Altima eBay Headers installed (Hotshot knockoff?)
 

UPDATE: http://forums.maxima.org/8241036-post53.html



Well, I finally finished installing my headers. They are Altima V6 headers with both header flanges relocated an inch or two towards the collectors, and a custom y pipe. The y pipe uses 2.25" primaries merged into a 3" pipe.

The flange on the front header did not need to be relocated, but it was millimeters away from the crossmember so I went ahead and had it relocated anyways. The flange on the rear header had no issues clearing the crossmember, but it was in the way of the primary coming off of the front header so it had to be relocated.

Some links:
My thread asking about the custom y pipe sizing
95BLKMAX's thread I used for reference
Altima headers eBay link
Aaron92SE's setup
Onto the pics:

Before flange relocation
Attachment 64119
Attachment 64120
Attachment 64121

Relocated Flanges
Front:
Attachment 64122
Attachment 64123

Rear:
Attachment 64124
Attachment 64125

Only the rear flange is relocated in this pic:
Attachment 64126

The y pipe:
Attachment 64127

The original (top) o2 bung is unusable because of the ac
Attachment 64128

The o2 bung on the rear header is useable
Attachment 64129

Attachment 64130

Wideband o2:
Attachment 64131

Attachment 64132
Attachment 64133

Reduced ground clearance. I'm not slammed so I don't mind too much.:
Attachment 64112
Attachment 64113
Attachment 64114

Final y pipe with flex section and 3" test pipe.
Attachment 64115

Attachment 64116

All videos are with a resonated 2.5" test pipe. I have not taken any videos with the 3" non resonated test pipe yet.

Quick video


Cruising at 45-50 mph. Silence is golden :)


Partial throttle acceleration - typical daily driving


WOT


WOT from a dig


Within the next few days I will log some pulls with my EU and compare them to some logs I recorded at the track a few weeks ago. I also plan to go back to the track within a month to get some times with headers to compare to my most recent trip with the y pipe.

After installing these headers, my car is a lot quieter in normal driving than it used to be with the old y pipe and 3" exhaust. The drone zone I had at about 2100-2500 rpm is nearly gone, I can still hear a slight change if I listen for it, but otherwise I'd say its gone :)

One of my favorite parts, to an extent, is the cost.
Altima headers - $135
y pipe parts and labor - $114
Total spent: $249 :D
+ another $51 for test pipe parts and flex section and $40 to weld them in.
Bringing my final total to $340.

All said and done, I probably could of kept it at $300 had it all been done in one shot.

Update: After driving around with these in for a couple months, the volume is not as quiet as I initially experienced. I would say that the volume level is about the same as before the header install (y pipe, 3" exhaust) and I believe the 2.5" resonated test pipe contributed heavily to the initial decrease in volume. And unfortunately the drone zone is still there. I have scraped the y pipe a couple times going over speedbumps mid turn i.e. one wheel at a time in parking lots.

Track times:

15.11@93.03 with 2.25" y pipe, 2.5" test pipe, 3" catback and DA correction.
Attachment 64117

15.02@91.99 with headers, 3" y pipe, 3" test pipe, 3" catback and DA correction.
Attachment 64118

Awesome work! Can't wait to see the numbers :D

sounds pretty decent.. nice work.. i didn't know 4th gens could use these headers, i knew 6th gen's work with altima headers

they cant, thats why he had to modify them and make a whole new ypipe. otherwise i wouldve been all over them for half the price of 3.5 max OBXs.

good work OP

nice! welds not pretty but it works, and i think this here is the best way o go bang for the buck! nice pics for future swappers.

I think he meant the header itself bolting on.

yeah thats what i meant, but i guess it makes sense, 3.0 headers fit 3.5 so why not in this scenario

Pretty much what I was aiming for :)

so how long did it take you to install it?

Very nice. I might just do this instead of V2's. Beginning research now!

More sound clips PLZ!!

Was the y on your set the same as these?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Stain...#ht_3686wt_950

The headers took about 2 days working on it after class. Then another 2 full-ish days for the y pipe fab. This was spread out over the course of a week and a half cause of school. I also replaced a couple power steering lines while I was in there. I used pb blaster and everything came off relatively easy. I doubt I'd have a problem doing it in one day if I didn't try to install the rear header with the crossmember still installed. :mad:
Yes, that is the y pipe that came with my headers.

