I just installed my XS power headers today and it went o k with a slight problem! We reused the existing gaskets which where fine, BUT we had to use the bolts that came with the HEADERS which where a shit quality! The bolts that where on my stock headers would not work! So now im getting a hissing or shhhhhhhhhh sound when i hit the gas!

My question is do u think its the bolts or a crappy build quallity of the headers and is this noise a leak!



On a side note i can defintely fell a power difference and my exhaust is louder!

 

When I had mine installed the original gaskets were used as well as the bolts that came with the headers, no problems since July '06. They were a bit louder at first, and it had me worried there was a leak, but everything was fine. From what I understand, a swooshing sound from the headers is normal and is because of the greater air flow.

 

Well I have Headers on my other CL-S and I never heard that sound before! I'm thinking its coming from where my B-pipe and my A-pipe connect. I might need to try and tighten them.

 

The XS headers do make a whooshing sound but def. replace those bolts ASAP.. they're not even heat treated.

 

Oh wait.. look what I said on your old thread:

Post #6

http://www.acura-cl.com/forums/showp...25&postcount=6

 

Ya def get the bolts changed. Is the wooshing sound very noticeable or do you have to really listen for it?

 

The whooshing sound is even noticeable in my Megan headers...I have no leaks.

 

It is very noticeable! Im going to check again sometime this week and try and tight them!

 

As I said maybe the bolts now are crap. I got an early November 05 set. Used the bolts & gaskets that came with mine & haven't had 1 problem in over 1.5 years.
I would do what other's suggested & replace the bolts.

 

the whooooooshing sound is because the metal is so much more thin than the OEM cast iron header. All aftermarket headers for the CL do it unless you do have a leak.

 

Snaps had CT headers on his old CL, so he knows what a CLS with headers should sould like...

 

I guess its a leak then

 

Yeah, I'm thinking leak too... Or it might be the design... There's gotta be a reason why CT's headers are $1000 and XSpower's are $150... (yeah I know, CT are CARB approved, research and development costs, etc while XS are just copied and made in some 3rd world country )

Fuzzy and others had no issues with the XS's, but some members have complained about similiar swooshing/wooshing/hissing sounds...

I'm still stock, so what the heck do I know

 

I have the XS header and they rock. They do make more noise than OEM but I like it. Only I notice it and it isnt a bad sound. It just sounds like burnt gas rushing through my badass headers as I haul ass down the road. LOL.

Call me hard headed but I still dont see the justification for a $1000 price tag for some pipes for a $30000 car. After all, they are just pipes and the main reason for the gain is the longer individual tubes from each cylinder and the larger diameter piping. The trick is tube length and diameter. A couple of days of welding and a dyno and you could build them yourself. Say the cost of the dyno use for a few days was $10000 and your time for two weeks cost $15000 and the parts etc. cost $10000, thats $35000. Lets forget about CARB certification for now. If you sold 1000 units at only $250 you would still make $215,000. Dont flame me, I know that is a very rough example but I just dont get it. I have a friend who welds headers from titanium for F1 motors at Barber Motorsports in Bham AL and while he says it is an art, it aint all that if you know what you are doing for a production engine. I got to hold them while on a private tour of the facility. So light. Sorry for the rant.

 

On another note, my OEM headers made a slight swooshing sound. I used to play with the noise when I was bored on the interstate before I got the new XS header. The sound I hear is the same sound but much louder.

 

my example of the cost of the headers sucks.

 

Sorry to hear your problem bud, but the hissing swooshing sound is just considered "header sound". I have heard this problem with many different cars and different co.

I have an 03 accord 4cyl, I have the DC ceremic header and I got the same hissing metal to metal contact sound. I have had the local shop checked it out and I had NAPA checked it out, both shops told me that they found no leaks and nothing wrong with the O-rings or the gasket. Some people get it and some people don't. Good luck, maybe it is the bolts.

 

does it have an extra front flex joint? Some people have cut those and replaced it with a welded pipe. It may decrease the noise. A cheap temporary fix is to wrap the headers it should muffle the sound some. Unfornately I don't know of anyone who has completely gotten rid of the noise problem with cheap headers. All is can do is damage control and try to decrease the noise.

