Well, I'm starting to mod my car more, y-pipe on the way, SP2 after that, etc... as far as a full exhaust is concerned what do you guys think abut headers for the 4th gen? I know OBX makes some, but I've heard horror stories about their quality, fit, installation, basically get what you pay for... and I know cattman makes headers, but I don't feel like spending $1000 for them. I'm also considering getting custom headers made, but that doesn't sound affordable either.

What do you all recommend as far as a company or whether I should even consider it?

 

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=512293

Ya and No.. The cheaper headers have some sort of fitment issue, and the good ones are Cattman or Stillen are EXpensive!!

I'd say just go with a y-pipe thats more noticable gains.. dyno proven too!

 

I have a full exhaust except for headers, and I was wondering the same thing. However, I found some of the ssautochrome headers on ebay (with the y pipe) for about 210. Worth it?

 

You get what u pay for...

 

Dude, just stick with the ypipe and the other mods you want. Gains won't be that much more with full headers... esp untuned & auto. Don't make me smack you.
They sure would sound nice though.

 

headers arent worth it unless you put out some serious cash...save your money for other mods

 

haha, so true, It's never gonna be fast, but it'll sure look good once I'm done

 

It depends on your goals/hp goal for the car. You want to squeeze every last ounce of hp out of it, then headers are the clear choice.

If you've got the $$, and capable of installing headers yourself, then go for headers. Otherwise, stick to the ypipe.

 

Thinking of boosting eventually. but for now I want every bit of power i can get N/A. I'd like to do headers...unless the only way to go is the stillen or cattman headers that cost more than my life. Would those be considered the only worthwhile options?

 

Everyone is going to have thier own opinion of which headers to go with. I myself have the Cattman headers and like them alot. I installed them myself over a 5 day period. The best thing to do is to read the thread provided in post #2 (and the link within) and decide for yourself.

Also, keep in mind that installing headers is not for a rookie. It takes a lot of time and you must have a nice collection of tools. If you can't do it yourself, expect to pay a shop anywhere from $400 - $600 for labor. Or find an experienced local org member to help you......

 

Thanks for the input. What did you have to do to install them? lift the motor out at all? Luckily for me, my dad is a nissan mechanic and I wouldn't call myself uneducated when it comes to my max....I think I could pull it off.

 

Its all on preference. How far you want to go modding? If you are going as far as building an engine yes, than there worth it. But if your looking for some quick hp mods than no.

 

The cheapest way to increase exhaust flow after you've done the obligatory Y pipe, etc is to remove the stock manifols and hone and cut the hell out of them to get a smoother flow. Then braze any holes and have them heat coated inside and out and gasket match them to the exhaust on the heads. You can pick these up cheap and do all the work and not have you're car down until you install the modified ones. Don't forget to weigh the manifolds before and after because you should remove about a pound of metal from each side. This is far cheaper and much easier to do than fooling with headers in such tight spaces and the HP gain of a header over a modified exhaust manifold will be miniscule. A very inexpensive way to get better exhaust flow!

 

does anyone know what Y-pipe is available for the SE-limited (cali spec crap) ???

 

Cattman, Stillen, Warpspeed, or Budget.

On a side note........

a) You've been a member since 2000 and never saw this topic come up before?
b) Don't hijack people's threads
c)SEARCH!!

 

Slightly honed and gasket matched, then HPC ceramic coated inside and out FTW....

 

From what I remember there was only one kind that fits the cali spec one.

A) I have seen it a long tiem ago, thats why im asking
B) People talked about Ypipes in this thread
C) Search here sucks

If im gonna invest im gonna make sure im getting the right one and right kind. (You will be seeing a new post soon)

 

Nah, all 4 carry a CA spec ypipe. Why create a thread why you can go directly to the websites and check things out for yourself?

http://www.stillen.com/product.asp?id=STIRACEP01&c=PE

http://www.cattmanperformance.com/

http://www.warpspeedperformance.com/nissan.htm

http://www.lssexhaust.com/

 

Looks great but you could remove much more metal if you wanted to.

Anyway, my brother-in-law lives in Temecula and I go there occasionally, PM your cell and we can meet up one day.

 

That is an awesome post! Asides from the horrible casting bumps the stock manifolds are suprisingly nice. That is very good info and here on the .org there has yet to be a before after dyno of a y-pipe w/stock manifolds vs header/y-pipe.

 

Out of curiosity, where exactly did you have fitment issues when you installed your ssautochrome headers?

 

If you want and think 20 fwhp over stock, get headers. I have 2 dynos from 2 different members proving this, don't make me post them again

 

20fwhp from what headers and what gen max? If its a 4th gen with the ssautochrome/stone racing style headers, I'm all over it. Even if its only 10hp....

 

Before most of you Noobs were around, Don in Texas was looking at having headers made for his 4th gen. He took a set of stock manifolds and had them extrude honed to try and gauge what gain if any he could look forward to. I don't recall his exact numbers, but he gained between 1 & 3 HP throughout the rpm range. After such a low return for so much money (extrude honing is NOT cheap) he said screw it and gave up on trying to make headers. I don't think honing out your stock headers is going to gain you enough to be worth your time/effort.

