Do these 4.0 SOHC headers suck?

[veefer800canuck]

No brand name, price is too good to be true, smells like it might be cheaP junk to avoid?

Anybody know first hand?

http://m.ebay.com/itm/381056777342?nav=SEARCH

 

[veefer800canuck]

Nobody??

I was thinking headers might compliment my supercharger when I get around to installing it in the spring.

 

[stmitch]

The consensus used to be that headers on the SOHC 4.0 were good for basically zero power, and were a huge pain to install. Everybody said that they were basically a big waste of time and money. I don't recall if that applied to boosted trucks as well though.

 

[veefer800canuck]

Hmm, I was more wondering about the quality, if someone has bought them.

Do the flanges warp and leak, do they crack at the welds, that sort of thing.

 

[MastuhWaffles]

If your 4.0 is stock then you shouldn't bother. If you have some upgrades or plan on doing some then adding headers is not a bad idea.

 

[AllanD]

On a blown (Supercharged, turbocharged, Nitrous Oxide) engine, headers are high on the to-do list.

I just finished installing a set of Hedmann with a facory applied JEt-Hot ceramic aluminum finish, they seem well made, not as slick as the Borla's I had previously.

I will say that Borla's retailed for twice what a set of JBAs cost, but they still cracked on me (along the welds), the flanges were first rate and I'm not ready to guess why they cracked, but I do tow some rather heavy stuff and spending 15minutes at Wide Open throttle in third or fourth gear is not an abnormal thing for me.. so I did get them glowing really brightly several times... that alone coulda done it... but a 4.0 SOHC is a different engine and I doubt you'd have the same problem..

Pretty much the best out there is generally considered to be the JBAs, which are stainless steel, but I'd still recommend getting the ceramic coating...

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[JohnnyO]

On a 4.0 SOHC the stock manifolds are pretty good which is why headers pick up little if any power.

 

[veefer800canuck]

Thanks for the replies.

I guess I was looking for: "I bought these exact same headers and they're great, never leak or crack, fit perfect!"

OR: "They suck, run far far away! Mine were trashed in 6 months! Not worth a pinch of coon shit!"

As opposed to discussing the merits of headers and relative horsepower.

 

[JohnnyO]

Thanks for the replies.

I guess I was looking for: "I bought these exact same headers and they're great, never leak or crack, fit perfect!"

OR: "They suck, run far far away! Mine were trashed in 6 months! Not worth a pinch of coon shit!"

As opposed to discussing the merits of headers and relative horsepower.

Basically we're all telling you to save your money. My personal $0.02 is that they are too cheap to be any good.

 

[veefer800canuck]

OK thanks, I guess I'll save my pesos for something else then.

 

[Braindead]

Just know that there is more than one grade of "Stainless Steel"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAE_steel_grades

 

[Braindead]

OOps accidentally sent it before I was finished. Basically 304 sucks 316 is great

 

[Braindead]

Damn, I did it again
If a magnet sticks to it it is low grade
IMHO

 

[AllanD]

Typically Headers are made out of 409 stainless.

If you have really deep pockets or own your own Formula 1 team
You would make your headers out of any of the three following materials...
(In order)

Inconel 720
Commercially pure Titanium
321 stainless steel

If I won the lotto I'd get them made of Inconel-720... (Inconel is Like stainless steel without the Iron
that is to say that it is simply an alloy of Nickel & Chromium)
The best material if you can find headers made from it is 321stainless steel.

But honestly if you have that kind of money you'd also make your header gaskets from commercially pure gold. 0.080" should be just about perfect...

Another material to consider if you can get it is the "Hastelloy" family of alloys...
(these are like high grade stainless steels, but are Cobalt rather than Iron based)


30 years ago, just to be an asshole I made an exhaust system for my Saab 900Turbo out of commercially pure Titanium... I had the material available, and it developed a nice "rainbow" pattern from the heat...

In the circles I traveled in back then I knew someone would see it and know what it was...

But aside from that it was corrosion resistant....

As an Update: I've had the Borla's re-welded and reinstalled them, I just had to find a welder that wouldn't argue with me about what specific material they were made from (409 stainless steel) and the proper filler rod to use when TIG welding them (416)...

Gains from headers may not be particularly large but if having headers makes you feel good go for it....

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[AllanD]

One of the reasons I said "on a blown(supercharged)" engine using headers is a good idea, it this...

A supercharged engine doesn't generate higher exhaust temperatures, but it does produce a higher volume of exhaust gas, so if cast manifolds are used they will get
more "heat soaked" and that will tend to make them more prone to crack...

In ADDITION to this... that heat will tend to conduct back into the head heads and this will put more
strain on the cooling system....

Tube headers are lighter with less thermal mass, so simply can't store heat energy that can conduct back
to the heads where it must then be dissipated by the cooling system...

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