CCETTI

Who here on the forum has Dyno results for headers on a TL-p?

Im thinking of getting some, I already have an ICEBOX and am verry happy with it. what you guys say 10- 15hp gain with headers?

Phrosttz0

if your not buying comptech header, you might aswell go with ssautochrome, or whatever they call them, save the money

TwinTurbo335

true but then if only comptech headers are cheaper.. its 1k+ and they are out of business. wish they made other carb legal headers that are cheaper

Excelerate

iTrader: (1)

DC Sports is a good alternative to Comptech. Ceramic coated, 3 bolt flange, proper fitment.

Their initial 2 bolt design was subpar. They realized it and made changes. That's what a good company does. Now their new setup has perfect fitment and no noises with the same gains.

CCETTI

cool thanks for the replies i think im get some DC's becuase the comptech is to expensive and the ssautochrome is to cheap.

oulaw29

Well they sure didnt make any recall effort/offer. My DC 2 bolts are POS, and DC should be ashamed of themselves. When a "good" company makes a sub-par product, usually they offer a replacement/refund/discount on better product even in not openly, for those that call in. Why would anyone buy from them after they sold those POS headers when the SS autocrome are $104 shipped? Im not going to call bullshit on you hijacking yet another post to try to make a sale, but I do when you try to justify the conduct of DC sports, they made a "sub-par" product, they produced it, they had to have realized at some point it was a POS, but wanted to sell what they had so they wouldnt lose $$. They rushed R&D when the comptechs were selling for $1K+ just to make a $. I would get the SSautocrome, do a search, everyone is happy with them, and they are 1/3 the price of DC sports!!

CCETTI

Excelerate when did they realize the problem for the DC headers and fix it? how long agao was that? so if iw as to get some DC's know they will be the fixed ones?

TwinTurbo335

i agree with oulaw.

stick with XS headers. they are cheap and worth it. I only heard bad things about DC headers. many DC headers users replaced it with XS headers.

Excelerate

iTrader: (1)

Not everyone who bought the 2 bolts had an issue. The paper gaskets they sent the headers with were the problem. So replacing them with metal gaskets usually solved the problem. However, they realized that the 3 bolt design was what the OE header used and so they re-designed it. I don't know what DC did in your case; that is between you and DC. But in reference to your thread on hijacking a post to make a sale: the thread is about the DC headers. I didn't even say PM me for the headers. I wrote:

DC Sports is a good alternative to Comptech. Ceramic coated, 3 bolt flange, proper fitment.

Their initial 2 bolt design was subpar. They realized it and made changes. That's what a good company does. Now their new setup has perfect fitment and no noises with the same gains.

I have sold DC for years. I like their quality. And I acknowledged their issue. So if you have some personal vendetta that I am unaware of call DC at 310-484-2322 or PM me. Also DC obviously didn't rush R&D b/c it is 2007 and the TL came out in 1999.

And not everyone is happy with XS. I have installed 2 sets and one set had uneven flanges, and another set had resonance, as do most sets they sell.

Excelerate

iTrader: (1)

They made the change a few months back. The new headers have a new part # HHC5528. I do have the new version available if you're interested.

Costco

Do you seriously believe that if hypothetically, there were a problem with the Comptech headers that Comptech knew about, that they would issue a recall and offer a full refund or give you a new replacement product? Yes, lots of people on here are happy with the ssautochrome headers but there are plenty of horror stories about non-existant customer support and I've seen a couple threads about them cracking.

Authorized vendors are here for a reason. They're trusted sellers and they're there so that we can buy products from them without resorting to eBay. So what if he says he has it available?

CL Platano

Got DC headers and love them..

oulaw29

#1 The issue was not with the gasket or they would have redesigned. Do a search I am not the first person who has used metal gaskets and gasket goo combined, still same problem re-occurs.

#2 I specifically said I was not calling bullshit for you chiming in to sell some headers, but my issue was you pouring sugar on DC sports fuck up. Vendetta? Damn straight, i spend a nice chunk of change on scrap metal. Your claim that they did not rush R&D only furthers my point, they spent all that time and still couldnt produce a quality product, why would anyone want to buy DC sport headers after that sort of fuck up?

oulaw29

#1 There is no issue with comptech headers such as issue with DC

#2 Where are the posts about problems with ssautocrome? I had a great email response re: shipment. The seller knew about acurazine and thanked us for buying and asked me to let them know if I had any problems. I didnt get any response from DC when I asked for an exchange for the 3 bolt headers, becuase they dont stand behind their product.

CCETTI

ok so i called DC sports to day and the guy was familiare with the recal and he said that every header that stores had that were recalled they replaced with the fixed ones and he said if i orderd some from an authorized dealer the Headers will be fine and be the redesigned ones and have no problems he ashured me this.

SSautochrome seem to cheap to last shure they work fine know but what about in a couple of years ? the companies rep isnt known realy

comptech to expesive not worth the money for the power gains in my oppinion, but if you got the bank buy them they are the best out there and problem free right?

