LIPPSTUH

iTrader: (2)

This thread is for owners of the XS Power headers to report anything about these headers.

These headers usually go for $150-$160 shipped on e*Bay. These fits "all Honda/Acura v6 applications." 6G Accord v6, 2G CL, 2G TL

Some problems have been

Dirty Type-S

awesome.. mine are still in box in my trunk waiting for time and love to be put on.. lol

but so far only thing i noticed that was bad were a few of the bolts came stripped already.. lol.. no lie.. 2 bolts he threads towards the bottom were already fucked up. other then that, everything else was legit and the shipping was even fast.

TheWeez

Wondering who has XS headers on their CL and who's had issues with them. Please let us know how long they've been installed, who installed them (you or did a shop do it), transmission type, and what problems (if any) you've had (and how you resolved them).

TheWeez

Oooops, I had just posted this about the same thing but as a survey also.

LIPPSTUH

iTrader: (2)

you going to install yourself? there's a few DIY's

stunna10125

I was thinking about getting those headers also, just havent made the jump yet. I wonder if my CL will sound like a G35. I love the way those sound

TheWeez

It's gonna take more then a header to make your CL sound like a G35. You'll need at least full exhaust and maybe more.

LIPPSTUH

iTrader: (2)

get these headers + aem intake (v2 if you have AT) and then decide if you want exhaust.

OrngeAc3.2

i was planning on purchasing these sometime next month...should i re-consider???

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

I think this thread while a good idea should be kept to posts ONLY about XS problems/solutions, by owners of them.
No discussion of weather to buy or not, this brand is better then that, where to buy, or questions about power gains & performance.


And btw.......Installed since November of 2005 & not a single problem.

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

I merged the threads so we can have this in 1 topic with the poll.

m733l

iTrader: (1)

almost a year on my xs power. installed myself. the only problem i had were the nuts and bolts that came with the headers. they stripped as soon as i tightened them. so you def. need to upgrade the nuts and bolts. performance wise i have zero problem. quality on these are not great but for $150 can't complain. overall pretty happy with these.

Corrosion

Have had the for about 5 months with no problems. I had a shop install them for about $150, mechanic said these were pretty bad bolts that weren't even heat-treated.

UNeeKLiNG

iTrader: (3)

just got these installed last week...

From about 2500-2750 rpm from gears 1-4 it gets louder and i can hear some vibration coming from where the headers connect to the cat and when in 5th and 6th gear...the same vibration turns into some rattling in the same area...anyone have this problem at all? I'm thinking it's just the rubber mount that is used to hook in the j pipe of the header because i had a hard time screwing that part back on... thoughts? i hope that made sense...

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

Will the member that voted on the cracked weld please post & explain. That goes for anyone that votes. Please explain what problem you had & what was done to correct it.
Thanks

MSW 6SP

mine have been installed for a year and no issues as of yet (~9000miles)

RYANGP

The V2 only fits the CL-Pee, but if you have one, definitely get it; i love mine

NightRider

I voted other, I am not sure what to categorize it as. I have a resonance or what I describe as "crackling" from around 2000-2700. I have heard the same resonance. The headers were done by an experienced Acura tech, so I would not suspect bad install or leakage.

jproy

I think this thread is junk. Most of the people on the board now who seem to have headers don’t know much about cars and/ or have had someone else install them. While there are many on the board who do know their shit, many of the less knowledgeable don’t understand the difference between the sound of a leak and the sound of exhaust gas rushing through much thinner metal; or they simply don’t understand there will be more noise no matter which header you go with. We are driving luxury cars and the headers add noise weather you have a leak or not. Even the Comptech headers have a Whooshing, gas escaping sound. I have heard both. Many of the members have unskilled installers, installers who claim they are skilled, or simply trying this not so complex but exacting task themselves with poor results or misunderstood results. This thread will only lead to more speculation, uneducated misinformation and further confusion of potential header buyers. If your headers are cracked that is a whole other issue. I have had mine on for almost a year now and have put them through there paces as a daily driver without fail. I am about to test mine with a Comptech supercharger which should be going on next week. I will let you know how that goes. I understand that the XS headers are $SUPER$ cheap. But they are just pipes, copies of Comptech pipes mind you. My advice to anyone considering headers or any mod for that matter is that you educate the shit out of yourself about auto mechanics. It’s not childs play but it's not that complicated either. If you can’t understand it you had better be taking you car to the dealer where you have some recourse or you will eventually get screwed by some speculative shady tree mechanic with an IQ of 80 who would have you believe he dropped out of astronaut school because he truly wanted to settle for working on cars. Sorry for the rant but you must over see and understand anything you do to your car. Don’t take anyone’s word for dick. It is your responsibility to check out everything you hear for YOURSELF and learn how to do what you want to do to your car- even if you have someone else do it for you, watch them do it, or you will get burned.

