Matell

BLA BLA INTRO/STORY

Well guys today after ~20,000-25,000km (12.5K-15.5k miles) of driving with the new "fixed" DC header I had mine fail on me today.

There were a few symptoms starting several days ago, such as increased volume of exhast hiss, it was sounding quite abrasive, and was simply loud and gutless at low rpm. But although a little concerned I was too lazy to check it out.

Today I had my first CEL as I was reversing out of the driveway. Stopped the engine, tightened the fuel cap, restarted and no CEL for the remainder of the drive to work.

After finishing work I get no more than 50m and another cell. Repeated the shutdown, tighten fuelcap routine, started the engine and no CEL. About halfway home (43km) CEL illuminates again. The idle speeds dropped by about 50rpm and the engine labors. I pull into a car park and repeat checks to no avail, I look under the car and I can't see anything obvious nor under the hood. Restart the engine and the CEL hasn't cleared......

Now I don't know if this was stupid or not....but I drove straight to the place I regularly get my car serviced. After a good 30mins they tell me the aftermarket exhaust (DC Sports Header) is leaking and it's stuffed the O2 sensor. They manager will contact Honda Australia to find out if they'll cover it or if I have to wear it...(I'm sure I'm going to have too). I probably won't hear back from them till next week and they told me to just drive around with it.

So I drove home sounding like a bucket of poo with the CEL constantly lit which pissed me off enough to jack up the car and have a look myself. After a little investigating I found the problem.

FAILURE DETAILS

The flex pipe has cracked all the way through for approximately 2/3rds the circumference on the 3 or 4th flex pipe internal ridge aft of the collector section of the secondary manifold (lower portion), and about 1.5" aft of the O2 port.








Remedial Actions
I've reinstalled the OEM header minus the heatshield which has corrected the CEL, so the O2 sensor is not faulty. However I rushed it a little and think I might have a small leak between the primary and secondarys in the "pivot seal" type of join between the two sections. I think I'll be able to live with it for the next week or two. Tomorrow I'm going to hunt down an exhaust place that's able to remove and replace the failed flex pipe with a new slighty longer section so it won't be under as much tension as DC's design.

Summary
You get what you pay for.
The new "fixed" DC headers are just that...fixed, however the stress is now attracted to the flex pipe creating a new failure mode, so keep an eye and ear out for it guys.
If you do your own installs don't be a tool like me and run straight to the manufacture service police without checking it out yourself first.

TSX.Fury

Damn that sucks... good know though. A lot of people are gonna be interested in that.

leftride

iTrader: (1)

that sucks...DC's quality has proven to be pretty disappointing. Hope everything works out for you.

RMATIC09

sad cause i just ordered mine, o well hopefully itll be ok. Its the "new" version....so says excelerate.

TSX6one9

Good information for all of us to know, thanks!

narci

OP said his is the new fixed version.

Tsx536

That sucks. I'm very sorry to hear that.

I think anyone who wants a header now, should get Comptech.

moda_way

For a while I was actually considering the DC, but I sold myself on it after seeing the GB price and the vtec.net article. This just reassures my decision.

JTso

iTrader: (2)

That sucks! One problem after another... I guess it's best not to buy them anymore.

RMATIC09

I think it really depends person to person. Shit happens, ill see what happens with mine after its installed, im not ready to dish out the 600 for the comptech.....

moda_way

$510 shipped from the GB here!!

joerockt

Are you gonna get it?

jlukja

$510 shipped from Excelerate here

joerockt

Damn, thats tempting. This is probably going to be my next mod. Cant do it now though, need to save money for the holidays...Maybe the first mod of the new year

F the DC's

moda_way

Damn right I am. Just waiting for the Car payment to come in and a few checks to clear.

joerockt

Awesome. Do a writeup! And get some good pics if you can. I might consider doing this by myself.

RMATIC09

Ill do a write up of my DC headers too when they come

For some reason, i dont think ill have any issues.

moda_way

I think vtec.net did a good writeup, but I'll do it anyway and augment whatever else is posted. I'm also buying a new gasket for the manifold... I'm weird like that. Did it for the cat back as well. I just would rather do it right 100% then risk f'ing up the current gasket on the header and risk taking it apart again.

I'm also going to do it when I get my hi-flow cat in too.

moda_way

Please do a writeup!!

RMATIC09

lookie lookie

Matell

Fingers crossed you don't have any troubles with yours. Getting the OEM header off is a bitch (I don't think Honda intends for the exhaust manifold to be removed for the life of the vehicle so the don't use anti-seize for assembly - that's how it looke and felt to me anyway), so make sure you liberally use anti-seize on all the bolts and nuts just incase you need to remove it in the future. Using Anti-seize sure made it alot easier and quicker for me to do the swap yesterday, and it'll make it easier when I get the DC fixed and re-install it.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!

