03sixer

I found that link. Not sure I want to install insulation tape around my headers.

Why header wraps suck

CL-Future

It's not on the headers, it's on the flex pipe. That's all of 3-4 inches of pipe. I don't see how that can be damaging to the entire header/A-Pipe assembly.

03sixer

If it's on the flex pipe alone, yeah I could see that not causing any problems. I may try that on mine when I install them. They're still sitting in the same box they arrived in two weeks ago.

Glasuan

Would that tape hold on the flex pipe? I thought the whole point of it was to flex, which would probably tear the tape in time.

MarbleGT

I have XS on. Perfect fit, no leaks, no resonance. A little hiss when the hammer is down is all I can complain about. I can def. live with it though.

DC Sports have HORRIBLE alignment issues. I tried those a few months back and I was a good 3-4 inches off from the back header to the down pipe.


XS FTW!

ML03CLS

Actually it is there to decouple the exhaust system from the engine to keep vibrations and such from causing rattles and resonance in the exhaust. That being said, I still don't know how well the tape will hold up to the elements under the car. Flex pipes need to be protected real well in the manufacturing process, however, so I am not too surprised that this is where the leaks are coming from.

CL-Future

Yeah the tape held onto it fine in terms of flex ability. It was the heat that caused the tape to come off.

Glasuan

So the tape did fall off after all?

CL-Future

Yeah. It was wrapped all the way around the flex pipe, after about 200 miles of spirited driving, it was just like a hoolahoop around the flex pipe. I wrapped it with exhaust wrap and then taped it and that seems to be working for now but I'll eventually replace the flex pipe. If we could find some heat intense tape that doesn't fold under pressure we'd be all good...

CL-Future

This was the exhaust wrap I got...silver to match the piping...

http://www.heatshieldproducts.com/co...haust_wrap.php

gaping46and2

iTrader: (2)

Why not use a couple of exhaust clamps to hold the exhaust wrap in place instead of tape?

LIPPSTUH

iTrader: (2)

i have a lot of resonance.. wonder if it was just me.. on every gear there's this eert sound just on 1,900 rpm-2,000 rpm and then again at 2900 rpm-3000rpm... odd

and i have that hissing sound.. pretty loud when i hammer it (windows down).

install: did it with some az members and it was trouble free... odd huh? any suggestions? i think the hissing is from flexpipe, but not sure how to fix resonance. it doesn't make sense to me.

CL-Future

That's actually a good idea. Maybe something a little less stiff though like the screwdriver type clamps used to hold the throttle body hoses. I might try that...

gaping46and2

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, that's what I had in mind.

MarbleGT

The hissing is from the thin, cheap metal.

I get a fraction of resonance at 2500 RPMS (nothing above or below)

You get what you pay for. For $100...i'll deal with it.

outphase84

Yeah, I would just ignore anything that extremely biased site says.

According to that, wrapping a header causes them to break because it stops the header from radiating heat to cool itself, and friction from the exhaust gasses heat the pipe until it's molten.

However, the exhaust coating, which according to them does an EXCELLENT job keeping the heat in the header, doesn't do it?

Way to contradict themselves.

Header wraps suck because moisture gets trapped underneath of them. With any sort of wrap or coating, you're going to increase the temps that the header sees, which is going to cause more stress on them. This increases likelyhood of cracking. Having moisture trapped between the wrap and the header, even if the header is SS, is going to cause corrosion, which will even further increase the likelyhood of cracking. Remember kids, SS only resists rusting, it's not rust-proof.

That being said, coating is a million times better than wrapping, but don't listen to biased websites that -- imagine that -- are trying to sell you a coating services that they make 5 times more money on than selling you a roll of wrap.

03sixer

Good point.

Oakroadsteve

I have some resonance at 2500rpm and had it checked out by two muffler shops. It is coming out of the catalytic converter. All the shields and fittings are tight. The noise is coming from inside the cat.

Has anyone had eliminated the resonance by replacing the catalytic converter??

sinfulj32

^ thats not what it is. if it was the cat then it would make resonance sound when it was all stock. thats just the way the exhaust notes sound with headers. i have the xs headers with the stock exhaust premuffler resonator cut out. mine resonates.that just how it sounds.

LIPPSTUH

iTrader: (2)

some have it some don't. it's really weird how it changes tone. i don't see why it would do that since it's basically just pipes.

but no big deal, more worried about leaks, which arent' that big of a deal... just don't want noise that i can eliminate. i'll update you guys if i do anything to eliminate.

