looking for a header for my car need some info

[smokeymicpot]

i found one on ebay and its 90 plus 35 for shiping and its ceramic coated
and its a 4-2-1.

whats the dif between the real dc sport 4-2-1 and this one for like half the price?

[Civic Jim]

the quality and more than likely the power gains wont be as much , but sod paying twice as much for a little bit better quality and performance, go for it

[turtlecrxsi]

I've noticed the cheapos look the same but sometimes the O2 sensor bung is on the side of one exhaust tube in the manifold (like stock) but the high dollar ones like DC have it at the end of the two collector pipes right before the cat... I don't know what the diff is though

[91civicDXdude]

the stock location is better. WE, as obd0 honda fanatics, have the disadvantage of a 1 wire o2 sensor. this means it does not contain its own heating element. for an o2 sensor to work correctly, it needs to be at operating temperature. placing the o2 sensor further away from the ports increases warm up time, decreases gas mileage, and in some cases, causes a check engine light.

things to look for when buying a header...

1. The Collector. IMO, one of the most important aspects of any header is the collector. make sure the collector is smooth, and not just chopped off pipes with a flange welded to the outside.

2. Runners. The diameter and length is very important. You dont want a header that is restrictive, it defeats the purpose. The length of the primaries determines the power band. If you notice, a lot of very high dollar headers ($800+) have very long, wide primaries. You dont watn your runners too short.

3. Bends. Make sure all bends are smooth and mandrel bent. Look for "choke" areas. these are bad.

4. Material. Generally a Stainless Steel header will be a bit stronger than a mild steel, but mild steel is usually cheaper and sometime comes with a ceramic coating feature (I prefer ceramic).

[icE_x]

hmmz..well which headers are available now that are affordable and that work well? I know theres a 4-1 (which i wouldn't recommend) and a 4-2-1 by DC and some other no-name brands. I've heard some good things about DC and the price isn't too bad so i'd go with em IMO.

[smokeymicpot]

soo all the stuff you said to look for i guess i can't do it with out getting it here and looking at it.

[91civicDXdude]

take a look at the pictures... look at the quality of the welds and the bends, you can tell a decent header froma shitty one.

I like 4-1 headers, but ground clearance is next to none and often times you have to notch the front crossmember on 88-91 cars.

4-2-1 2 piece is my second pick becuase its very easy to install and still provides some power gains.