 

^^couldn't agree more, and those minimal gains from either set-up will be proved soon enough.

It's not a 4th gen....... and on a 5th gen headers are equivelant to adding a y-pipe so.... blah...... me no care. Coming soon around september we will finally see a before/after run of y-pipe vs headers on a 4th gen, I am doing a free install of the cattman gen3, all he will be paying for is the dyno runs. I wish I could do it sooner as someone else just bought ssautochrome headers and wants me to install them in a few weeks, but I can already here the .org members saying 'yeah but those are the smr headers, cattman gen3's probably give like 10hp'

 

It's not a 4th gen....... and on a 5th gen headers are equivelant to adding a y-pipe so.... blah...... me no care, I'm sure we've all seen motorvates 4th gen dyno where he got 19whp from a y-pipe, so that 20whp dyno sorta helps to prove the point that eliminating pre-cats is good for 19whp and headers are worth 1. Coming soon around september we will finally see a before/after run of y-pipe vs headers on a 4th gen, I have offered a free install on headers, all he has to do is pay for 2 dyno runs.

 

What forum is this?

Maybe I should clarify. Equal length headers (i.e. Cattmans)

It's been greatly debated, perhaps before your time, that that particular dyno showing the 19whp from a y-pipe is not the norm. Some blame the extreme CF of the 2 comparison runs.


I used to be just like you, and after I saw the 1-3 whp gain, I was not impressed. But those were the days when we never thought even the mighty 00VI could fit Here's proof. Look at my trolling

http://forums.maxima.org/showpost.ph...1&postcount=35 http://forums.maxima.org/showpost.ph...1&postcount=45 Look at me, eating my words. It could also be because of the fact that I'm now all for every ounce of power, almost to the point to say heck with the price. I suppose after a certain amount, that's the attitude we get.


Here's one comparison, again, the gains will be semi minimal vs stock, and we could sit here all day and way our tails and hope/pray someone will dyno both on the same car . But it will never happen. And if it does, I'll be happy.

But since I KNOW a y-pipe will NOT give a consistent near 20fwhp gain in 2 different cars, I will continue to argue this until someone shows me runfiles Although Stillens 1st gen Y may be the only candidate to nip close, but until then once again.

Here's one:

Mods: Greddy muffler vs Cattman headers + said muffler.

Give me a minute while I sift through the old threads for the other.

 

since you have a 99 its a cali spec so yeah the headers will free up the precats now its up to you and what you plan on doing for a simple change low and mid range and a bit of a gain you can get the ssautchrome if your looking for more mid range and up top then your gonna need equal length long tubed headers like the hotshot or cattman

 

oh wow, didn't even notice the OP was '99, yes if you're cali spec headers are key.

 

what would the difference in whp be....cali spec/headers y pipe, or cali spec with just a y pipe???

 

heres the problem on a cali spec the precats are in the headers so if you dont change out the headers then the precats are there fed spec if you swap the ypipe you eliminate the precats. so too answer your question just a ypipe would be minimal because your trying to push the air flow through restricitve precats so if i was you i would just get the ssautochrome there good for daily driving good low and mid range but they do tend to choke up on the higher rpms due to them being short tubed headers. but im gonna say this once stay away frommm the obx headers there junk horrible fitment 2 flex sections and there 2 1/8 less then oem.

heres a comparison of the 2 headers:

 

wow, man am I glad I drive a fed-spec!

 

double post, sorry

 

so all 99s are cali spec? I've never seen the pre-cat in my engine bay

 

How many O2 sensors do you? If you answered 4 then yes, you're Cali.

 

yeah thats the main way to check pop ur hood and ushould see 4 o2 sensors actuallyl the other is some other sensor but yeah 99's are cali spec

 

Sorry, bud - most '99s are Fed spec. I own one, and others I know have '99s - and they are all Fed spec. Two O2 sensors up front, one behind the cat.

 

It actually depends on what part of the country the vehicle was originally sold. If it was sold on either the east/west coast it was most likely California spec, whereas if it was sold in the middle of the country (where emissions weren't as big of a deal) they are most likely fed specs. I still think that there are way more 99's that are California spec than federal spec.

 

Interesting - you think that "Cali spec" cars were sold in other states than California ?

I was just searching on car-part.com for '99 engines - since I blew one today - and did search for Cali spec engines in the Midwest and found very very few. Of course, they will move around - but would you expect to find a lot of Cali spec Maxes in say New Jersey?

I just checked, and there were 80 non-Calif spec 1999-compatible Max engines and 6 Calif 1999-compatible engines available in New Jersey. That doesn't sound like a majority to me.

Searching California for Calif-spec engines shows about 3-to-1 in favor of non-Calif-spec engines available in California.

I stand by my statement - Calif-spec engines are clearly in the minority - everywhere I looked on the coasts - California and New Jersey.

Not that this matters in the least, but I confirmed what I thought I was seeing earlier.....

 

Yeah I didn't remember seeing a precat on the front header last time I looked under your hood.
You back in town yet?