MarbleGT

Ok...Some say its the cat some say its the flew pipe. I found a link of a place that sells flexpipes for pretty cheap.

http://www.epiflex.com/epi_flex.html

Im going to go this weekend to a muffler shop and see If I cant get the hissing resolved.

Anyone got any updates on anything. Lets try and get this worked out, im tired of sounding like crap.

Anybodies will be greatly appreciated.

MarbleGT

Ok, just got off the phone with Rich at Epiflex.

Hes saying it could very well be the flexpipe. His company offers a flex pipe that will fit over the tubing of the header (assuming it is 2.5" in diameter). Its a double braided flex that will dramatically reduce the hissing if thats where it comes from.

He also said it could very well be coming from the cat. He said, "increasing the size of the pipe before the cat could very will cause a hissing." His company no longer deals with high-flow aftermarket cats so disregaurd the website.

Anyway, I need to measure:

1) The Length of the Flexpipe.
2) The diameter of pipe before and after the Flexpipe
3) The weld-weld length on the flexpipe.

Can anyone with the headers not currently on the car help me out with this one. If not ill be crawling under the car at lunch.

As soon as I figure it out, ill call him back and get some prices. Also, ill be the guinea pig and purchase one from him and test it out! I found a few on eBay for 20-30 bucks so im expecting them to not be that costly.

Thanks guys.

LIPPSTUH

iTrader: (2)

keep us updated o2cls

Oakroadsteve

Some posters have experienced no resonance at all. There has to be something within their exhaust that differs from ours.

Unless the difference is in the headers itself.

MarbleGT

I dont have any resonance, I do however have the "air-leaking" noise or hiss. I know its not a leak, because a leak would be very loud and poppy.

I do have custom 3" piping, no resonator and Comptech axle backs.

CLSixspeed

any word on the flex pipe and or a fix for your hiss?

SEE EL TYPE S

I'll post my vote if and when I get my xs headers installed. I attempted today with my friend at his body shop. Spent about 2 hours just trying to loosen the stock A pipe from the catalytic converter. After that ordeal we were so excited thinking we could finally finish the installation.

Too bad the threading inside the headers where the O2 sensor goes is so poorly threaded that it just won't go in. We tried everything but it's just stripping the threading on the O2 sensor. Actually the O2 threading is almost completely stripped now.

We finally called it quits after another hour of frustration and cussing. Tomorrow we're going to try to re-thread the inside of the headers but if that doesn't work, it's back to stocks and maybe a refund or wait for them to send me a better header.

Moral of the story:
1. inspect headers carefully before you decide to do anything because there's no such thing as Quality Control at XS Power.
2. sometimes you get what you pay for.

CLS6SpeedNupe

installed my headers friday, i had the his the his problem...not really as serious as every makes it seem though. I mean what do you expect when u remove something stock and replace it with something aftermarket, its not going to be the same . I mean honda wouldnt make an Accord that sounded like an a CL with an intake..feel me?. Any how the his is gone and the car sounds like like nothing changed, however, i fried my clutch friday night and its slipping so im not driving it normal, rather slow and easy so im not sure if thats why i can hear it. Other than that when i cold start the car I can hear the header making a noise that goes away after like a minute. Over all no regrets wit it so far, just cant wait to get my clutch replaced so i can go back to the track run some mid 13s wit it.

CLS6SpeedNupe

yea you sound just like the shop that installed my header friday. They said the whole header project was is a pain, mainly removing the stock rear header. To show much pain they felt, they hit me wit a nice bill which i really dont know how much of it was actually to install the header since i had gotten some other work done to.

GumbyCLS

Did anyone have a problem with the top nut on the exhaust manifold? Me and my buddy took 40 mins on just that, Our Snap-on wrench was actually flexing before it broke loose. B ut everything else was easy.

Try unbolting the downpipe from the headers to lower the exhaust and it's much easier that way.

CLS6SpeedNupe

I love the fake turbo sound from the flex pipe, lol

CLS6SpeedNupe

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

?? And what are these pics for?

CLS6SpeedNupe

Free advertisement.

Nov!ce

I've searched AEM's website and I couldn't find any AEM V2 for the '01-'03 CL or CL-S. Were you talking about an application for the pre '01 CL?

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

CLP only V2 does not fit a CLS

GumbyCLS

Man, just starting getting resonance at 2100rpms yesterday.

CLS6SpeedNupe

what exactly is resonance?

4ank

Any updates on this?

Thinking about buying a set, but am unsure. Would love comptechs for piece of mind...

CLS6SpeedNupe

just get a set of these and call it a day. I havent really got a chance to get on my car hard and see the difference they made after 3 weeks today after installing them, but thats only because I burned out the clutch at the track 2 hours from getting them installed.