New OBX Headers - some photos and measurements
#81
so let me get this straight...i'll be honest, I'm a bit slow. So you bought the OBX headers from ebay... and they looked good... but you already knew there was gonna be fitament issues... so with this in mind you wanted to go ahead and hack them up... and customize the pipe from the headers down??? You where in some way gonna fabricate a y-pipe onto the headers.....correct? Whats the main issue your having... clearance??? And its only with the rear headers??? is there anyway to bend to give you some clearance????? and is the that the only issue? When I read your post I was like HELL YEA, it looked promising... some $300 headers with some minor welding job... = affordable mod. But now I guess it wasnt possible.
#82
Originally Posted by grey99max
If you're talking to me, check the photo in my last post. That's how the car sits, and why it's kinda loud and raspy. It's running on the stubs in the photo!
Only if we didn't have the crossmember, we could install these http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/OBX-9...spagenameZWDVW
#84
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Originally Posted by NismoMaxman2
so let me get this straight...i'll be honest, I'm a bit slow. So you bought the OBX headers from ebay... and they looked good... but you already knew there was gonna be fitament issues... so with this in mind you wanted to go ahead and hack them up... and customize the pipe from the headers down??? You where in some way gonna fabricate a y-pipe onto the headers.....correct? Whats the main issue your having... clearance??? And its only with the rear headers??? is there anyway to bend to give you some clearance????? and is the that the only issue? When I read your post I was like HELL YEA, it looked promising... some $300 headers with some minor welding job... = affordable mod. But now I guess it wasnt possible.
1. It's winter - buy stuff for next season.
2. Goal - 12 second ETs. Headers. Cattman - too expensive, limited availability. Hotshot - even available?
3. OBX on Ebay. Hummm. Good headers, teeny Y-pipe. Cheesey Y-pipe.
4. I can use the headers and have local shop make the rest! I want to keep my Warpspeed 3-inch exhaust system, now a cat-back system. I had a couple of talks with the shop owner. No problem. Race shop, remember?
5. When I started installation, the front header went in OK. (I used OEM gaskets).
6. The rear header could not go in with the front pipe connected. No wiggle-room, and you can't just lift it straight up into position.
7. Since the Y-pipe was already doomed, and the rear won't install, I cut off both extra pipes from the rear header.
8. Rear header installed easily. I plugged the EGR outlet first.
9. Car now runs again, so next step is to coordinate with racer's exhaust shop to finish the whole thing.
The headers look pretty darn good. Welds are ground, ports are polished, the header flange is thick stuff, downtubes are long and merge well into a 3-tube collector, so I think I'm ready for the shop.
.
PS. This thread is kinda payback for all the neat stuff I get from the ORG. Plus people here need to know the truth about these headers. I wonder if I should contact eBay and hint that there is some false advertising going on here.
#85
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Originally Posted by Stabone
How did the neighbors take the sound?
Wife's back so it's a lawn-maintenance day anyway. Man, the engine revs easily now. Maybe I should leave it that way and just trailer to places ???
#87
Ok cool.... so the rear heads did fit... its just gonna be major fabrication correct??? I saw your thread... and I wanted to know the turnaround... if you where able to get anything out of the car.... so heads fit, its just the collecting pipe/y-pipe that needs to be modified//hacked to fit correct??? sorry for the questions... but I want to make sure... I might try this later on this month. would a 2.5 pipe be a issue? I plan to run both N/A for a while and then some nitrous later on....
Raul
Raul
#88
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Originally Posted by NismoMaxman2
Ok cool.... so the rear heads did fit... its just gonna be major fabrication correct??? I saw your thread... and I wanted to know the turnaround... if you where able to get anything out of the car.... so heads fit, its just the collecting pipe/y-pipe that needs to be modified//hacked to fit correct??? sorry for the questions... but I want to make sure... I might try this later on this month. would a 2.5 pipe be a issue? I plan to run both N/A for a while and then some nitrous later on....
Raul
Raul
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/Dscn1945.jpg
Yes, both headers are installed. The two stubs in the picture show what I had to do to the rear manifold plumbing to get the rear header up in there and installed. The front one goes in easily - but the lower end connector is too close to the oil pan, and angled too far up for the extension pipe to fit on.