Did you try to test fit it? I take it there were clearance issues? They look to be equal length (or pretty damn close to it) from the pics.

After some research, I found a local exhaust shop that can mandrel bend pipes. So Im thinking if they can bend the y that comes with these to clear (if there are clearance issues), this can be a VERY cost effective alternative to OBX V2's and Cattmans. 80% chance I go to the shop tomorrow and talk to them in person and bring the laptop to show them the product.

Those are some quality welds on the y-pipe. lol
Good job on getting them to work though.

I was gonna use these headers and make a y-pipe as well.

No flex section? :scratch: Everything looks good though and sounds nice.

Thank you for your old y-pipe :D

i foresee some breakage going on with no flex section...lolnoob

No, I didn't try to test fit it. If it fits, nearly the entire y pipe will hang under the crossmember.

It works, and at the price I'm not complaining.

:nod:

I'm gonna have a flex section welded in when I have my 3" test pipe made. :o

Hmm I see. Thats tough for slammed ppl such as myself.

Can you do me a solid? Measure each banks y (Alti y not your custom one) from the fork to the flanges. Looking to see how much work will be involved in making them fit and to get em as close to equal length as possible.

Please and thanks.

And :sprint: to you for going for it!!

Yeah I see it now. It does hang low as fcuk even with your custom y. Shall we call these true long runner headers?? Wow. May have to stick with OBX's after all.....:mad:

Still intrested in the measurements though.

Yeah I can measure them when I get home.
I think the low y pipe could be fixed if the 180* bends I used had a smaller radius, assuming a smaller radius mandrel bend is available.

TBH I think it may be worth the ~40 bucks to use a flowmaster Y-section over making one. Like this... http://performanceparts.com/part.php?partID=290420

Nonetheless very cool work. Stands to reason 3.5s could do the same thing.

We were going to use a premade Y merge like that, but the place we went to buy the merge said they didn't have any in that size. :gotme: I may see if he will weld one of those merges in as long as the y pipe is being cut up for the flex section.

thats awesome, i wonder how hard it would be to do this to a 5.5 gen max

I don't see why it would be any more difficult for the 5.5 gen, besides dealing with the seconday o2 sensors.

Post whoring :banned:

Post whoring :banned:



:D

You have a chance to get those measurements yet?

I went to the local mandrel bending shop but turns out they only bend for the cat and back. Not in front of it. :( When I mentioned that I wanted them to either pipe from the alti headers>x pipe>mufflers, or modify the y that comes with this, they werent having it and seemed to rush me out.

The Flowmaster merge collector is awesome.
I'm running one on my car.

For those asking about the altima/6th gen maxima Y section, the whole purpose of custom making an entirely new Y-pipe is because the alti Y-pipe is routed in such a way that the bulk of the Y runs the same path as the crossmebmer. Think of it as trying to part 2 cars in the same parking space. It's a waste of time to try to "bend/shape" the y-pipe to fit our chassis. At the most, you can probably salvage the flanges. Hence the need for an entirely new y-pipe.

The rear is 17" and the front is 13". The y pipe that came with the headers will also need to be extended to reach the cat.

i thought u would be able to use the y pipe for your 6th gen
you would just need a custom y pipe
:sprint:

Yeah Ive decided to go with V2's instead. Im driving out to pick em up tomorrow...

Custom fabbing a y wouldnt be such an issue if I wasnt slammed. SO for those who arent, these may be a much more economical alternative especially for 6th gens IIRC. Xmember isnt in the dead center like a32's.

If you were to cut down and modify an existing y pipe would that work at all? Or is it that far that it is truly needed to make a whole new y pipe jw because if got a welder and thinking of doing this

Already sold my 3.0's and bought 2 sets of the Altima headers.

The y-pipe that comes with the headers would be a big restriction.
It only has 2" pipes into a single 2.5" exit.

I would run 2.25" pipes into a single 3" exit. Then I could reuse my flowmaster merge collector.

it's look very good

Just recorded some sound clips:

Cruising at 45-50 mph. Silence is golden :)


Partial throttle acceleration - typical daily driving


WOT


WOT from a dig

I like. Sounds good. May have missed if youve mentioned it but whats your 3" CB setup consist of?