Before I get flamed for posting the gazillionth thread on headers/y-pipe, I searched pretty far and wide but couldn't find any succinct discussion on the life expectancy of the stock headers in these cars, of which mine is now 17+ years old, as a 1995 SE.

Soon I will definitely be in the market for a new y-pipe / cat as mine are rusted to hell but not yet leaking, per my mechanic. However, when I look at my engine bay from the front and look down at the front header, I see a couple bolts missing and it also looks rusted to hell, so I was wondering whether I need to consider replacing the headers in addition to the y-pipe and cat, or just leave them in there. My car is a family car so I'm not really interested in performance gains, as much as simply keeping the car legit from a state inspection standpoint and extending the life as much as possible, since as city dwellers, it's our only car and it is only driven <6,000 miles per year.

I've never asked my current mechanic nor prior ones to do any work on my headers and I wondered why there would be a bolt or two missing, and my only conclusion is that perhaps they were taken off and used elsewhere when I had gaskets replaced for my intake manifolds and valve cover gaskets, or perhaps they are simply a place to bolt on some other engine part that was not included in the 1995 SE model.

In any event, I'm wondering whether these headers will last much longer and if I were to make an investment in a new y-pipe, would it be a waste if I kept the stock header on there and it were to develop a leak or other problem sometime shortly thereafter. Does anyone have any thoughts on how long the stock headers will last, if mine didn't have any leaks and the bolts I perceive to be missing are something else (I will try to post pics of the headers soon).

Another consideration is that I want to try to clean the EGR tube and IACV and replace the gaskets for both before making the investment in a new y-pipe/cat but I need to gauge how much other work and expense I'm going to need to have done on this car before I decide to tackle another project as a novice DIY on this car.

The car is actually running pretty good, I've replaced a lot of worn out OEM parts recently, and having tackled some other problems with the car myself, I feel I have a good sense of troubleshooting and would like to keep this car running as well as possible the remaining year(s) it has left on it!

 

they can last forever. i have a 95 as well and mine are fine... i did replace the y, cat and cat back all with performance in mind, but at the same time the cat back was rusted and the y's weaved flex was gone.

i don't think headers just 'break'. they're made of cast iron, that **** never breaks lol. there's some nice surface rust on mine too but all the bolts are there. perhaps you're missing some bolts? i'd replace the gaskets and get new nuts for the head studs (unless thats whats missing?).

 

yeah they last forever i wouldnt even worry about them lol as far as the missing bolts someone had to take them off. just a matter of why. they shouldnt need to to get to the valve cover gasket

 

Stock manifolds should outlast the car. They are not indestructible however. Some cars and trucks,such as the VG33 in the Pathy/Hardbody, have had known issues with them cracking or broken studs.

Yours are rusty because they are cast iron.

You may be missing heat shield bolts. They get stressed from each heat cycle and can break off. No one will remove a manifold stud to put it else where, or just because. They are a pain to get to and really don't fit anywhere else.

Cheap aftermarket headers can crack. It's been documented many times.

 

or be like mine and rust like crazy within 6 months to the point where they need to be replaced again...even though they were stainless steal...wish i would have never got those stupid things

 

So here is the pic of my front header:


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Do I have a problem or is it good to go for some more years?

Thanks!

 

heat sheild bolts, your headers are on fine

 

yup, get some bolts and a torque wrench. make sure you "dont" overtighten

 

What's the need to put bolts back on them? Will the heat shield fall off? It looks like the holes are out of round and I'm not sure the length of the bolt or the thread. Guess I could just order the correct bolts from www.nissanpartszone.com or somewhere like that, next time I order parts online.

 

If you don't have any rattles, just leave them be.

 

take a look down the bolt hole and see if they broke off or not. i had that issue on another car and just left it alone. up to you if its making noise wether or not to replace as sutter stated.