Cliff notes: cut all the extra stuff off the rear header, installed both front and rear headers, need to have rest of Y-pipe constructed and O2 bungs put in the right places. With extending the wires, the rear O2 sensor will fit in one of the holes.
Once you get to this point, your fabricator should be able to make whatever Y-pipe you need.
.
Raul, go for the nitrous when your exhaust is finished. It's a blast !!
.
#89
w000h00!
I definatly agree tho, send these pictures to OBX with a cliffnote of what you had to do to get them to work, cus that is ridiculous... Of course mentioning the false advertisement going on at eBay for these should be noted .
I definatly agree tho, send these pictures to OBX with a cliffnote of what you had to do to get them to work, cus that is ridiculous... Of course mentioning the false advertisement going on at eBay for these should be noted .
#90
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Thursday Is The Day
I checked with the muffler shop this afternoon, and Thursday morning the car goes in the shop for the 3" Y-pipe. Yeah.
I spent the evening building extensions for the two front O2 sensors.
I got the car down off the jackstands and Rhino stands tonight. It reminded me again how low it sits in the front end. The most fun was starting it up. Scared my wife, neighborhood birds went quiet, and dogs went hysterical after a little revving in the driveway. Heh. Then I backed it up and put it to bed.
Thursday.
I spent the evening building extensions for the two front O2 sensors.
I got the car down off the jackstands and Rhino stands tonight. It reminded me again how low it sits in the front end. The most fun was starting it up. Scared my wife, neighborhood birds went quiet, and dogs went hysterical after a little revving in the driveway. Heh. Then I backed it up and put it to bed.
Thursday.
#91
Sounds good. Looks like you and I both are making progress for this season. I can't wait to see what this exhaust setup does for your times, let alone the new electronics and the third stage of nitrous
#92
Wow. Thrusday is a big day for both of us. My car returns from the Surgeon (auto body) on Thursday with a new front end. Needless to say I'm excited as I'm sure you will be as well. We will have to meet up again soon. I still owe you lunch!
#93
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Originally Posted by Stabone
Wow. Thrusday is a big day for both of us. My car returns from the Surgeon (auto body) on Thursday with a new front end. Needless to say I'm excited as I'm sure you will be as well. We will have to meet up again soon. I still owe you lunch!
We'll connect at one of the Mon-Kan Nissan events, I'm sure. Once I get all this new stuff working right, I shall become unsufferable in public.
#94
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Originally Posted by Tatanko
Sounds good. Looks like you and I both are making progress for this season. I can't wait to see what this exhaust setup does for your times, let alone the new electronics and the third stage of nitrous
Did you get your wiring things figured out?? That TCU is too hard to access for me...
#95
Originally Posted by grey99max
Did you get your wiring things figured out?? That TCU is too hard to access for me...
#96
Big day for me as well, I will be installing SFC's or a 3rd pedal
I shall have a nice vid of the shift fast and TC and lauching and eu revlimit and all that good stuff soon too
I shall have a nice vid of the shift fast and TC and lauching and eu revlimit and all that good stuff soon too
#97
Originally Posted by Kevlo911
Big day for me as well, I will be installing SFC's or a 3rd pedal
I shall have a nice vid of the shift fast and TC and lauching and eu revlimit and all that good stuff soon too
I shall have a nice vid of the shift fast and TC and lauching and eu revlimit and all that good stuff soon too
#101
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Originally Posted by Kevlo911
Big day for me as well, I will be installing SFC's or a 3rd pedal
I shall have a nice vid of the shift fast and TC and lauching and eu revlimit and all that good stuff soon too
I shall have a nice vid of the shift fast and TC and lauching and eu revlimit and all that good stuff soon too
Maybe you can figure out the best way to use the TC clutch for me. I'm still working on the car, not racing it..
#102
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Picked up the Max with completed exhaust today
The shop had finished with my OBX headers + Y-pipe today, so I picked it up and drove home. Wet streets and DRs don't mix well..
After I got home, the skies opened, so I put it back in the garage. Taking pictures will have to wait for dry sky.