gaping46and2

iTrader: (2)

I've had my XS headers on since July '06, and were installed by a respectable shop for around $200 (kinda sad the installation cost more than the headers themselves, but oh well). There is a slight resonance at around 2k rpm, which can be felt in the gas pedal, but is very very minimal, and is hardly noticable unless you know it's there and are listening for it. Only addition to the install was some added lock washers the shop put on the supplied bolts, and the original header gaskets were reused.

cltypeSLOW

should be an option for excessive resonance.

tnobori1

Got mine installed on Friday... Look Great, Sound Great and most importantly FEEL GREAT!!!!

CLSixspeed

So in the past with other cars that i've installed headers on, i've had head gasket issues, and temp. issues. Has anyone had any temp. spikes or blown head gaskets with use of these headers on the 3.2? I want to keep the car for my son to learn to drive in about 15years... and the less work i need to do in the future, the better.. but it would be great to enjoy the extra power in the meantime.

zigzagzig

where is everyone buying their XS power headers? Is there anything else I need to get besides just the headers for my 03 cls?

zigzagzig

edit: nvm, ebay i guess, but i dont see any current auctions

will any of the accord XSP headers work?

gaping46and2

iTrader: (2)

I think it would be helpful if people actually post a description of their experience along with their vote.

SuperTrooper169

iTrader: (2)

Okay, so I'm one of the "other" voters. I've had mine on now for about 6 months now. I had them professionally installed at Vivid Racing in Chandler, AZ. It cost me $300 to have them installed there which I figured was worth it because the headers only cost me $150. I made the mistake of having them installed with the crappy hardware that came with the headers and now I have a rattle-like sound from them, which gets more noticable when the car heats up, so I'm almost 100% sure it's because of the bolts not being heat treated. I'm actually considering bringing it somewhere (like Midas or Meinekee) to have them replace the bolts and see if that solves my problem. Overall I'm happy with them because the power gain is great, but the rattle bothers me pretty much daily, so it's time to fix it. So my advice it just make sure to replace the bolts. It's crazy that I thought I researched everything about these and still missed that. Oh well, live and learn.

SuperTrooper169

iTrader: (2)

Actually, if anyone has the exact specs for the bolts/washers it'd make my life a lot easier to replace them.

SuperTrooper169

iTrader: (2)

Umm, isn't that the point of this thread, so people can see what the potential issues are so they are better educated about the headers? Not everyone on AZine has air tools and a lift available to them or even an area to work on their car, so does that mean they don't know about cars or don't know how to install parts? No. And how exactly do you educate yourself on auto mechanics? You think if you ask mechanics they will tell you whether they're going to rip you off or not? We all know how hard it is to find a respectable honest mechanic to bring our beloved CLs to. I'm just confused as to why you're bashing this thread when the main point is to help potentional buyers avoid making the mistakes others have, whether it be in the poor hardware replacement (I made this mistake as others have), bad installation or the posibility of bad welds/flanges/gaskets. Many many members have said that the early versions of these headers had fitment issues and even some later versions, so to say they are EXACTLY like the Comptechs is, well, uneducated.

