Exhaust Leak at Headers

Alright, I'm looking at the JBA shorty Cat4ward headers.

They are actually cheaper than the stock manifolds and installation looks to be about the same.

Since my car is an 06, they are considered CARB legal down here in the litigious state of CA.

I guess cars built after that they are considered *off road use only*, go figure...

Now I'm just looking at speed shops for the install.

Doesn't appear to be any of good reputation within 50miles of where I'm living, so that definitely complicates things.

If anyone knows of a place, I'm in the San Francisco East Bay area (lafayette)

The best option I've found so far is TPS motorsports in Campbell, CA

Followed by Campbell Ford Performance.

Any experience?
 
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Right, but Long Tubes aren't smog legal, they wont pass a visual inspection (not in California at least). Even these Shorty headers aren't CARB legal if your car was built sometime after mid-2006.

So it would either be somewhere between $8-900 to get the one side replaced. Or $11-1200 to get them both replaced with JBA Cat4ward shorty headers.

I'd also get the chance to swap the stock bolts for a set of locking bolt/nut/washers so I wont have this problem ever again...
Stage 8 Locking Fasteners 8913 - Stage 8 Locking Header Bolt Kits - Overview - SummitRacing.com
 
Sparta,

it's not that I'm a longtube hater or something. I would have given in and put them on a long time ago if it were somehow feasible in my state.

I mean come on, this is really the first downside I've ever had that I can directly link to my living in California.

I'm faced with 2 options as I see it:
1) I could very well replace the one side with the OEM exhaust manifold.

Pro's
I'd save $300, Exhaust leak would be repaired and I'd be on my merry way

Con's
I'd be in exactly the same place mod-wise and out some $900 with nothing to show for it
How do I know that it wont just happen to the drivers side manifold as well?
How much faith should I put in that OEM P.O.S. that failed on me after 50K miles?

#2) Replace both sides with a C.A.R.B. Legal JBA Cat4ward shorty header set & Stage 8 header bolts

Pro's
Less likely to encounter this problem ever again
Gain some marginal amount of HP/Tq (I know, it's not near as much as Long tubes...)
Add one more mod to the already lengthy list
Will pass Stringent CA emissions (the headers will at least)

Con's
I'll be out an additional $300 bucks
It will be the first mod since window tint that I haven't done myself

I don't know guys. Any last thoughts?
 
dude do what you want, longtube headers are the most powerful, but the main part of the market leans toward a good set of shorty headers. Since you are in CA and im assuiming you dont know of a place that will give him a "pass" for having his off road stuff on. no reason not to just go ahead and get new heads if he is practically paying that much anyway. Shortys wont kill you and are a big improvement on the stock manifolds.
 
I also have the same issues about wanting long tubes but getting it thru the CA Smog. ... They wont get thru the visual equipment smog inspection, regardless of how they effect the performance. That is not to say there might not be other options for the smog issue.

In regards to the shorties, the JBA's are nice ones, and yeak they really don't add much power (maybe 5 to 10), but they look bitchin and sound a little different. I have shorties on mine. I installed them myself. It is a job. You have to remove the battery tray, air filter box, starter, rack and pinion, the exhaust system, remove the bolts from one motor mount, and lift the engine slightly to get the header to bolt up, then rebolt everything back up. I did it without a lift, in a weekend, with a friend helping for about 6 hours on the first day.

A couple of notes: Use the Factory Ford crush gaskets. ( i used the gaskets supplied with my headers, and had to replace one side after it leaked.) Get a set of those Craftsmen swivel head ratcheting box end wrenches ... they make it much easier. Follow the JBA installation instructions. I don't have JBA shortie's but ended up folllowing their install instructions.

One thought on the manifold ... if it is warped, it wouldn't be hard to re surface it. I've seen a lot of exhaust manifolds and header flanges ground flat on a 6" belt sander and a file. Just check it with a straight edge afterwards. Every one sealed just fine afterwards.

Yeah ... shorties don't add much power but they definitely don't take it away. They do sound a little better, and they definetely have the "looks bitchin" factor.

Was it worth a weekend and $300.00? Hell yes!
 
I'm bitting the bullet, got the JBA headers (Thanks AM!)

Giving TPS motorsports a try in Campbell, ca.

I'll let you know how it goes.

I'm also putting on a set of underdrive pullies I've had lying around for a year now. Hopefully that and the headers will make some impact.

Question: Should I have the car dyno'ed after the install? Or is it a waste of money just for bragging rights over the honda crowd?
 
Good news to report:

I picked up the car yesterday after having the JBA Headers done, Steeda Pullies installed, an oil Change and a set of dyno runs.

Mike and Jason at TPS were very personable, knowledgable and even though this was my first visit to their shop, trustworthy.

It took a little longer than we had had hoped but I'd rather them take their time than rush on something as important as the headers.

Now how much power does she make is what you all want to know (if anyone still cares about this post...)

View attachment 193348

Those numbers are SAE corrected. 306hp & 330tq at the rear wheels.

Overall, I'm happy. Not sure if the shorties added any real power at all [thank you Spartaperf]. But they certainly look a lot cooler and don't leak like my stockers. This was a repair job afterall. Plus they were cheaper on clearance at AM than if I bought the stock manifolds from the stealership (no surprise there).

If anyone was interested, TPS's prices were fair enough. $80 Labor/hr, $90 for 3 Dyno pulls