There are 2" pipes coming off each header, back into a 3" collector and shorty turbo flex joint. The O2 sensors now have homes to screw into. I think there is now a place for a cutout, since there is space between the 2-to-1 collector and the rear flex joint. Time will tell.
Once we get sunshine back, I'll get the car back up and get some pictures.
.
After I got home, the skies opened, so I put it back in the garage. Taking pictures will have to wait for dry sky.
There are 2" pipes coming off each header, back into a 3" collector and shorty turbo flex joint. The O2 sensors now have homes to screw into. I think there is now a place for a cutout, since there is space between the 2-to-1 collector and the rear flex joint. Time will tell.
Once we get sunshine back, I'll get the car back up and get some pictures.
.
#103
sweet! Cant wait to see the pictures
well obviously you couldnt floor it, but for the normal driving that you did, did you notice a change in the sound of the exhaust? (for what you were able to drive)
well obviously you couldnt floor it, but for the normal driving that you did, did you notice a change in the sound of the exhaust? (for what you were able to drive)
#104
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Originally Posted by 95BLKMAX
sweet! Cant wait to see the pictures
well obviously you couldnt floor it, but for the normal driving that you did, did you notice a change in the sound of the exhaust? (for what you were able to drive)
well obviously you couldnt floor it, but for the normal driving that you did, did you notice a change in the sound of the exhaust? (for what you were able to drive)
It looks like rain for the next 3-4 days, too. I need dry highways so I can push this car. Once we get some sun, I can raise it up in the garage and maybe get some photos. I laid on the wet garage floor and shone a floodlight under it, but I can't tell much that way. Later, I guess. Darn rain.
.
#105
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Photos Of Installed OBX Headers
I took several photos of the new OBX header Y-pipe, that adapts into my existing Warpspeed catback..
The two front O2 sensors' wires have been extended for now.
Views from front to back, from both sides.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/Dscn1949.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/Dscn1950.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/Dscn1951.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/Dscn1952.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/Dscn1953.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/Dscn1954.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/Dscn1955.jpg
Notice the space for a cutout just ahead of the shorty 3" turbo flex?? Heh..
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/Dscn1956.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/Dscn1957.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/Dscn1958.jpg
The two front O2 sensors' wires have been extended for now.
Views from front to back, from both sides.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/Dscn1949.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/Dscn1950.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/Dscn1951.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/Dscn1952.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/Dscn1953.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/Dscn1954.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/Dscn1955.jpg
Notice the space for a cutout just ahead of the shorty 3" turbo flex?? Heh..
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/Dscn1956.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/Dscn1957.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/Dscn1958.jpg
#106
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The OBX Altima V6 header..
There is an All Motor thread showing a 3.5 in a 4th gen maxima, showing very familiar headers on the front bank.
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=520738
Here is a comment from that thread: (great looking car, by the way)
"Headers (hehe, I get to use an 'S'....sorry, I'm usually a 4-cyl guy), I found them on ebay, they were labeled for an Altima 3.5. Just some cheap shiny headers that fit my budget. I don't even know what brand they are but they are brand new and look well built. Nice thick flanges and clean welds, can't ask for anything better."
Here is the eBay photo of this header:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...timaHeader.jpg
.
These look good, but the headers are short tubes compared to the ones I used - a replacement for the stock manifolds - and after the headers join for the Y-pipe, that Y-pipe looks as small as my original OBX did - right at 2". To be a performance set of headers, at least the rest of the header after the 2-1 collector needs to be rebuilt - IMHO.. Anyway, it's an interesting comparison between two sets of OBX headers.
Here is a photo of the long-tube headers set I modified:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ximaHeader.jpg
.
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=520738
Here is a comment from that thread: (great looking car, by the way)
"Headers (hehe, I get to use an 'S'....sorry, I'm usually a 4-cyl guy), I found them on ebay, they were labeled for an Altima 3.5. Just some cheap shiny headers that fit my budget. I don't even know what brand they are but they are brand new and look well built. Nice thick flanges and clean welds, can't ask for anything better."
Here is the eBay photo of this header:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...timaHeader.jpg
.
