I see soooo many people building downpipes themselves, and the best headers you can buy are all hand made, so I was thinking about building my own header. Materials should be about a hundred bucks, so is it worth a try?

I'm running an H22 in a 92 hatch, and I was thinking about making the primaries go straight out 6 inches, then merge into two on the way down to go under the engine, and have the second merging just behind the oil pan so I can keep it as low-profile as possible.

2.5" collector to straight 2.5 back to a can muffler (resonator possibly)

I'm running 12s with the stock header still, so I just know this is next, but is it worth trying it myself?

 

why not

 

dave at smsp and others of the like have been doing headers for years

 

if you can weld. also do a lot of research.

 

IN NO CERTAIN ORDER, SMSP/RMF/DTR have been doing there research for a VERY long time. It's not about certain bends, certain size primaries.....I mean, I don't know **** about manifolds, but what I do know is that it is a very very fine art that the three above create. Not to discredit you or your ability, but IMO the money spent on a well designed header is well worth it, one of the best investments you can make in order to go faster

 

Everyone had to just "try" at one point in time

 

Very true

 

How do you figure $100? what is your parts breakdown. Not hating i am just curious since i would also like to try this in the future.

I think if you put the effort in to match correct size primaries, length and collector size you could build yourself a good header for cheap

 

you can make one for around $100 in materials if you use mild steel and make your own collector.

 

If you know how to weld, give it a shot. Never hurts to learn how to do something yourself. Dyno test it and later on build a few more and see how they all compare.

I plan on doing this as well, but I will have to wait until I get back to my house in VA to do so. Good luck and post up results.

 

weld that baby and put it on the dyno see what kinda power it makes

 

100 bucks sounds cheap for a header to me... even if you do everyting yourself. I will be making my own header(s) also. trying different things out. Doing **** yourself is great.

 

It would have been nice to have all this help when I built my first header.I was 15 and I was puting a Corvair turbo on my Datsun L16 pickup. And had no idea what the hell I was doing.I just knew I needed all four tubes to come together and be pointing in the right direction.well anyway it worked and that was the start of my header days.Anyway If I would of had somebody else do it.Thats probably what I would still be doing.Having someone else do it.
Come to think of it ,That doesn't sound half bad LOL

 

can you do it 4 me?

 

why not. we are about to try at the shop(zensport). one of the guys I am doing this with is an engineer and we have a dyno there so, plus the other guy is a pretty awesome welder so we are gonna give it a try, worse thing we could do is waste some time and money. And the best thing that could happen, we make a good header.

 

what support we have here in the all motor forum

even from RMF themselves.

go HT

my idea is as follows (copy it or try it as you wish)

Since I have an H22 in a 92 hatch, there is a TON of room in front of the block, to fit a huge turbo, or weird-*** header. I'm thinking i'll take the center two straight out about 3", then curve them down with as big of a radius as I can while keeping 2" clearance on my radiator (i just came up with that number)

then have them angle down toward the oil pan, and curve back and come togeather along side eachother about 4" in front of the pan.

for the outside ones, since they have to move further in to get to the same point, i'll have them go less far forward, like 1-2" then curve down with the same radius, and back with the same radius, then along side the two inside primaries.

this will make all the pipes right next to eachother, I can cut a little out from each pipe where they're coming togeather, to make something like an audi symbol, then wrap that somehow into an oblong pipe about 1" tall and 4" across. This will go under my oil pan for more clearance, and i'll bend it up behind the engine, then form it into a circle, and weld to a flange

test pipe

resinator

back

muffler

thoughts?

 

this is an H22 EG swap header is this what your talking about?

 

definetly try it for yourself. i tried buying some of the "proven" stuff but it was a header that i mig welded ( and had to wrap it, cause it looked horrible) that finally pushed our 2150cc car to go 130mph. im not saying that others cant make a better one, but mine worked out pretty darn good. and i didnt even really think about a whole lot before hand. just made it to fit around the dry sump and battery. so the design wasnt the greatest.

 

Yeah I'm sure your header was WAY better than one from somebody that actually knows what they are doing.And talking about.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RMF &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">this is an H22 EG swap header is this what your talking about?
</TD></TR></TABLE>
wow i've never seen that one, but i was thinking about merging the primaries along side eachother not in a square, but in a horizontal line like an audi symbol, but that thing looks nice, how much?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mr.Wizard &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Yeah I'm sure your header was WAY better than one from somebody that actually knows what they are doing.And talking about.</TD></TR></TABLE>
he just said that he's not saying someone else doesn't make a better one

 

hell yeah, im making my own header. except for the flanges that my friend is making. it would be better to say you are going fast with your own parts than somebody else's

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mr.Wizard &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Yeah I'm sure your header was WAY better than one from somebody that actually knows what they are doing.And talking about.</TD></TR></TABLE>

your right i have no clue as to what im talking about, cause my life revolves around nothing to do with this subject. all and all over the last 6 years of me having the race car ive tried over 30 headers/ designs. just cause i dont come back to H-T and post info about what ive tried and found to work all the sudden i have no idea what im talking about? and the last time i checked most of the big name people builing headers in this industry havent been around for more than 5 or so years.

and what exactly is there to understand on how to build a header? try to do a program yourself. you buy headers that have different size primaries with lengths from 20-36" . its really something pretty simple when you feel like spending some time to figure things out yourself. and now adays with everyone buying hytech,smsp or rmf headers just give out the info on primaries and lengths.
just becaue those companies may have better looking welds dosnt mean that i cant get lucky and actually make something that works better for my setup.

 

and next time theres a header test ill make a header and throw it up against the big dogs to see if there really is a huge difference.

 

^^ this is an JDM RSR header (primaries only). I'm selling it if anyone with an H22A wants a good start at making a custom header.

the primaries go all the way to the top of the oil pan..

 

After doing some research, I am curious as to how to do an argon back purge when welding to butt ends together?