DC sport has great history with honda products and made the first header for the CRX so atleat they have experience ok so they messed up im prety shure they fixed the problem buy know its like 2007 my car was made in 99-2003 they have had many years to deal and fix the problem.

CCETTI

(CL Platano) How long have you had the DC headers? any problems?

CL Platano

Couple of months and no problems at all.

bonknhead

Unfortunately, DC Sports had just one Tech Support guy, Guillermo, who was very difficult to work with. Here's my story regarding my DC Sports headers:

I bought a pair of their 2-bolt flange headers (HHC5522) last September. I too had the leaking problem, but after pestering Guillermo for a fix for several weeks, and trying a couple of different sets of gaskets he sent me, he finally sent me a thick set of gaskets that have held up for the past 9 months with no leaks. During that time, I kept on telling him that OEM, Comptech and other headers had 3-bolt flanges, and made a case for replacing the headers, in case the 2-bolt flange ones I had started acting up again. He finally gave in and sent me a new pair of the 3-bolt flange headers. I never did install these because the originals were holding up just fine, plus I didn't want to pay for installation all over again, and DC Sports wasn't going to comp me for the labor costs.

I waited until this past May before I finally sent them back to DC Sports, even though no one asked for them. Guillermo (did I say he was difficult? lol) no longer worked for them , so I dealt with the Director of Customer Service, Cindy. I told her that I was not going to pay for shipping. She had them picked up. Sensing that I had someone who would work with me and was higher up the food chain than Guillermo was, I also detailed my painful workings with Guillermo, saying that I should be comped something. She said she would talk to the owner and get back to me.

A couple of days later, Cindy calls me and says that DC Sports will pay me $100 for my time and effort to get the headers in the shop three more times to get the right set of gaskets installed. I was definitely pleased with the customer service Cindy provided.

Oulaw29, if your headers are still under warranty (I think they're warranted for 1 year), I would try calling DC Sports again. I don't know if they've replaced Guillermo, but ask for Cindy regardless. She's very professional and understanding. If you don't get comped for your troubles like I did, perhaps she would be willing to replace your headers with the new version, and you can sell those to cut your loss.

To the OP: I am definitely pleased with my DC headers. They still look good after almost a year and the gains are very nice!

CCETTI

thats good to hear that the new batch and headers are holding up just fine

fsttyms1

Actually there were some issues with Comptech's early batch.

illjuan3

i have xs headers and i love them and the chrome turns gold after a week looks great-awsome. the gains for bucks is worth it. WITH NO RESONANCE!

Excelerate

iTrader: (1)

1. Yes, the 2 bolt design wasn't as good as the 3 bolt design. However, it didn't mean that it was unworkable. A thicker gasket worked in some cases.

2. I didn't poor sugar on anything. I laid the problem out and said DC fixed it. You seem to be upset so maybe you should talk to DC. Their previous guy, Guillermo, wasn't good at calling ppl back. Cindy is very good at doing so. I ordered some DC headers and after waiting weeks I got the old design. I called her and told her that I wanted the new batch. She picked up the old headers and replaced them with new ones on DC's dollar.

DC is quality. And Comptech's headers originally did have some issues. What makes a company good is when they acknowledge hte mistake and fix it. DC did. Maybe you're upset b/c they didn't respond in your case so call them up and tell them. 310-484-2322 Ask for Cindy. There is a manufacturer's warranty.

Edward'TLS

Good speech. Clap, clap, clap.
Does it mean Rotora is not a good company when they sold front slotted Rotors with chipped paint finish, and they didn't doing anything about it ?

TwinTurbo335

you should do a search in second gen TL forums. more than half of the member on here uses XS. members have been using XS headers for over years. many say there is no problem with it at all. I just don't think its worth the money for a DC headers when you can get something thats better thats 1/3 the price. Dont judge how it is just because its alot cheaper than other headers.

illjuan3

most XS headers problems are install problem...pay to have them installed and you shouldnt have any problems and if you do have a prob, just take them back to the installer....POINT BLANK DONT SPEND EXTRA DOUGH ON DC HEADERS OR COMPTECH...id rather buy to sets of XS HEADERS then pay $300 for the competiton!

2003TL-S

I have had both DC (old 2 bolt style) and XS (ss autochrome). IN THE AREA I LIVE with the environmental factors (snow and salt) that I am destined to run in to XS IS the only way to go. Yes I had many issues with my DC's, yes I dealt with this spank Guillermo at AEM (DC) who did nothing to help, and even the Director of Customer Service Cindy wouldn't do anthing since I contacted her after bonknhead gave me her name, which was also after I already had my coated XS headers on. The DC's that I had were a complete nightmare. Crazy loud resonace, gasket leaks, old design and new design gasket, copper gasket and liguid gasket combined. Beyond that having the header cracked on the manifold flange and around where the O2 sensor screws in, and quite rusty. By the way this was after having them for 1 winter.

