I was bored today and found some new Maxima headers on Ebay.

I have compared them to other cheap headers of the past I've seen and these look totaly different. OBX makes them, so its probably a knockoff some other company. Only thing I do not like about them is the way the rear exhaust manifold merges with the Ypipe. The primary exhaust manifold tubing looks like a long tube design similar to that of Cattman and HotShot, vs short exhaust tubes of the Stillen headers- which make no power.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/OBX-R...QQcmdZViewItem

I'm not going to be buying them since I already have headers, but I figured this would open up a discussion on a possible cheap headers for people on the budget.

 

they might be pretty good but id want to see pictures of where the 3 pipes of the manifold merge together ( i think its called the collector). Because ive sceen pics of really crappy collectors.

 

i though headers on the 5th gen weren't that great, compared to how good they are on the 5.5. anyone wanna clear this up for me?

 

Yeah the collector sucks on these which is why no one buys them. Been talked about on the 4th gen forum for a while, they are pretty old.

 

So do they make any power at all? Are they an original design by OBX? or a knockoff, since OBX makes alot of knockoff products. (which isnt a bad thing)

 

you are correct, the y-pipe on the 00-01 loses the cats, but on the 02+ the cats are in the manifold, so the headers make more power...

 

Headers on a 3.0 are just as good as a 3.5...

The 3.5 makes about 2whp more thanks to more displacement.

 

the y pipe on cali specs, some 2k and all 2k1 only removes 1 precat. headers would remove both. if its a fed spec 2k then a y pipe would remove both precats.

 

I thought a Fed spec only had one pre-cat in the rear manifold.

 

cant belive i didnt catch that

 

that might be true. ive just always heard it referenced that the y pipe removed all precats in fed spec 3.0s so i assumed it had two but mines cali so im not positive.

 

Sloppymax is right - Fed spec 2K actually has 2 precats (bank 1 and 2) and they are both in Y-pipe... I had them Here is a pic that shows it...

 

yeah, doesnt look like it will provide substantial gains. there was a good article about exhaust design which discussed the matching of the pulsation of the exhaust gases to provide maximum power gains.

 

why does it look as tho the rear bank runs into the "flow" of the front bank almost head on, wouldnt that be detramental to total exhaust flow?

and for $350? u can get hotshots for $550, well worht the extra 200bucks if u ask me.

headers,equal lenght or go home,imo.

 

this is what the stock y-pipe looks like:



it runs towards the front of the car and then turns back around. With a aftermarket y-pipe, the flow just goes down and back, much less restrictive.

 

dag those are some crazy o2 sensor locations...good lawd! Gotta crawl under the car when those puppies go...or just to test them with a meter.

 

i meant the ebay headers looked as tho the rear bank flow was running smack into the front banks flow, not the stocker.

altho i didnt know the stock y-pipe "flowed" like that, very intresting

 

Ok, Im sure this has been discussed before, but Im going to ask anyways. I have an 03 with a Cattman Y-Pipe and full Cattman cattback and the Fast cat. If I chose to go with HS headers will I have fittment isssues with Cattmans cattback? Thanks.

 

No you won't...but there could be a possibility your exhaust piping can hit the cross member...or rub against the rear heat shield...but if i remember correctly, you already solved this with hose clamps? If thats the case, you have nothing to worry about

 

Now the decision on which headers to get and how to get them installed. Decisions, decisions.

 

$ per Hp- HotShot...

Looks- HotShot (personally)

SS and never going to rust through on you- Cattman

"Name Brand" needing the "Best"- Cattman

$1,000+ burning a hole in your pocket- Cattman

$650 burning a hole in your pocket- HotShot.

They both have good customer service, they both have silly quirks . The only thing holding HotShot back in my eyes is that they are not SS. But poeple like BlackbirdVQ have been running them for well over a year in snow & salt with out them failing yet...

 

agreeeeeed