97CWITR

I don't understand the big discussion and debate over "which header is better, which will give the most hp"....etc etc...

To me this test shows that these headers are all the same...give or take 3hp! WHO CARES!
If the header actually did make any additional power look where it is! Over 8000rpm. In the grand scheme of things will that extra 3hp make any difference when you spend 1-2 seconds in that power range on your daily driver?

For the money you could get a tune up for your car (cap, rotor, plugs, oil change) save yourself a bunch of money, not worry about cracking headers, shitty ground clearance, or going over speed bumps sideways, all because you have the newest honda-tech header.

negusjuda

this is why you get the toda rep thats in this test it made the most all around hp not just 3 hp above 8k rpm and it has one of the best ground clearence

mikesrex

Many of us spend a lot of time over 8k when racing down the 1320' I think my all motor car sees no less than 7000 rpm down the track

Mikey do you have the cast ITR header that is 4-2-1 with the 2.5" collector? A couple years ago I tested one back to back with the RMF narrow fakie and the ITR won on my stock ITR bottom end setup. I always wanted to see if someone else would get similar results.

MikeySpec

BAM! I feel ya.

Just keep in mind that if you were coming off a stock USDM or 96-97 JDM header the gains would be more than just that little bit up top. Also with our Bseries engines being torqueless from the factory wouldnt it be nice to hit our peak torque and have some more power in the midrange? How about if your car already had a fresh tune up and you wanted to squeeze some more out of it? A simple $350 dollar header with great ground clearance and fitment like the Toda rep would be a great buy at that point.

dueyx99

wow excellent comparison, lots of good info on those headers, interesting to see how the midrange differs on each of the dyno's, like 97cwitr stated, who gives a **** about peak power, especially 1-3hp, most of the street driving and burps we do are around the 4-5 k mark before you hit it, that's where we need every drip of torque these things can make to get your pile moving.

MikeySpec were these things purchased on ebay? I would like to know where to pick these things up, thanks.

MikeySpec

Now that I think about it, I think I have a 96spec Japanese itr header with a spoon top half. We haven't touched that thing in years.

mikesrex

interdasting...

PS if it has the 2.5" collector you should sell it to me lol

lunatics209

iTrader: (1)

Also wondering which Toda rep is it? SP fab or Private label one?

Slow_import

i never got my set up dyno'd but when my hytech rep cracked i put a ctr 4-2-1 cast with 2.5 inch collector on my gsr and there was noticeable gains on the but dyno all around. the car seemed more lively all around compared to the hytech rep.

hondaholic13

iTrader: (1)

Great test. I'm curious how Logics highend header would have done against the other smsp knockoff or the Toda.

zap

Great thread as usual Mikey!

Thanks!

negusjuda

I'm also curious about the logic header

negusjuda

I would also like to know if the genuine smsp header I have will out perform all these headers on my b20vtec

ee8_pt

same question

SR20S13

they are all PLM headers, read the thread and you would have seen this

redline_9k

Really? I've read the entire thread. Mikey says the test subjects are 'replicas'... Good to know they're PLM headers if that's accurate

crazydominicanman

I see an odd dip in the midrange from the skunk2 alpha versus the toda fakie which is where I'm stuck...my mind was set on the skunk2 but that dip on the midrange from 4.5-5.5K has me leaning more towards the toda replica..

GagnarTheUnruly

iTrader: (3)

The Toda is smoother but these headers are all so close it honestly doesn't seem to matter much. It seems like the choice comes down to quality and fitment as much as anything. That's why I'm curious to know whether Skunk2 has an advantage in materials quality.

00Red_SiR

The thing is, if you look before the dip, it's beating the Toda rep by a hefty margin. You just have to find the curve you like the best that you feel will suit your build and its intended use and most common RPM range.

ninor

SK2 is built like a tank. It is more solid than anything I have ever seen, and on par with Honda OEM 98 SPEC 4 into 1.

I do not know if this is really necessary, but it is what it is. Also fit is very good, but ground clearence is average. I do not think it will matter how solid it is if you bottom it out somewhere, so all these things need to be considered.

I am very happy with mine, but have one minor complaint. In my case, on my engine, at 7800-8000 rpm things really get less than smooth, before and after it is perfectly smooth, also I had RMF narrow before and it was perfectly smooth throughout rpm. SK2 does something at 7800-8000 rpm with my engine that it just gets sort of rough sounding and in my case dyno show is as well.

Even this dyno here shows something happening in that range, but maybe someone else here has some insight. Just look how nice and smooth dynos are for toda and RMF up there. Then compare that to Hi-tech or sk2. It must be something to do with their particular design...

Anyway, not a big deal but just out of the ordinary compared to before.

crazydominicanman

Wow that is really odd..have you changed anything else over besides the two different headers?

ninor

No, not really. The only difference is exhaust modification to fit this header in as it is quite a bit longer than RMF narrow. I strongly suspect this to be part of the design. If you look at the dynos here both Hi-tech and SK2 make very nice gains around 4500 5000, and then start to go choppy around 8K and in case of SK2 smooth out after 8200+ rpm.

This is exactly what I experience with my setup, and that area around 8K engine completely changes it's sound.

crazydominicanman

^ is it possible you can post a video displaying this characteristic?

hondaholic13

iTrader: (1)

Question for the OP: If the motor were built instead of a stock ITR, lets say in the 220whp range--Do you think any of these headers would be a poor choice or would they all in your opinion still be fully capable of supporting the HP. I'm liking that Toda replica but I'm just curious if it would still be a good choice for a higher HP engine or if it would be wise to move to a Logic Motorsports Highend header or even the big tube Hytech rep. Thanks for taking the time to test out some popular headers and post results.

BearsEK-KMSU

Here is my .02. Gay.
But what if my engine had a password JDM intake would the skunk2 header still work? What if I used JDM ITR pistons vs p30's?