Anybody make a NICE turbo header???

dragstang86

New member
Does anybody out there make a quality 3S-GTE turbo header that's not going to crack like all the ebay junk or am I just going to have to build one?
 

dragstang86

New member
magnum":3u5rqhy6 said:
IMHO the best manifolds are made by Jeff. http://racerxfabrication.com/page1/page ... age20.html They are tuned for your engine and turbo combo, not a one size fits all. Other like Full-Race, ATS, KO and those kind of gas pipe manifold come second.

Nice looking manifolds there! I wonder if they made any lower mount manifolds. Right now I have the KO Racing kit with the factory manifold and the KO adapter. I'd like to find something that allows me to use the same down pipe if possible, so just either replace the manifold or replace the manifold and adapter but while keep the turbo in the same location it is now. I'll probably have to make something in order to make that possible is suppose.
 
Ofcourse a custom made manifold is going to be the best option, and Im sure in terms of custom made there are better/cheaper options compared to your example. But seriously Id say most of us would never think about spending that much on an exhaust manifold.
 

scuba

New member
Wow, those manifolds are super expensive; good goodness!

how about a manifold from jgstools - http://jgsturbo.com/index2.html

dragstang86, if you happen to make your own manifold to make the stock turbo work with the berk downpipe, please let me know, and Ill give you some cash to make me one too! 800-1700 is ridiculous for a manifold; they are pretty, but wow, I can definitely find a better way to spend 800-1700.
 

magnum

New member
I agree they are expensive, without a doubt. But to me the reason I think they are worth while, like with any mod is to have your car run the most efficient it can. Example is Jeff's car. It started out with the stock manifold with adapter on a built engine with a GT3076 making 407whp on 93 pump gas. After adding properly developed intake and exhaust manifolds with a V-band housing he made 475whp on the same engine and 93 pump gas. This and a torque curve that doesn't drop like a stone after it peeks. For me it is worth it for the most area under the curve, better drive-ability and not having to use meth or water injection. It would be like saying cams are costly to buy and install. Yes but in the long run your better off.
 

scuba

New member
magnum":2xhepiav said:
I agree they are expensive, without a doubt. But to me the reason I think they are worth while, like with any mod is to have your car run the most efficient it can. Example is Jeff's car. It started out with the stock manifold with adapter on a built engine with a GT3076 making 407whp on 93 pump gas. After adding properly developed intake and exhaust manifolds with a V-band housing he made 475whp on the same engine and 93 pump gas. This and a torque curve that doesn't drop like a stone after it peeks. For me it is worth it for the most area under the curve, better drive-ability and not having to use meth or water injection. It would be like saying cams are costly to buy and install. Yes but in the long run your better off.

I agree with you that it would be worth it in the long run; however, the cost is way to high espcially if more fabrication is required to make parts already owned fit the new manifold. I mean seriously 800-1700 is pretty high, even for custom work; if the down pipe and and flanges needed to weld to ones already owned equipment were included...then yes 1700 would be justifiable. I can see asking 500-600 for a manifold that is custom, but not 800-1700. Then again, that's just my opinion.
 

sentraman

New member
Honestly from watching a shop build our manifold and actually having to take off and put on the manifold and making sure everything clears. I can say that $800-$1150 is fair pricing, especially with V-bands and twin scroll flanges.




scuba":6byz7pe9 said:
magnum":6byz7pe9 said:
I agree they are expensive, without a doubt. But to me the reason I think they are worth while, like with any mod is to have your car run the most efficient it can. Example is Jeff's car. It started out with the stock manifold with adapter on a built engine with a GT3076 making 407whp on 93 pump gas. After adding properly developed intake and exhaust manifolds with a V-band housing he made 475whp on the same engine and 93 pump gas. This and a torque curve that doesn't drop like a stone after it peeks. For me it is worth it for the most area under the curve, better drive-ability and not having to use meth or water injection. It would be like saying cams are costly to buy and install. Yes but in the long run your better off.

