I've been avoiding posting this because I don't want to get flamed... but I really am not noticing the huge difference in acceleration after getting the OBX headers installed. The most noticeable thing is the humming or resonance that happens at certain RPM's, which doesn't really bother me - but its more noticable to me than the power gains are. Maybe I was expecting too much out of them, or maybe I just am not sensitive enough to the way the car pulled before vs. now.

I think what I am really going to need to do to be confident they made a difference is either get a dyno or setup a race vs. a stock CL-S or at least someone else with headers to make sure everything is working right on my car.

Anyone up for the challenge ?

 

have you tried Vtec land? Thats where the power peaks.

 

you will feel the gains in the high RPS more. Punch it rev out first then second and watch how much faster you get up there with the headers .

 

Of course... im flooring it all the time. After I first had them installed I just drove back and forth on this one road like 5 times WOT'ing it from a stop each time.

I think I just need to go head to head with a stock CL-S or 2 then as I pull away from them I will feel the additional power

 

i could of told you that you wont feel anything. just like how everybody says they can feel a big increase from their CAI. it will show up on a dyno or when you race another stock CLS, but its all in the imagination. you think it should be faster so you think it feels faster. to get power you can feel, you'll need to do some bigger upgrades than just headers...supercharger, turbo, nitrous, etc. look at the competch dyno...you gain from 1-6 HP up to 5600RPM. do you really think you're going to feel 6hp? you actually lose 1HP at 2800RPM. it then peaks out at 32HP at 6600 RPM but our car redlines at around 6800, so you have a split second of 32HP gain...big deal. you were just expecting too much.

 

it's funny how everyone else can tell a noticeable difference...

 

noticeable? so if i somehow could add 6HP MAX up to 5600RPM in one CL and another was stock you didnt know which one was increased....you'd bet me money that you would be able to tell over and over again which one had the 6HP increase?

 

it's funny how i wasn't talking to you...


and yes, i completely disagree w/ you. but keep telling yourself you couldn't feel the difference. good way to save yourself some money.

 

and you keep thinking your car is so much NOTICEABLY faster so you can feel better about your $1000purchase (or $350 if you got the OBX)....go out and beat those maximas!! go get em!!!

 

Just take it to the drag strip and get some timeslips you will see higher trap speed... even Gtech Pro Competition could show you the gain.... Or dyno... Remember it is the same engine!

But come on, what do you expect.... it just 30 HP so, that is only .3-.4s gain in 1/4 mile run... can you say, you gained 0.5 sec gain in 15s run?... But that is still 3-4 car length when you are travelling near 100 MPH!

 

Race me on Friday, I'll be in the ville!


I've got the Comptech's.


I think the problem is that you got the OBX's. :P

 

Maybe you dont feel differences because they're OBX? I know that i can lay a strip in 2nd and a nice bark in 3rd. I couldnt do that before. Oh wait, but i actually spent the money for the real gains and got Comptech.

 

I dont know about everyone else, but I notice a big difference, not a night to day difference, but a difference that is well noteciable and well liked .

 

i cant imagine what the problem is, ive got the OBX headers and at first, (during the first hour of driving) they werent really noticable at all, then the next day, it was like WOAH...hello!!!! im sorry but these gains ARE REAL and you can FEEL them...i am VERY critical of car mods, i had CAI and sold it less than a month later because i didnt feel a damn thing and i was dissapointed....but the headers on the other hand...wow, all i can say is wow....340 bucks for this??? i think i stole them from OBX!!! these gains are completely real and its not just my mind playing tricks on me....my buddies GTP ALWAYS used to beat me (i did 14.8 to his 14.5 all day at the track) and we recently had a little run on the highway and i was pulling on his ass WAAAY more than ever and he was shocked....i cant wait till november 2nd when i get my new times....that will be the proof once and for all about these headers.

 

I have a Cl-P and i feel the gain's night and day.

 

why do you think when people are racing they pull out their seats and stuff? Or get rims that why 2-3 Lbs lighter? These little things may not seem signifigant but they make a difference when racing. Like Nashua said....it'll be 3-4 car legnths when you race. That is a lot.

I think you were expecting to be shoved back into your seat. That is what I used to think too. Learning this stuff as time goes on!!

0-60 in 6.4 sec vs. 0-60 in 5.9 sec....its only .05 seconds apart......which would you rather have?

 

LOL, I'll put $$ on mattg's car vs. a Maxima. I take it you haven't seen any of mattg's other posts... Some people are more inclined to hear/notice things than others.

As a audio engineer is going to be able to hear things you wont. Because s/he has a trained ear, plus many many year of experince listening. Although both of your ears may hear the same information.

Same with someone who's fam with racing. He'll notice things you might not. Just has to do with experience. And time in the seat.


Also, go and pull chip 13 out (for 60 seconds or so) from the passenger side fusebox. Reset your ECU.

 

You are barking/flaming up the wrong tree here. Mattg has headers, and his 1/4 mile times are faster than any other auto without nos. So if you figure a stock cls runs around 14.8-15.0 1/4 his times are incredible for headers if he is running 14.1 1/4. The only thing is the pulleys and CAI and they alone can not shave off .7 tics. More like minimal gains at low end. Do the math.

 

Question on the ECU.. I got the headers installed but did not reset the ECU. Will it make a difference? I've seen posts where people say that even when you reset the ECU, it will go back to stock setting after awhile, true?

BTW, the sound of the acceleration is for sure a lot better and smoother, and the Vtec pulls harder. IMO.

