I purchased obx headers for my 99tl. After hours trying to unscrew rusty bolts at my mother in laws garage , I came to a couple of screws that didnt want to move. I finally took it into a shop so they could finish the job for me. My hands and shoulders were killing me by this time. To make a long story short they called me into the back and showed me that the headers and the y pipe werent lining up. You could imagine my heart stopped. I thought they had sent me the wrong ones. I checked the box after they put the stock stuff back on and I think they sent me the correct headers. Later at home i noticed(these r things u dont notice at the shop) that the headers are different I.E. that they have different angles and bends to them. Could they have put the back header on the front and vise versa. So with this long story I ask u all this question does the header with the plate that says obx racing on it ....is that the front header or the rear header. I know they were installing the one with the plate on the front, and that might explain y they werent lining up, if this one actually belongs in the back. Thanks and sorry for the long story.....i thought u guys would enjoy it. thanks JBL

 

if i remember right from other posts the one with the plate goes to the rear

 

plate goes on rear.

 

thanks guys...i guess it's back to the drawing board...

 

i hear when installing headers that you should heat up the engine to make the screws come out easier.

 

For all of you that know about header installation.....I recently got the comptech headers for $859 shipped, and I want to know if I'm going to be able to use my old header gaskets or need new ones. My 99TL has 60,000 miles. The dealer wants $40 for new ones. My buddy and I are planning to install them this weekend. Anyone out there install comptech themselves? Was it easy?

 

I installed Comptech's on my 99 TL and it had around 45K when I did it. Gaskets are metal and I had no problem reusing the original ones. I did it by myself but definitely would have been easier with two people.

The one tip to remember is to keep all bolts loose until you have the headers connected to the a-pipe. Once all bolts are started, then you can tighten and torque.

Good Luck.

 

Allright, install went rather well.....saved me $200. The only problem is it looks like part of the downpipe is touching the bottom of the oil reservoir. When I put it in drive I can feel the metal vibrating underneath. Did you, or anyone else have any similar problems?

 

Did you get the Comptech headers new or used? And where did you get it from (private sale or from a vendor)? That's a good price for Comptech if it's new.

 

New, from an Acura dealer in Washington.
They were selling them on Ebay for $995 at first, then I saw they lowered the price to $895 and then $859 for "Buy It Now". Thought it was a good deal, better than $1249 retail!

 

what is the gain in horse after installing the Headers? also, will this help in the increase of the low end torque?

Thanks
eric

 

is there a difference in the comptech and obx headers which on would you go with?

 

From what I understand, the OBX headers are a knock off of the Comptech headers. The only potential problem with OBX that I know of are as follows:

1) the ceramic OBX headers may peel and flake (only get stainless steel OBX headers only)
2) there is a slight resonance at around 2,000-3,000 RPM (due to possibly fitment problems - see #3 below)
3) OBX headers don't have a perfect fit (you will need to wiggle it a bit to get it to line up - or so I heard)
4) OBX headers are made of a lower grade stainless steel (Comptech headers are made of higher quality SS).

For the price, OBX is a good buy than Comptech. It is definitely the best bang for the buck so to speak.

 

is there a difference in hp or toqure?

 

I'm not 100% certain, but I believe the OBX headers do not give the same performance as Comptech. OBX's HP and torque figures are lower than Comptech. The saying you get what you pay for is true in this case. IMHO however, you will not really notice the difference - OBX provides good performance gain for the dollar. If you get the Comptech, sure you can say you got this HP and this torque, but will you ever use the HP and torque potential? Only way you can ever use all that extra bit of HP and torque will be at high RPM and if you are racing. So you have to ask yourself how often are you going to do that? For daily driving with the occasional lead foot, OBX is the best bang for your buck choice. If money is not a factor (you are loaded with $) or if you intend to race every modified car you see on the road, then get the Comptech.

 

good point your input helped alot patrick one more quick question is the obx carb legal think i made up my mind thanks alot

 

Again I'm not 100% sure, but I think only Comptech is carb legal. OBX is not carb certified. You will need to do some more investigating to find out. Sorry. On a side note, I have not heard anyone with OBX headers failing emission testing (but this may be due to it being a new product and people that installed it have not gone back yet for emission testing). Let us know which headers you get. Good luck!