My header has been cracked for a while and need to replace it. Also may need to replace the whole eshaust system since my CAT is also torn to ****.
Any suggestions on best site or shop to order one.
Thanks

 

Just go for a used oem header or have yours welded. DC Sports headers are junk. I've bought one that had a hole near the oxygen sensor bung and they tend to crack in a short period of time.

 

Conctact DC sports and tell them that your header has cracked. They have a warranty of two years, but if you've had it longer and whine about it(and you have not 'modified' it) they may send you a replacement unit.

 

I wasn't reading that as that he had a DC sports header already but it sounds like you may be right.

 

Have had my dc header for about 5years, i think it cracked from an accident a year ago and dont think the body shop saw it. But ill contact DC sports and see what they have.

 

HAH, didn't even think of it as the stock exhaust manifold. Saw 'DC' saw 'cracked' thought 'yup'. Dat feel when the DC sport header cracks.

 

The header has been good to me but was looking at the new dc sports header and now they are 49state legal and cali is excluded. So prob gonna go with megan racing header. No idea what changed and why dc header cant be purchased in cali anymore.

 

Just checked DC sports website, they changed it. Possibly with some recent crackdowns by C.A.R.B. they may have revoked the headers legality. Also if the headers were as crack worthy as the CB/CD units C.A.R.B. may have been getting reports of such failure.

Hell they don't even have an '02 Accord header listed... hmmm
*goes digging*

EDIT: Ok did a quick online search and came up with HHC5018 for 98-02 cars, although on the DC sports site it states not for LEV/ULEV/SULEV cars. Which seems odd since, IIRC, F23A1 is considered an ULEV vehicle. So its 50 state legal on the Honda Accord, as long as its not a ULEV car, which it is.... wut?

 

The Megan Header I had worked just fine for me, no cracks or anything. Now lives on an Acura CL with a F23A1.

 

KALI probs doe. Need dat E.O.# for bianal inspection.

 

Yah, that may be an issue.. Is that primarily why DC Sports headers are so "wanted"?

 

Is anyone here knowledgeable with welding? The crack runs along side one of the original welds. Is this fixable? Also would removing the cermanic coating mess anything up? If so ill just have it repaired and save a couple hundred bucks. Thanks for all the othee responses!

 

Without actually seeing a picture of the crack I will assume that it can be fixed. There is a procedure for welding cracks in tube metal. A good welder should be able to do this and not have the crack return. They need to drill a hole at each end of the crack. this will stop the crack from going even farther after it has been welded. A lot of times if you do not drill the ends the crack will continue even after being repaired.

The ceramic coating will have to be removed from around the weld area. You can choose to ether have the entire header blasted and coated after the welding is done. or you can opt for a cheap high heat paint and header wrap.

I have had to weld a few cracked headers and they usually do not require any further repair when done properly.

 

Ñice thanks for info

 

If its steel, it can be welded. lol

 

Yes and no.

The crack can be ground out and rewelded no problem.
However, the new weld will most likely be stronger than the original weld and the parent material. This will eventually induce another crack either next to the new weld, or a new crack will mitigate perpendicular to the tube length.
Simply the primary header tubes on the two piece DC sport headers are too damn short and thermal expansion eventually wins over. On my '95s the #1 to #3 weld cracked, was fixed but then the #1 primary eventually just cracked around the circumference. Tubing thickness on the DC is pretty thin as well.

Ideally a set of headers would have the longest set of primaries to allow thermal expansion on the tubes and reduce/remove any bending/expansion load over the weld. IIRC there are headers for the B18 Integras that have one piece primaries that do not join until right before the catalyst junction. That would be the ideal header for long time use.

OR

If you could find a competent welder/fabricator, have thermal expansion bellows installed into a header with the primary tubes only welded to the header flange, allowing expansion/contraction of the tubes. But this would be expensive, and the bellows can eventually fail from vibration induced into them from the engine harmonics...

It's why grey cast iron is used so much in brakes, engine, and exhaust components. A self dampening thermally stable material.

 

Not what i was asking based of the type of metal bring able to be welded. Was about the area in which the crack formed. Can it be welded next to the existing weld!

 

You will need to ground out existing weld and weld joint.