Other than comptech, the only place I would ever recommend anyone to buy headers from is from XS (SSAutochrome) and then get them coated by Jet Hot or High Performance Coatings. They will cost the same in the end as DC's but the coating is warrantied to stand up against all environmental factors including salt and helps against heat stress which can lead to cracking, it also strenghtens the header and cuts down on resonance which I have none of. DC doesn't do that. DC's ceramic coating is CRAP they know it and they won't do anything about it, too bad. My headers rust even a little, I can send them back to HPC and they will coat them for FREE.

Beat that when you buy DC's......

Excelerate

iTrader: (1)

There's a lot of anger in this thread and ppl looking to unleash personal vendettas. Suffice it to say that DC didn't do it properly the first time around and re-designed the headers the right way. Now the headers are issue free and a better design.

And to the poster who wrote XS Power headers have been on cars for years, that is wrong. There is one member who has had the headers on for a little over a year. Almost everyone else has only had them on for months. And XS Power's reputation is horrible. Go to www.honda-tech.com and you will see horror stories of their turbos, wastegates, exhaust manifolds, etc. And regardless of who installs it, you will likely still have resonance. For $100 though, you can't complain.

CCETTI

Well i dont need to worry about rust because it doesnt snow in SF and the weather is moderate most the time.

wow i didnt even realize how much people on this forum hate on DC sports.

TwinTurbo335

i live in SF too. theres a forum on here about xs headers. I know people had it for a few years already. especially the CL members. i say just stick with XS headers. of course the vendor wanna make money. its just like a store. would they prefer you to buy something they dont have? of course they want you to buy things he has in stock. its either you go with XS headers or comptech. dont go with DC. just my

oulaw29

I think thats the dude who basically told me to fuck off. Normally being an attorney I would send an "im going to sue the fuck out of you for breach of contact AND get my attorney fees in the process" but I really didnt have time to breathe due to making so much money at work at the time. So what is the contact info for cindy because I would rather try the new DC versus autocrome and that way I can compare and post audio clips of both so everyone can see.

bonknhead

Here you go, she's at extension 201

Razzi

so like.....before the enormous amounts of thread jacking, what are the power gains on the DC? 2 HP like every other TL mod out there >.>

Excelerate

iTrader: (1)

25-30 HP on the Type S. 18 or so for the TL-P.

2003TL-S

A little anger, more because of how I was treated when I called about an issue. Now that guy doesn't work there so back to the normal AEM (DC) goodness. I have had many more good experiences with them then bad.

The point of my post was to emphasize the possibility of the environment when making a choice, since the ceramic coating on the DC's was not good at all. The coated exhaust piping on my Apexi WS2 has held up about 2.5 winters and it is still good to go. Getting the XS headers coated is a better way to go in my case. I also had all the welds checked before I put them on and they were fine. I have heard those same things about their turbos and such, but that is a different beast with the amount of heat those put out.

In the end the new designed DC's are better, but IMO there is a just as good option in XS if you get them coated

CCETTI

Excelerate thanks for answering my question about the power gains.

well last week or so i went and ordered some DC sport headers from a local performance shop they should be coming in Friday or may be next week some time. i made shor there the new designed ones and i even talked to DC about them and he assured me they will be the new ones. and there coming strait from DC sports. im check the part #'s too when i get them.

Im having a shop install them and ill take some pics after.

CCETTI

well i got them in yesturday i took some pics they definetly changed and made them more durable here is some pics i took

tst32tl

CCETTI : Got your new 3 flanged DC headers installed yet? Like to hear your feedback.

CCETTI

on monday im having them installed buy a local shop. yea ill let you know how i like them. and ill take some pics if i can.

just a tip if you get headers buy new head gasgets i wouldnt reuse the old ones.

BraveDemon

I've had the 3 bolt flange DC headers on for the past 5-6 months. (Ordered them from Excelerate here a few months ago, was the first of two from the first batch).

So far I've had 0 issues with the new DC headers. I had the 2 bolt flange previously and my only complaint was the resonance issue due to the 2 bolt flange not sealing completely. The 3 bolt flange has fixed this issue and everything is perfect.

I highly recommend the DC sports headers if people are looking for a good quality headers at a reasonable price. I know lots of people prefer XS because... well... its cheap. There are many good reviews of XS headers and I'm sure they're fine, but if you're like me and are willing to spend a fair amount of money for a great reliable brand name product, then DC is the way to go. If you wanna spend tons of money and get the best, get Comptech.

CCETTI

ok so i got my headers insauled the other day and they fit perfact.

and there is no RESONANCE what so ever car is quiet in the low RPMS but when you get it up there arround when the Vtech kicks in it sounds meen and agrssive esspecialy with my comptech Ice box the sound is clean and solid.

iono how much power gains im getting but i definetly feel a difference in the high RPMS there seems to be not as big as a lag when the gears shift.

if you guys want i can take some pics.