Folks.

Bobbydoedoe came over to install his AW headers. Nice guy with a beautiful 2003 Blue color CL-S.

The removal went off very smoothly, but the install was a nightmare. Several problems:

1. The O2 bung is positioned incorrectly, so when you bolt the A-pipe upto the manifold, the O2 sensor hits the block - the top part is now bent somewhat.

2. The rear portion of the A-pipe that bolts upto the rear manifold is not aligned with the manifold, hence even with the O-ring seal, it has a slight leak. I broke a Mil-std bolt tightening it... obviously I can't bend the steel flange! It's theta (angle with the manifold) is okay... the two planes are not parallel, if you can picture it - usually the O-ring will accomodate slight variations, but this is pretty bad.

Anyways, in the end we decided Bobbydoedoe can bear the slight leak until Monday where I have arranged for him to go to a shop to remove the A-pipe and reposition the O2 sensor while re-aligning (this means chopping and re-welding) the rear-upper portion of the A-pipe. Re-installing the stock manifold is a pain and then he would have to pay to have the entire thing re-installed when it is cut and welded!

So, bottom line, Bobbydoedoe has to spend another $100 to $150 to fix the darn thing - I feel bad for him, but its a lesson learned.

I have installed a set of AW headers previously and they were fine - its an example of poor quality control in my opinion.

 

damn

 

Sounds like the ever so popular OBX problems

 

yeah, my OBX welds are cracked after half a year, and the bung that holds the O2 sensor was positioned the wrong way, touching the oil pan, had to relocate the bung and buy a new O2 sensor. I'm gonna end up getting a set of Comptechs. BTW, does a cracked weld on the headers with an exhaust leak rob me of HP? there is a clear crack, and black sut around it, but no irregular noise. whaddayathing?

 

Thanks for the info Allmotor.

 

I'll look out for this if I do any AW headers

 

Well the drive home wasn't to bad it’s just really annoying if over 3000rpm, but you feel the gain that’s for sure, and thank you allmotor for installing the headers on a Christmas day. On Monday I will talk to Excelerate04 (the person who organized the group buy) and show him some pictures about the fitment problems and hopefully he will inform the maker of the headers and hopefully they will do something to correct that before the next batch of headers are ship.
Steven

 

GOD DAMN IT!!! I just purchased these damn headers for $600, now what the fuck am I going to do?!!! So, what was the main problem the headers werent aligning properly?!!

What do you suggest I do?!

 

as allmotor suggested after the install that i goto a muffler shop and have them realign or relocate the o2 sensor and someother thing

 

Well I'm planning on installing mine @ a Car & Body Shop...

any tips for them when I ask them to install them...he said he was going to charge $250...I know the people there pretty well...

 

hmmm lets see, just tel him about the known issues about this headers, and tell him to be careful of the o2 sensor

 

Is there someone who can make a list of what I should tell him?

Cause from what i read from allmotor, there are a shitload of problems...

I PMed Excelerate asking if he could resend me a good pair of headers...but no answer yet...


Thanks, Veeral

 

That's what I paid for my used Comptech's.

Sounds like AW has quality control problems. If some have had problems and others have been fine, it tells you that they can't make a consistent product. With that being said, don't expect the exact same problems with your headers. Consider these as potential problems. You may be lucky and have a set that's fine or be worse off and not even be able to hook up the "J" pipe.

As far as asking Excelerate if he could resend you a good pair of headers, that's a tough request unless they've been bolted up or they have identified a consistent error in this batch. Excelerate can only do so much as a reseller. He can't control quality but can speak to the factory on your behalf.

Good Luck.

 

New or used Comptech's are the way to go.

 

Used

 

Soo, Anyone willing to trade my AW Headers for their used Comptech

Now its going to be even harder to sell my AW Headers. I'll be lucky if someone will buy them cause everyone will think they are defective.

 

i got one of the early preproduction prices and i guess one of the earlier models, it fit perfectly fine according to the shop who put them on.

 

The two problems as I stated were:

(i) The O2 bung is off a few degrees and hits the block
(ii) The rear 'J' portion of the 'A' pipe is not a good fit with the rear manifold - the two flanges are not parallel by any means

Bobbydoedoe will get his fixed on Tuesday

 

Doesnt the side that says Alpha Werks go on the rear side? (ex. opposite side that the comptech one did)

 

Thats wierd...how can the pre production work and not the regular production...usually when something goes wrong they fix it after the preproduction so that way the final piece is better made. Instead they did it completely vice versa...

 

lack of attention to quality due to popular demand

 

i had exactly the same experience and the o ring i got didnt fit.... the mechanic that helped me told me to have them reweld it at another angle but i havent done it yet and everything seems fine

 

hey wanna come along with me to get the thing rewelded on monday? pm me

 

if this shit happened to the new set i buoght off ebay im gonig to go nuts

 

dont re sell them, they will fit they're just a bitch to get them on there

 

gotta work, where u gonna have that done? diamond bar is like an hour easy away from me... otherwise i would be down.

 

the place is in montclare, but i give u the updates on what he has done

 

I purchased my Comptechs used for about the cost of new Alpahwerks. I hate to say it.... but "I told you so"

 

Exactly. Then they come on this board and blow smoke up our asses saying our much attention they paid to the detail of the "design" *cough cough comptech clone cough cough*.

 

Well i like said before my brother installed his alphawerks headers and had no problems.

Maybe some of them came bad.

Can any one take pictures of the problems?

 

Exactly... just like "some" of the OBX's were bad, "some" of the Stone headers were band, etc., etc....

None of the Comptechs came out bad. I really don't understand why it is so hard for these companies to get it right the first time. There has been a proven product out for years now, it is only a few pipes and a few welds to copy.

 

[QUOTE=mrsteve]Exactly... just like "some" of the OBX's were bad, "some" of the Stone headers were band, etc., etc....

None of the Comptechs came out bad.


How do you know Comptech has never had a bad header?

Just because they never posted on the forums, doesnt mean that they never had a bad one.

 

im scared to installl mine now... oh man i knew i should have bought used comptech's!

 

i wonder which batch of headers the bad one came from? Bobbydoe..did you get yours from the recent group buy?

 

there are more comptech headers out there than there are obx, stone, megan, alphawerks or any other brand out there. i have yet to see a story of comptechs that didnt fit right the first time.

 

yeap

 

 

oh man..now im really kinda scared...veeral505 let us know how your installl goes...

 

Can u say "ebay?"

 

Do a search.

Even Comptechs had their fair share of problems when they first began. It happens.

What makes a good manufacturer is the fact that they'll continue to test test fit and improve quality control like Comptech obviously did. Jusr my