Knock-Off Headers (Pace Setter, Autochrome, Chinese, eBay, etc.)

jonnyb411 wrote:

is this a legit site? asked a question no response?

huh? The link got posted for you man.....

yes i understand, i found this site a couple days ago and i sent this guy a email and he never even got back to me saying if he has anymore in stock. you know i just want to be safe before i pay .ohh! also do you have a exact link for those exhaust tips and are they chrome? don't want them to rust??? there fucking sweet....

My tips? They from a 2004 + Grand Prix GTP. Only available at the dealer as far as I know...they were optional. They are not chrome. They are polished aluminum.....had em for 2 years and not 1 stain (yet). I think they retail for around $350

i like my exhaust note quiet with 0 drone at any rpm. i've yet to sit in a 3800 with a cat back exhaust and not hear/feel the drone.
only thing i feel might help out flow and not contribute to noise is a true Y pipe rather than the T. (btw i have a 3" pipe in place of the cat and have no drone, just some rasp during neutral revs)

i may go the SSAC route for headers soon as well.
anyone have any leaking issues? are the slp clamps that good?
Also would it be better to have a shop weld the crossover to the rear or front before install?
how is the heat after the car is hot? does it radiate heat like a ceramic coated pipe or less?

Hey, the only thing I have noticed different, just now, is that you have eliminated the Cat Converter.
Do you think that is enough to introduce the droan you are talking about. Must be.
I installed that magnaflow 3" cat and have no droan.
Just an observation. But when you figure out how to make this sound like a V8, let me be the first to know, please.

Mr.Riviera wrote:

i like my exhaust note quiet with 0 drone at any rpm. i've yet to sit in a 3800 with a cat back exhaust and not hear/feel the drone.
only thing i feel might help out flow and not contribute to noise is a true Y pipe rather than the T. (btw i have a 3" pipe in place of the cat and have no drone, just some rasp during neutral revs)

i may go the SSAC route for headers soon as well.
anyone have any leaking issues? are the slp clamps that good?
Also would it be better to have a shop weld the crossover to the rear or front before install?
how is the heat after the car is hot? does it radiate heat like a ceramic coated pipe or less?

The clamps i used are good enough to not need any sealant and have no leaks. I bought mine from ZZP, as i was ordering the Cat Converter from them anyway. Do not need SLP clamps, just the proper size step clamp, with a properly aligned pipe and your good to go.
I have heard / read many people warn that you must use a bunch of sealant to prevent leaks, but if you look at the pic's just posted, that looks exactly like my car and there is no sealant anywhere and there are no leaks.
Certainly DO NOT need to weld the crossover pipe. It might require some work to fit it but nothing that can't be done without leaks.
Maybe i got lucky but lets see what Abaddon says.

Rickw wrote:

Hey, the only thing I have noticed different, just now, is that you have eliminated the Cat Converter.
Do you think that is enough to introduce the droan you are talking about. Must be.
I installed that magnaflow 3" cat and have no droan.
Just an observation. But when you figure out how to make this sound like a V8, let me be the first to know, please.

not sure if you are referring to my setup or abaddons...

I have a plog, 3" DP and 3" straight pipe in place of the cat. i have no drone.

I was referring to Abaddon's as he referred to a droan after installing the SSAC's

Quote Mr. Riviera:
how is the heat after the car is hot? does it radiate heat like a
ceramic coated pipe or less?

Sorry Matthew, I just noticed this question.
My answer is no, the underhood temp's aren't hotter after driving till heat soaked, If anything it is a bit cooler. The heat wrap helps to remove the heat by drawing it out the exhaust pipes.
It is the same on the headers to my motorcycles. It is recommended to use heat wrap to help lower the exhaust temps that are radiated outward but yet provide a hotter exhaust temp internally which helps scavenge the exhaust quicker.
On a 2 cylinder V-Twin it actually allows me to run a slightly different cam due to the hotter exhaust temps in the cylinder head. But saves my leg and nuts from getting too hot.
Obviously this phenomena is more noticeable on a Harley where your virtually sitting on the rear cylinder head.

To answer your question simply, it radiates less heat under the hood.

The drone I'm referring to is at cruising speed (50mph) and in OD. When the engine is at about 1300rpm's cruising it's a very low pitched "growl". As I stated it doesn't bother me, however it would send Rick to the nut house LOL.
The only fabrication of the existing exhaust that I had to do was cut off about 3 feet of pipe and weld it to the new flange.....My exhaust system was already custom made with no cat or resonator. I also am noticing that the "raspy-ness" is a lot less, almost gone. It turned into more of a deeper "popping" sound. I admit though, my exhaust is quite loud. I have 2-1/2" pipe ALL the way to the mufflers. The idle is quiet, but hammer the throttle, well, it's a different story.