 

IMO headers are at their best on the highway. The difference between a stock CL-S and one with headers on the highway is like night and day. Some gains are made in 0-60 but the true power is from 60-149.

 

I'm going to save Scalbert some time.
He has posted many many times that the ECU is constantly adjusting and that it updates so quickly that there is no need to reset it. Just start driving and it will adjust itself accordingly.

 

Thanks dhesq!! I will leave it alone.

 

Hehehe... I was waiting for someone to blame it on the OBX


At any rate... if you are serious lets meet up somewhere and do a couple runs. I don't know any really great places but there are a few highways that I know we can catch a stop light at together and run from there.

 

You are probably right on the money with that comment... this is my first "performance" car, and first time I have ever moded any car. So I probably just can't tell any difference because im not used to it.

 

BEESTEA,


That sounds good to me. I will be in the ville all weekend. I live right by where 66 and 28 meet.

PM me with your email address, and we can set something up.

How bout round 8pm or so? We can do it right out on 28N by the airport.

 

The HP gains from headers are almost nothing until you get into 6300+ rpm land. Then sure you are getting 30-40 HP but you are in that high power band for what, like 1/2 a second during WOT.
At cruisng RPMs, no difference. Hard acceleration -- some difference. The really decent gains are fleeting at best.
I'm glad I got the headers, but it is an okay gain IMO not something phenomenal, IMO.

 

TypeSKid what are your other mods? I think beestea's completely stock except for those headers. If you have sport springs and CAI in addition to your headers you should be able to beat him because of those alone.
It's surprising how a stiffer suspension can help (and of course a CAI would make a difference too).

 

AEM CAI. If his headers aren't pulling the way he say's they are then I outta be able to dawg him pretty bad.


just out of curiousity,

how much hp u think my intake adds?

 

That's 0.5s apart, not 0.05s apart. The headers only make a difference from 5.5K rpms onwards.. that's it. And the difference can be 'felt' and seen at the track. I can attest to that!

 

my headers helped me big, i ran a 14.7 with i/e best of 3 runs on my stock rims and ride height, empty trunk.....but then i ran a 14.4 with i/e and the headers on 18's with my sub and amp and spare in the trunk...also the 1st time i was nervous but still, definitely feel the gain...i know in the 6 speed when i hit 6100rpms they fly to the redline.

 

That's just not true...

After my header install my computer flipped and was turning on my V-TEC at 5200 rpm.

I reset the ECU and it went back to 4800 rpms. And my car stopped bogging.

Made a huge difference to me Especially when my car shifted from 1st to second, it'd bog up to 5200 rpms. then kick the V-TEC in. Which is a good 400rpms at least of waiting for v-tec. Where as normally the car shifts and is at V-TEC again already.

 

I don't understand how OBX headers can only produce 7-10 hp while Comptech headers can produce over 30 hp, from basically the same construction. It seems to me that OBX is more on the track with their hp numbers and their price ($299 vs. $1249). Someone explain to me how the hp gains can be that much different.

 

Read all of the thread. People mention numerous reason why they could...

 

I think you guys are misunderstanding something....

1. The OBX headers to produce as much HP gains as the comptech. See Nashua's post with his before/after dyno when he got the OBX headers installed. You will see it shows very impressive gains.

2. The OBX information about HP gains are based on installing the OBX headers on an Accord V6. The CL seems to gain a lot more HP than the Accord does.

3. Any headers available for our car now (be it OBX or Comptech) only produce noticable gains at higher RPM's. Somewhere between 5500-6500 is where you see the gains go from the 5HP or so up to the 30HP+ gain.


Im not saying my headers aren't working... I am just saying I don't notice as much of a difference as everyone claims to feel.

 

Ok, good points, but why are the comptech's so much more expensive--just the name? If that's the case, if I do get headers, I'll gladly spend $950 less to have basically the same performance.

 

I tend to think if both headers are the same length, & size, & look to be identical except for some welding work, they should give the same performance. After all it's only a bored out chunk of metal. No moving parts, no difference in design. Is it being used with a CAI? or stock intake? I also would think the gains would be more noticable with a CAI then without. Also some cars are just faster then others in stock form due to manufactored differences.

 

Nausha's car has other mod's done that could effect his dyno results. Someone needs to dyno OBX headers on a stock CLS to show correct numbers.

His post is speculation. Compare Nashuas dyno to someones with all of the same mod's. Don't compare a stock Comptech dyno to a non stock CLS OBX dyno.

Nausha has pulleys on his car, which give gains to other mods. Like the headers or even intake... Once you see a few before and after stock CLS dynos you'll know for sure...

 

My guess is slightly more than it would to a completely stock car. Since your headers are helping pull the exhaust out more quickly and smoothly, your intake should be able to pull in more, and since you have a CAI it can do that even more easily.

Exact number? No idea.




Also to the person who asked the oft-answered question "why are the Comptech headers so much more expensive?" it's the same answer as always: better material, better welds, overall better quality. Put a set of comptechs next to OBX and the comptechs just exude quality. That said, the whole point of the OBX is to be a cheaper, rougher alternative with similar performance. I think they accomplish that quite well.

 

when i got my car it had comptech headers and exhaust, stock wheels and tires. best times before cai were in the 14.80's, best time after cai (aem) was 14.67. that should give you an idea.


comptech headers are made here in the U.S. by better welders using far better materials. just like anything else, quality and craftsmanship cost more. just like a rolex costs more than a timex. they both keep great time, but you know why the rolex costs (and is worth) much more.

 

Cause is shinier and chicks go "oooh a rolex"?

Im happy with my timex thanks!