jproy

I don’t have a lift or air tools. Where did you get the bit about that somehow correlating to not knowing how to work on cars? There are many members putting these headers on their cars and claiming resonance when they don’t even know what resonance is. Their problem is usually metal banging on metal from either the hanger or something else that was improperly installed or improperly aligned before tightening the bolts. Even a trained mechanic who has only worked on domestic OEM application could and may have a problem installing the headers correctly but he wouldn’t let you in on that nor may he even know there is a technique to the aftermarket piece. There are a plethora of threads covering the installation precisely, even a few tricks and techniques available. Use the search function. Many members come to the board with issues they caused and would have others believe it was the header or possibly the header simply because they didn’t take the time to learn or wouldn't pay to play. As far as educating yourself goes, you can find someone with the headers and check them out, ask a bunch of questions, and maybe put your hands on them yourself. The same research one might do before investing $20,000 or so in a business venture. My point is only to be thorough as you would in that same situation. The CL is probably the most expensive item many of the newer members, and surely some of the older members, of the board own second to a home. Then you can go to the Comptech site and print out the install instructions then print the DIY's on the board. Give those instructions to your mechanic or watch that he follows them precisely. You should get my picture by now. Every mechanic I have ever gone to has let me watch him work except for SOME of the dealers I have been to. I will not bicker with you about what educated means. Members should know what the potential issues are with the headers but not be misinformed by those who deliberately or inadvertently cut corners on the install. My point is that I don’t like this thread because the title of the tread and the options for the survey leave too much to speculation, opinion, and misinformation. Don’t get hot headed. I’m not bashing the thread, just the speculation and misinformation it has the POTENTIAL to fuel. You are reading way too deeply into my statements or looking to argue. Aside from the alleged fitment issues etc. the XS Power headers ARE a stolen copy of the Comptech headers. That’s educated. If you have something else to say to me please do it via PM.

SuperTrooper169

iTrader: (2)

I'm reading way too deeply into your statements, huh?

TheWeez

The survey is there for a general reference. We still asked that people voting in the survey elaborate on what the problem is, etc. This is a user driven forum not a professional forum. The point of it is to see what others have come across and like everything else on the internet, ya take it with a grain of salt.

CLSixspeed

I had my headers installed last night... I have a few gripes that make me reconsider if i want these headers..

1. WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO THE VTEC SWOOSH?!!
2. SOUNDS LIKE A NORMAL EVERYDAY V6 UNDER LOAD NOW
3. WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS HISS NOISE WHEN EVER I TOUCH THE GAS
4. THIS FUCKING HISS NOISE IS PISSING ME OFF
5. THE A-PIPE FITMENT TO THE MANIFOLDS PRETTY MUCH SUCKED
6. THIS HISSING NOISE WAS TOTALLY UNEXPECTED...I'VE HAD HEADERS ON NUMEROUS CARS BEFORE... THIS IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT. IT SOUNDS LIKE A LEAK BUT I'VE HAD THEM LEAKED TESTED..NONE.

GOOD THINGS
1. ABSOLUTELY PULLS HARDER THEN STOCK ONCE YOU HIT 4500 RPM
2. EXHAUST NOISE AT THE MUFFLERS SOUNDS CLOSE TO AN NSX NOW... COOL

AGAIN, I MISS THE VTEC TONE!! ITS HARD TO DEAL WITH THAT...SINCE THAT WAS ONE THING THAT ATTRACTED ME TO THIS CAR. ITS LOST ITS CHARACTER... SO I GUESS WE'LL SEE HOW LONG I KEEP THEM ON.

ALSO DID YOUR HEADER BOX HAVE 3.0L ACCORD STAMPED ON IT? MINE DID...

sinfulj32

so i was looking on ebay and theres no more being sold

TheWeez

Checkout this thread. They've run into some eBay issues. You can still contact them directly for the headers.

SuperTrooper169

iTrader: (2)

What exactly is the VTEC swoosh? Mine still has a very distinctive roar at VTEC, didn't all the sudden disappear after the headers were installed. As far as the hissing goes, it's the most common complaint and it's been covered over and over on this site. You definitely should've been ready for that. It's just the air rushing through thinner metal verses the thick cast stock manifolds.

TheWeez

Anyone tried header wrap to see if it cuts down on the noise (and underhood temp too)?

CLSixspeed

prior to header install, i had more of a loud harmonic intake tone at vtec engagement... now the sound is distinct from non vtech, but its not as "rich" of a sound.. its harmonic tone has changed drasticly, and gotten much softer sounding... flattening out that tone turned it into a non character having v6 in my opinion. But this is the first honda v6 i've owned...

CLSixspeed

I would love to hear some more info from people that have tried this...

fsttyms1

And that should not have changed from adding headers.