For Mr. Riviera, I ordered Dynomax Lap Joint clamps (shown in pic). The clamps that came with the headers were nothing but u-bolts. As Rick said, as long as you use them properly, you don't need ANY sealant......I didn't use any. No need to weld the crossover. I couldn't even imagine blowin a gasket and having to cut the crossover .

As for the heat.....I can literally grab the header after driving 20 miles and not get burned. Don't get me wrong, it's hot as hell, and don't keep your hand on it, it's just not the skin searing heat that bare metal emits. The car doesn't get as hot sitting at idle in the heat either, and it cools off faster

Scott,
All I can say is thanks for validating my experience with these headers and the method of installation. The step clamps on the crossover work extremely well and don't need sealant and don't leak.
I have heard some people say they are a bitch to install, I had a semi-bitch of a time with them, but nothing so difficult that i would have stopped trying. Once i got the rear and front lined up, all went smoothly.
Not only do they not leak when new but i can say they don't leak after about 12,000 miles.

Hey, how did you know i spent a stint at the Nut House after trying to modify a different GM V6 exhaust.
Were you in the next wing down or what.?

Rickw wrote:

Hey, how did you know i spent a stint at the Nut House after trying to modify a different GM V6 exhaust.
Were you in the next wing down or what.?

Eh, I was on the 4th floor. Had a severe case of Eleutherophobia

Fear of Freedom? that has to suck, but there are worse things to fear, like...
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia

I'm sorry. I'm not even going to bother to look up the definition of these phobia's. The reason, I already have a list given to me by my 4 Regular Doctor's, then there are the others I see occasionally.
But these are interesting phobia's.
Cheer's
Rick

Actually Rick, I was hoping you'd catch the reference......I made it just for you!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170469647493&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_3126wt_892

ANYONE KNOW IF THIS WILL FIT MY CAR 99 RIVIERA>?THE GUY ISN'T SURE AND I DON'T REALLY KNOW. GREAT PRICE THOUGH

jonnyb411 wrote:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170469647493&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_3126wt_892

ANYONE KNOW IF THIS WILL FIT MY CAR 99 RIVIERA>?THE GUY ISN'T SURE AND I DON'T REALLY KNOW. GREAT PRICE THOUGH

YES BUT THEY'LL PROLLY FIT REALLY BAD AND THE FLEX MIGHT RUST OUT.

THE SELLER SAYS THAT THEY ARE CERAMIC COATED ON THE INSIDE AND STAINLESS STEAL ON THE OUTSIDE? AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN WILL FIT BAD?

jonnyb411 wrote:

THE SELLER SAYS THAT THEY ARE CERAMIC COATED ON THE INSIDE AND STAINLESS STEAL ON THE OUTSIDE?

WHAT?! I CANT UNDERSTAND YOU WHEN YOU'RE YELLING.

WHAT LOL

lol. He means to use your indoor voice.

With headers you get what you pay for.

They look just like the SSAC's and the application listing is the same as the SSAC's that fit my car.

There always has to be the First, to try a new product. The price is cheap.

If you do buy them, DO NOT use the supplied gaskets, they will leak in a short time.
Re-use your OEM steel ones that are on your car or get metal ones from Fel-Pro.

At minimum use some header wrap on the flex joint, but a couple of us have gone through the hassle to wrap the whole system. I did and i'm glad i did. headers are nice and quiet. I also bought a Magnaflow High Flow 3 inch Cat from ZZP for about $50.00 and welded it to the outlet of the last header piece which is also 3 inches.

You can read up on all this under a different post regarding headers.

Good luck with whatever decision you make.
Look at the SSAC's and try to compare by the pictures. They look identical and they used to be the cheapest headers you could buy.

A pretty solid 3800 installer said there is a brand that looks just like SLP knockoffs and the fitment is perfect. Ugh... I wish I knew his screenname... They are really cheap and I think you can get them on ebay.

Wait... Those are them. I don't know how consistent they are in all their production models but if what I said above holds true, these should be good. Hell... I WISH these were around when I bought my POS SLPs from an Intense guy USED for a lot more $$ a few years ago.

jonnyb411 wrote:

THE SELLER SAYS THAT THEY ARE CERAMIC COATED ON THE INSIDE AND STAINLESS STEAL ON THE OUTSIDE?

That's not what the ad says. And you wouldn't ceramic coat the inside of the header, that makes no sense. I would try to buy them from somebody else.

However, they do look like the SSAC headers, which I had installed in my '98 Riviera. They do fit, but not an exact bolt-on (our cat flange is different). Follow other's advice about the gaskets and where to wrap to keep ticking down. Mine do tick.

Doug Thorley headers are available coated with ceramic inside and out (not for 3800's tho)... that why they cost a stupid amount of money.