more to be honest. I would have much rather spent the money on headers and new exhaust. Not to mention I had to pay $200 for the POS OEM exhaust manifold to begin with. With that said to replace both sides would have been $800 or more.

 

I hope someone makes headers with Cats at a reasonable cost. It hurts me to see an engine with so much potential dumbed down.

 

Kevin

[tmorgan4]

Wow, can't believe the response for the R50s. To be honest, I wasn't expecting this many people.

 

Sounds like keeping the cats is important to people. On mine I'd probably take out the factory cat coming off the exhaust manifold and put in a high flow one. Let me try and get some more information from the shop. Unfortunatly I'll have to leave mine down there for 2-4 weeks.

[asrautox]

What I want to know is where the hell the option for 2001-2004 VQ35's is... I'd be willing to split with up to $600-800 for a nice set with cats..

[NismoSkyZ]

ask tmorgan

[nissandoms47]

i wonder if the headers for the new pathys or xterras would fit the older r50s with the VQ. its pretty much the same engine, i wonder if the flange pattern is the same.

[tmorgan4]

There are quite a few different models for the 350Z...I'd look into trying to find one that will fit the shape of the stock manifold.

 

Otherwise, any chance you're located in Colorado? I'm sure he'd make them if he had a vehicle to make them from.

[turbopath]

eh, the factory cats suck...why not vote for the catless header and put your own on?

[tmorgan4]

That's what I plan on doing. For everyone who has to pass emissions where they take a look at your exhaust, I think it's best to run a header setup that can use the stock cats. I plan on either gutting the stock cat or having another pipe made to act as a "test pipe" and add a single hi-flow cat on each side.

[nissandoms47]

just make sure you extend your rear 02 sensors to be after the cats.

[vengeful]

Meh...I've already got a set of Stillens.

[turbopath]

You can pass emissions just fine with aftermarket cats. They just check to make sure you have some and that they actually work. This is based on CA emissions experience. Either way, I guess I could just cut the flange off of whatever headers you get made.

Edited January 11, 2007 by turbopath

[nissandoms47]

set of stillens? when did you get those?

[asrautox]

There are quite a few different models for the 350Z...I'd look into trying to find one that will fit the shape of the stock manifold.

 

Otherwise, any chance you're located in Colorado? I'm sure he'd make them if he had a vehicle to make them from.

I am in Colorado! Golden actually. I'd be very willing to lend my truck for a while as I do a ride share to work. I've thought about trying to adapt 350Z headers and making a custom catback to fit, but I'm not so sure about plunking down $650 on a set that "might" fit.

[vengeful]

I got them on eBay for $70 about 2 years ago.

 

They're cracked so I'm going to be scavenging them and reproducing them for my own use using some heat-treated stainless steel with heat wrap.

[tmorgan4]

Dan....Are they going on anytime soon?

 

Since they aren't, would you mind letting me borrow them and have the shop pretty much duplicate them?

[vengeful]

They're getting measured and cut up this weekend to be modeled in SolidWorks.

 

I'd be happy to send you the SolidWorks files if'n you return the favor...