These look good, but the headers are short tubes compared to the ones I used - a replacement for the stock manifolds - and after the headers join for the Y-pipe, that Y-pipe looks as small as my original OBX did - right at 2". To be a performance set of headers, at least the rest of the header after the 2-1 collector needs to be rebuilt - IMHO.. Anyway, it's an interesting comparison between two sets of OBX headers.
Here is a photo of the long-tube headers set I modified:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ximaHeader.jpg
.
#108
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Originally Posted by 1FSTMAX
That's some Nice work by the muff shop! You should mass produce this y pipe for ppl wanting to run obx headers..
"Huh?" was my response - and he said he's had three cancellations within a week, due to rain. Seems that a lot of his customers don't like to get their customs or restorations wet! This ain't Midas!
I assured him that I'd be there rain or shine - and I was. Being a racer himself, he got the flow smooth all the way back, with pipes opening into slightly larger pipes all the way back to the 3" cat. It's even quieter that the original Warpspeed Y-pipe!
Making them - no - That's too much pain and suffering for me. Maybe a pro like Cattman could do it - if he wanted to.
#110
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Originally Posted by Tatanko
But wait, he does...
Just busting your *****, grey
Just busting your *****, grey
Seriously, if Cattman could take the already-built headers and build the rest of the Y-pipe to a 2 1/2" or 3" cat connection - he could create header sets with a faster turnaround time than he has today. Of course, they wouldn't be his famous equal-length headers, but not everyone wants those, or wants to wait months for a set. These would be a different market, with quicker delivery times and a smaller price.
OK, I'm dreaming here...
.
#114
I know you probably dont like saying it but...
How much was the custom fab... ???? with parts and all... again I've been looking at all the work you've done... and I'm seriously thinking about going this route...
looks hella nice..
raul
How much was the custom fab... ???? with parts and all... again I've been looking at all the work you've done... and I'm seriously thinking about going this route...
looks hella nice..
raul
#115
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Originally Posted by NismoMaxman2
I know you probably dont like saying it but...
How much was the custom fab... ???? with parts and all... again I've been looking at all the work you've done... and I'm seriously thinking about going this route...
looks hella nice..
raul
How much was the custom fab... ???? with parts and all... again I've been looking at all the work you've done... and I'm seriously thinking about going this route...
looks hella nice..
raul
The OBX header sets are always on eBay - they're the 95-99 Maxima set with all the photos. I remain impressed with the long-tube header part. The rest is obviously for another car.
Changing out the manifolds and getting both front and rear headers installed was a 3-day job for me. The rear heat shields from he11 were the worse, and I did port out my MEVI for a Pathy TB on the third day, since I had to take it off anyway. If you do this, go to Sears and buy the 3/8" flex ratchet with the long handle, the one with a rubber grip molded to the handle. This is my newest best friend. Long and short 6-point 14mm sockets are next, a couple of 3/8" extensions and flex joints, and a 8" pipe wrench for Harbor Freight were all new tools for me. Also got a $14.99 4" cutoff/grinder to slice off the extra pipes from the OBX rear header. Removing the manifolds was a real lesson in humility. I could have paid some shop to do it, but I wanted the wrench-time for my own education. Kind of a warm-up for a 3.5 transplant.
The exhaust shop guy did a bang-up job in completing the header package. Notice how he used a piece of 3" stainless to make a collector for the two 2" manifold pipes and brought it back to the 3" turbo flex? Nice. And a good place for a cutout.
If you know a competent exhaust shop (look for one that caters to racers and car collectors) you can do this.
.
#117
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Originally Posted by Luquire
i wonder if you could of gotten him to make your complete header and y-pipe setup.
Now if you had an engine sitting in the car with nothing else attached, then yes, if you had pre-cut flanges, the rest of the system could be built in place, in the car. But - our cars are much too tight around the engine for that to be possible. IMHO.
#119
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Originally Posted by Luquire
Please excuse my ignorance.
If I answer someone's question, I try to give all the details I am personally familiar with. This way, if someone else here knows more about the subject, they may speak up and correct both of us.
...
#120
Originally Posted by grey99max
...I could have paid some shop to do it, but I wanted the wrench-time for my own education. Kind of a warm-up for a 3.5 transplant....