 

No extra anything on the XS headers. They are a direct copy of CT's design.

 

Guys i love all the info u have given me! Tomorrow i am going to replace the bolts and made even tighten the bolts form the a pipe to the b pipe! My comptech never hissed and also "chopsie" had the obx before the comptech and he never had any whossing sounds. I do understand they are a big difference between comptech and XS, but for example FUZZY does not get this sound. So hopefully tomorrow i will fine this fix.... Again thanks for all the INFO will keep u informed.

Like i said i do feel the gains which is awesome, and the deeper sound from my hks is sweet also.

 

On the cost of the headers yes Comptech is expensive and the XS Power headers are cheap. I acknowledge they are a great bang for the buck since they actually fit, at least relatively, but they are missing a lot. They have misaligned runners, somewhat decent welds, flanges aren't always flat, cheesy hardware, and absolutely no customer service or warranty. Comptech is closing its doors so it doesn't really mean much anymore but I woudl still at least go with DC Sports. I know they're ceramic coated but at least you can count on R&D and customer service.

Oh yea and that wooshing sound is not a normal headers sound. You get that sound when you use cheaper material, i.e. cheap flex section.

 

See there is this problem where only Comptech and XS make headers for the 6spd. I would never pay comptech's price and now there closing up anyway. So XS FTW

 

OK guys i found out the problem and everyone that said it has a whooshing header sound that all headers have was absolutely WRONG! The Gasket that came with the headers that went between the CAT and the header FAWKED up! So the whooshing sound was defintely a LEAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So know my question is where do i get this gasket from! Its a metal ring gasket! Of course it was sunday when i was doing this project and the acura dealership was closed. So i went to autozone, advance autoparts, oreilly's etc... The only thing I could find was a gasket for a V6 accord it was not big enough and would not work! Is this gasket going to be the same size the dealership will have or do I have to get this gasket from XS_POWER! I havent tried contacting XS but I already have a feeling it will be a BITCH!

 

O YEA I did replace the bolts and they where the shittiest bolts i have seen in my life!!!!! 2 broke while taking them off and i bent 1. I will admit the hardware they sent with the headers = , But the headers themself I cant complain on!

 

The guy who was installing mine had to grind one of the gaskets down because of a piece of metal that was sticking out of the side of the ring gasket itself.

 

The compression gasket is a dealer only part. CT sells them also(at least they did) XS should, but I don't know how far you will get contacting them.

 

I contacted XS power today and the guy told me that they dont sell them seperate So i have a couple of options 1. I'm getting a oem gasket to see if it fits. 2. im going to try and contact Josh "excelerate" and see if he can get me a comptech gasket. 3. Hoping I dont have to this is to buy another set and use those gaskets "cock balls thats wat will end up happening with my luck"

 

what do you mean dealer only part?

Do you mean Acura OEM? or dealer as in the company that makes the header?

If it's Acura OEM then Snaps could order it from the dealership instead of from XS to cut through the middleman

 

Dealer meaning the Acura dealer.

 

Just go to the dealer and get the oem gasket. The oem gasket will work. If they dont have it head to some exhaust shops. They carry donut style gaskets as well

 

Well i got a gasket from autozone sunday that didnt work and it was suppose to be the same as Honda accord/ acura cl! That didnt work it was a tad to small! I called Tim at hondaacuraworld and he said that the oem where the same as honda! So i im picking one up at the honda dealership tomm. since my dealer had to order them! Tim said the part numbers where the same also! So i waiting to talk to exelerate to see if he has the comptech ones since the xs r a replica of them!

 

You hear more exhaust noise because the header metal is so thin. Mine makes a whoosing sound but i have no exhaust leak

 

How the hell did you manage that?

 

http://www.xs-power.com/contact.html

 

This will work but the real company is http://www.ssautochrome.com/level.itml/icOid/4

XS-Power is a branch of ssautochrome

 

True.

 

I actually got the number from ebay

 

oh yeah, how long did it take the shop to install?

 

I just called up my Acura dealership to find out how much they would charge to install my comptech headers, they wanted $400!

I'm glad that my bro-in-law and I were planning on doing it ourselves.

 

Yeah that about right it's a 4 hour book job at $90/hour, plus tax.