I agree with you that it would be worth it in the long run; however, the cost is way to high espcially if more fabrication is required to make parts already owned fit the new manifold. I mean seriously 800-1700 is pretty high, even for custom work; if the down pipe and and flanges needed to weld to ones already owned equipment were included...then yes 1700 would be justifiable. I can see asking 500-600 for a manifold that is custom, but not 800-1700. Then again, that's just my opinion.
 

lumbercis

Moderator
Full-Race are the best made. Period. Engineered, robotically welded and strong.

That said, you don't really need an exhaust manifold until you start getting into larger power numbers and bigger turbos.
 

dragstang86

New member
Right now I just have the KO Racing 50 trim T3/T4 kit but want go with something a GT3582 because I want a minimum of 500awhp. So I'd like to go with a manifold that will allow me to keep the same downpipe but just replace the factory manifold and the KO adapter
 

magnum

New member
lumbercis":2nz1vx7y said:
Full-Race are the best made. Period. Engineered, robotically welded and strong.

That said, you don't really need an exhaust manifold until you start getting into larger power numbers and bigger turbos.
I will have to disagree. They are well made, but they pick the position for the turbo and the runner length is governed by than. Not by the needs of the specific engine build it is going on. (one size fits all). I don't know if they use 300 or 400 series stainless so I can't comment on that. The best manifolds I've seen are from Extreme tuners Inconel 625 and Titanium CP-2Grade 2 manifolds that are one piece mandrel bent runner. No weld seams on them at all.
manifold2000hp1.jpg
 

gearhead313

New member
I've made my fair share of manifolds and for those prices, people are NOT getting a deal. If you know how to build your own, then why even look? That means you know how to fabricate the tubing, tig it and also calculate runner length and back pressure. If not, then just buy whats in your budget and make the rest of the kit work around where the turbo is placed. Buying a new manifold and having it retain your current downpipe position is going to be difficult. If you can make a manifold, then making a down pipe is quick and easy.

Its funny... for 1700$ you get the same material as the ebay mani's.
 

scuba

New member
gearhead313":105pvtzr said:
I've made my fair share of manifolds and for those prices, people are NOT getting a deal. If you know how to build your own, then why even look? That means you know how to fabricate the tubing, tig it and also calculate runner length and back pressure. If not, then just buy whats in your budget and make the rest of the kit work around where the turbo is placed. Buying a new manifold and having it retain your current downpipe position is going to be difficult. If you can make a manifold, then making a down pipe is quick and easy.

Its funny... for 1700$ you get the same material as the ebay mani's.

I concur!
 

dragstang86

New member
gearhead313":1n5keix0 said:
I've made my fair share of manifolds and for those prices, people are NOT getting a deal. If you know how to build your own, then why even look? That means you know how to fabricate the tubing, tig it and also calculate runner length and back pressure. If not, then just buy whats in your budget and make the rest of the kit work around where the turbo is placed. Buying a new manifold and having it retain your current downpipe position is going to be difficult. If you can make a manifold, then making a down pipe is quick and easy.

Its funny... for 1700$ you get the same material as the ebay mani's.

I work at a fairly large fabrication shop that builds race cars, headers, tubular control arms etc, pretty much any kind of custom fabrication for the drag racing world so I have the means of having virtually anything built. As far as the ideal runner lengths and all is something that I would need to research as we don't do a lot of 4 cylinder stuff, mainly big inch big block and small block stuff.

My plan to make it work with the rest of the KO Racing kit, would just to build a jig off of the stock manifold with the KO Racing adapter on it and then build the tubular manifold off of it.
 

gearhead313

New member
I gotcha.

Have you ever measured pressure before and after the turbine to see if your generating any pressure gain to have a need for a new manifold?
 

dragstang86

New member
gearhead313":1fs00vvr said:
I gotcha.

Have you ever measured pressure before and after the turbine to see if your generating any pressure gain to have a need for a new manifold?

No I haven't but I only have the T3/T4 50 trim kit on it right now but plan on going to the GT35 before it hits the road.
 
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