RMATIC09

I dont know what anti-seize is, i actually was going to take it to "my guy" (where i do my other installs)


care to explain....

gsclifton

iTrader: (2)

Features:

* Protects fasteners from high heat environments
* Prevents rust, corrosion, seizing and galling on fasteners
* Eases disassembly
* Reduces friction and wear

You apply anti seize to the threads of the fastener to help prevent it from seizing. It makes it much easier to remove hardware after "wear" and "tear."

~EDIT~
Like I said a while back ... DCS has been perm crossed of my list. I am going with the Comptech Header. The DCS just looks like a can of hissing worms.

Matell

Anti-seize is generally a non metallic compound that's used between alloys and disimillar metals, it acts as a corrosion inhibitor and prevents nuts and bolts sticking or seizing basically which will happen between bare (or plated) metals as they're heated, cooled, over-torqued etc.

But if you're paying a trustworthy mechanic who know's what he's doing he'll use it without thinking.


On another note I just used the paperclip trick to check my CEL's and I have a 41, and 48 which are both to do with the Air Fuel Sensor 1 (Forward O2 sensor). Without a scantool I can't tell which of the four character OBDII codes it is. But so far with the original header back on there've been no CEL's.

Matell

With a split flex pipe it sounds like one too! Good move on the Comptech.

madmanmax3000

well this sux...i want to order my header on monday at the latest, i've been putting it off too long. I was just going to get the DC and have the welds fixed, though now i'm lost. Any suggestions??

jlukja

joerockt,

I just checked out the Comptech header on e-bay and Acura of Escondido has 4 of them at $490 + $10 shipping (if I read that right). That's in your back yard. Too bad about the Calif. tax.

RMATIC09

IM still biting the bullet on this one. Where can i check the manufacture date?

Tsx536

The side of the box. On the label that says the DC part number.

TSXTuner

I've been getting the hissing too and planning to reinstall factory
manifold, will do it tomorrow.

I also have exhaust vibrations, the mimimal flex section of the DC can't do the
job.

We need a real header like the Toda design.

madmanmax3000

i guess this means i gotta go comptech....anybody have a reason i shouldn't?

speak now or forever hold your peace!!

peter_bigblock

Granted I just installed my DCS header but I have no hissing or any other unusual noise. I would say the exhaust with the header sounds identical to stock (at least to my ears and my dad's). The power gain is pretty obvious, especially up top. Like I said, they've only been in a few days but I have my fingers crossed. If they break, back they go.

I'm surprised that a reputable company like DC Sports is having so much trouble with this product. I just can't see shelling out $500 for the Comptech, let alone $1500 for the Toda.

RMATIC09

$, some people have no problems with their DC.
If i have problems with the DC, ill have them replaced under warranty, or sell em and take a loss.

Im crossing my fingers, on account that these are the new manufactured ones.

Matell

I had a slight hissing noise from day one. So maybe I had a small crack in the flex pipe from the beginning, however I'd thought the hissing/rattling (can of angry bees) was normal.

After 40km's yesterday with the OEM header installed I had another CEL So the Primary O2 sensor must be stuffed. I wonder if a header with a crack aft of the sensor could stuff it up?!.....hmm fingers crossed Honda will recognise it as a faulty O2 sensor and not as a result of the aftermarket header, and cover the sensor replacement under warranty.

For the amount of money this header is going to cost to get repaired, and a new 02 sensor I would've been better to have bought a Comptech in the first place

Matell

Hmm so I'm not the first....Zasker1 how did you get yours sorted?


http://www.acura-tsx.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22615

9900rpm

A little while back, my DC header (older style) broke at the flange, where it meets the flex pipe. Welds just came apart, and the flange was totally seperated from the flex pipe. Got that welded back up. The header was only 40 days old at the time.

Everything has been fine for the past month and a half, and now it's happening again. I think I am having the same problem as the creator of this thread. I hear slight hissing, but not the total seperation sound. Sounds like an exhaust leak at the flex pipe, but I checked all over, and nothing is apart.

I called DC, and they weren't too helpful. They said I can send it back and let them look at it, but it can take 4 to 6 week. Also, they said they "may" reimburse me with up to $40 in repairs if I was to have something done locally.

This is the first and last DC part I will ever buy.

I am going to buy a new flex pipe, and have a shop cut and replace the DC's weak section, and hope for the best.

For all out there looking to buy a DC header, DON'T. You hear the horror stories. They are real. Do yourself a favor and save the headache and frustration.

Anyone know the inner diameter of the DC's flex pipe and flange? Not exactly sure what size diameter flex pipe I need to buy to replace this garbage with.

jiggaman

i'm so happy i didn't try to save extra money to buy the DC headers

Tsx536

This worries me...

RMATIC09

i just had mine put on, the newer manufactured one.

A few questions, with my fingers crossed.

1, will i notice a problem if one occurs

2. Do i have to take off the headers to have any such problems as the ones stated, fixed?

GSGOMEZ

After I read Vtec.net about header on TSX and I decided to purchase Comptech over DC sports header from TSXPARTS.com for $512.00 in a few weeks.