On Thursday, September 26, 2002, at 08:12 AM, Robert M. Lang wrote:
> Hi,
>
> This topic is a potential can-o-worms. However, the initial message was
> not too specific about which mild steel vs. stainless steel header we're
> talking about.
>
> That being said, the most important apsects of the header are the gauge
> of
> the steel, the diameter of the pipes and the quality of flange where the
> header bolts to the head.
>
> IMHO, it's not worth spending $150 on a header if you then turn around
> and
> spend 10 hours tweaking it to get it to fit. If you pay the money up
> front, you'll get a good piece that will function well, install easily
> (relatively) and last. Just remember - there's no such thing as a
> bolt-on
> header - they all need some tweaking. The key here is whether they need
> an
> hour or tweaking or a week.
>
Actually my header did bolt right up. No tweaking at all, I was amazed.
It also led me to give some credence to the claimed origins of my
header. It was supposedly made by the shop that built Kastner's stuff.
Then the adventure of custom intermediate pipes began. :-)
> All things considered, I'd vote for a SS header over mild steel because
> it
> will last longer.
>
A mechanic I worked with who used to own a shop in New Jersey in the
early and mid 70's used to tell me of replacing the mild steel exhaust
on TR6's on a yearly basis. This was when they were brand new cars,
being used on a daily basis, in a high humidity environment.
> If you decide to go mild steel, consider that for an additional $150 to
> $200 you can get it ceramic coated (inside and out). This process will
> make the header work better, reduce underhood temps. and generally help
> it
> last a long time. If money is no object, then get a stainless header and
> have that ceramic coated. THe coated part won't outlast the car once
> it's
> coated, but a mild steel header and no coating will be hard pressed to
> last much more than 5 or 6 years unless all you do is long trips...
>
> If you want to get into a debate about which features of the header make
> it good, I'll gladly go there - but suffice to say that TR6 engines
> respond quite nicely to properly sized header primary tube diameter and
> primary lengths. You will not get ideal power from your header
> (generally
> the desired effect from installing a header) without paying attention to
> this stuff.
>
> regards,
> rml
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>
>
Shawn Loseke
1972 TR6
Fort Collins, CO
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