So i got the xs headers installed today. so far all is good with driving. i feel it pull a little harder. only bad thing is i figured the $100 headers were a great deal but when i brought it to the shop for what they said an easy 2 hour job it took 4 hours because it was warped and the studs broke 4 times. So after $425 for install its working fine so far. only resonense i hear so far is at 2800 rpms for a split second. im happy so far but i only drove it for 10 minutes so far so i will see how it goes.

 

cool let us know how they hold up and how they sound after driving them for a little longer.

 

They charge you $425 for just installment
They should have just gave you a standard price an not charge you by the hour. Most shop charge 200-300 to install header.

 

I am willing to do the header install myself, seems pretty self explanatory.

 

Thats a crazy price for install. I don't understand why XS doesn't do a little more research and spend some more money/time to make the headers a QUALITY product where there is no resonanace. I'd pay $4-500 if they were of very good quality.

 

You can get DC sports headers for $380. If I were to pay that much, I'd get DC over XS.

 

WOW... so much for installation... me and my friend took about 2 and half hours.... mine didn't fit that perfectly but we just shoved it.. hahaha.. well, like others say.. u either get a good one or u don't but good job! have some fun with it!

 

well they quoted me like $200 for a two hour job and i dropped it off at 8am then went home to go back to sleep and woke up at noon with no missed calls. i drove to the shop and they said the headers were warped and not done yet so after 4 hours and like 15 minutes of labor charges they were done and the rule is a quote is just that and extra laber can be charged if it takes more time

 

Damn dude that sucks, I think it will be very unlikely that I go with XS now, most likely I'll go with DC, do it at the same time as when I get my exhaust.

 

mine fit fine and that is a lot for install and for the price of the headers they are not bad

 

im new to this but do the headers give it more horse

 

^^^^ Yes, and a decent amount throughout the RPM range. Intake, Headers, UR underdrive/lighweight pullies, throttle body, and intake spacers are all worthwile mods for the money.

Comptech headers new are about $1200, u can find a used set for about half that. XS has the same design. Everyone suggests better nuts and bolts and then they are fine, although some experience noise. DC has the same issues as XS. but they all offer gains.

 

Because then they wouldnt be as cheap. Ive installed 2 sets(one for me one for another member) now and both fit perfect no issues no resonance.
You cant bolt the uppers tight then attach the Y, thats where most run into fitment issues. You need some play. once every thing is bolted up THEN you tighten every thing. (probably something the exhaust shop didnt do)

 

So maybe most of the resonance is due to improper installation? Everyone that has it should re-check everything and make sure they are tightened properly. Wish I lived near you cuz I'd def get them and have u install them. I know I'd have crazy issues with the install.

 

yeah i was under the impression also that the resonance caused (if any) was from the the hardware. Meaning that the bolts should be re-tightened after a few days/miles/rides. Maybe i'm wrong but that's what i thought.

as someone who posted above about DC headers, do they sometimes cause resonance because of things loosening up? or just akward flow?

 

when i got my xs headers installed, i could here the slight hiss sound too, but waited 5-7 days to get them re-tightened, (waited that short amount of time, due to the fact that i drive alot), and after they were re-tightened, the sound went away, the after about a month its back and louder than ever. it sounds as if i have a freakin S/C with the hiss/whistle and even had a guy ask me if i had one installed because the way it sounded........imop

 

paying 400 for install sucks, sorry bro. I waited over a year to install mine cuz i didnt want to pay a shop over 200 to do it. Just did it yesterday, a few problems here and there but thats cuz im a newb. So far good gains, a little resonance but nothing a tightening wont fix. For sure worth the money!

 

Thats odd that you get that hiss/whistle from the headers because I had that happen when I got my AEM v2 installed. But so far no problems with my headers.

 

i know, and i have no other option but to take them off and make sure the gasket is still good, as i reused to factory one........but its loud......

 

Id bet its not the gasket. I would retorque the manifold pieces. If it were the gasket there you would most likely be hearing a ticking noise

 

i've had them installed for about 3 months now, and havent re-torqued them since i waited the 7 days to break them in. as for the sound, i may be able to put a sound clip on here, to let everyone hear....i swear, drivin down the road beside me or farther away form me, when i hit the gas, it sounds like a s/c.....lol......kind of funny......but thanks for your opinion

 

how much horse power do you get from JUST headers? no other mods done to it

 

^ +1 please post on my other thread. I am about to print out log and give to my local car tuner to prove them wrong.

 

5-10 whp

 

^ no its not 5-10. look at the dyno one of the moderator did. bone stock 198 WHP. Bone stock with comptech headers = 228 WHP. search it up. Ive done my searching.

 

Meh, I'm gonna go the DC route.

 

Will the XS headers still pass smog? I was told it wouldnt thats why i dont want to install it

 

yes... doesn't eliminate the cat so it should pass smog.

 

o man.. then XS headers we will be my new friend..so i heard cheapest is 88 bucks plus S/H about $105.

 

XS headers are not CARB certified.

 

damn it! they are not carb certified meaning its illegal or it just wont pass smog?

and i heard that the gaskets that come with the XS headers are crap and so are the bolts. Where could I get new gaskets? Will p2r gaskets work and bolt sizes info would be appreciated too. Thanks.

 

Go with DC Headers if you live in California. I have DC headers on my 2002TLS and when I went for smog, the technician won't give me the certificate until I showed him the headers are CARB approved. I called up DC Customer Support and they send me a CARB sticker and I got the SMOG Cert.

 

You should install mine if i ever decide to get one...

 

haha. come over to cali cuz its cooler here than arizona. lol.

 

i thought the DC's weren't CARB certified. if i remember only Comptechs are CARB certified, one reason why they're so expensive. maybe things have changed? in any case, I've passed smog twice in California with my megan headers. i can't imagine why the XS ones wouldn't pass. just go get the car smogged where the tech is not a tight ass.

 

lol, well see. Or i can save it till you get to Arizona...haha

 

haha. i'm not workin in that heat man.. thats nuts...
maybe i'll never go back to arizona since you jus said that.
hehehe
we'll see.

 

I installed my XS headers myself. They came out perfectly with no resonance or hissing. I put on the headers first and then i put on the down pipes. I had to pry them a tiny bit to get them to line up right, but the bolts just dropped into their holes. I didn't know the torque specs on the bolts so i emailed the place i bought the headers from (ss auto chrome) and they basically told me they didn't know. So i went with the torque specs for the old bolts. I ended only getting one or 2 actually torqued to that spec but ended up stripping the other bolts. I went to the hardware store and got some new bolts and they torqued down fine.

I LOVE the XS headers and would recommend them to anyone. I didn't get any of the hissing or resonance though so it may be a different story if i did.

That install is insane. And correct me if im wrong, but i thought it was illegal for a shop to charge more than $99 without consent from the car owner. Thats why they HAVE to be able to give you a quote and they HAVE to call you if the price goes over $99 from the quote. I would have been pissed with that shop.

Is it common for the XS headers (or any SS header for that matter) to turn gold after they have been driven and heated up? I thought it was sweet looking but didn't know it would do that.

 

 

yes they will change colour.. but mine have also changed to a rusty looking bluish as well.. from rain and heat and whatever else.