RaceTEP L20B 620 Header (pics)

[Soundline]

I have this in my build thread, but to make searching for it easier, I made its own thread. To be clear, I’m not sponsored by or endorsing this product. I’m just some rando that bought one and this is what showed up. I’ll be doing some stuff to it before I bolt it up. Let me know if you want me to include that.

 

I ordered this too so we’ll see what I think after it’s done.

 

RaceTEP L20B header

 

 

How the gasket looks on it

 

 

Welds on the collector

 

 

Close up of the port for the number 1 piston.

 

[Dolomite]

Is that the shorty header? I had the shorty and hated it. I went back to stock manifolds and never looked back.

[Soundline]

I believe it is. It’s the only one they had listed. My stock is leaking somewhere. I’ll check it out when I tear it down.

 

I’ll do a full coating and wrap them then a rudimentary port match and see what I think.

[Dolomite]

Do yourself a favor and do something about the slip fit on the secondary pipe, I never got it to seal for shit. And the secondary pipe itself hangs very low if I remember correctly.

 

Edit: that collector slip fit leaked so badly, it sounded like a damn tractor.

[flatcat19]

I told OP previously before that his Y-pipe was cracked.

 

He never listens.

[metalmonkey47]

Take a picture down the collector. 

[datzenmike]

Y pipe can be welded.

[MikeRL411]

You have bad inclusions on the collector pipe welds.  You should grind and repair welds.  Otherwise you will have joint failure soon.

[Soundline]

Take a picture down the collector.

 

 

 

I assure you... you don’t want to see down there.

 

 

Y pipe can be welded.

 

 

This will hopefully be a half measure while the factory one gets a make over.

 

 

I told OP previously before that his Y-pipe was cracked.

He never listens.

  

 

He never does...

 

You have bad inclusions on the collector pipe welds.  You should grind and repair welds.  Otherwise you will have joint failure soon.

Unfortunately... there’s more problems than just that. The partial thickness welds made me want to mag particle test it. It didn’t fare well. I’ll look at the results next week and decide if I can fix it.

 

For $280 I don’t expect titanium tig welded by a master craftsmen, I do expect the shit to work though.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

$280 for that header??? It's steel, it has no coating, and a slip fit collector. Before that made it onto any of my cars or trucks, I would test fit it, weld a v-band clamp at the collector, and have it ceramic coated. With all that extra effort and cost, you could be half the way to a custom stainless header, which would last forever and fit like a glove.

 

That header is what is commonly referred to as a "cheap header", but with a $280 price tag, maybe we should come up with a new name.

[G-Duax]

I paid $100 for mine off eBay. Same chinese crap, sold under many different names.

Maybe call it the 'Way Over Priced' header now.

[Soundline]

This is exactly where I got it from.

 

 

It’s just a screenshot and I’m not really trying to send business their way.

 

I’ll coat it and wrap it myself after I grind the welds and repair them. The slip ring will get tossed and a flex joint installed.

 

Basically.... I paid for a project.

[Soundline]

And the pic requested.

 

 

I’m clearly not a photographer. But... the person who fabbed this clearly isn’t a certified welder.

[datzenmike]

It's good enough. But what wrong with your manifold? Just the down pipe?

[G-Duax]

... the person who fabbed this clearly isn’t a certified welder.

 

Mine was a little worse.

Weld bead hanging off into the end of the primary tube doesn't cut it.

I cut my collector off, and attacked the issue with a 1/4" die grinder.

 

Also shortened the collector, added more reducing cone (large outlets on collectors kill low end).

Brought it down to 2", so the velocity stays up for the next critical 12" of length, where it will then go back up to my 2.5" tail pipe.

Going to weld a V-clamp assembly on it where it joins the 2.5" pipe.

[racerx]

Never had luck w shorty headers in the past. You probably won't gain that much anyway.

[Soundline]

It's good enough. But what wrong with your manifold? Just the down pipe?

  

 

It’s leaking, so I thought this would be easier than trying to find another one. However, after seeing it, I’m going to have to admit that I’m wrong.

 

Never had luck w shorty headers in the past. You probably won't gain that much anyway.

I was actually hoping for a better sound. I don’t really think the hp would be noticeable.

[G-Duax]

Never had luck w shorty headers in the past. You probably won't gain that much anyway.

 

No one thing will really make a large improvement in power by itself.

These headers will work well with a big cam, intake, and internal engine parts to take higher RPM.

I run the numbers, and they are right in the ball park for me, with a 292 cam, big intake, high compression, and an 8500 RPM read line.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

 

Also shortened the collector, added more reducing cone (large outlets on collectors kill low end).

Brought it down to 2", so the velocity stays up for the next critical 12" of length, where it will then go back up to my 2.5" tail pipe.

 

Right, I forgot the reverse cone. Definitely worth the effort.

[Dolomite]

$280 for that header??? It's steel, it has no coating, and a slip fit collector. Before that made it onto any of my cars or trucks, I would test fit it, weld a v-band clamp at the collector, and have it ceramic coated. With all that extra effort and cost, you could be half the way to a custom stainless header, which would last forever and fit like a glove.

 

That header is what is commonly referred to as a "cheap header", but with a $280 price tag, maybe we should come up with a new name.

When I made the dumb kid mistake of buying one of these turds 15 years ago, it was $120. Still wasn’t close to worth it.

[Dolomite]

It’s leaking, so I thought this would be easier than trying to find another one. However, after seeing it, I’m going to have to admit that I’m wrong.

 

I was actually hoping for a better sound. I don’t really think the hp would be noticeable.

They don’t sound good, there’s much more under hood noise. Almost enough to completely drown out the good intake sound of side draft carbs.

[datzenmike]

  

 

It’s leaking, so I thought this would be easier than trying to find another one. However, after seeing it, I’m going to have to admit that I’m wrong.

 

 

I was actually hoping for a better sound. I don’t really think the hp would be noticeable.

 

 

Yeah gaskets are way cheaper and the L16/18 is basically a cast iron header anyway.

 

 

Only advantage is it's lighter.

[racerx]

To make it sound good get some turbo mufflers

[racerx]

Or adjust the flux capacitor.

[banzai510(hainz)]

Cermamic powder coat it if your going to run it.  INSIDE AS WELL.

the painted black ones used to be about 119$ and rust in about 6 months.  So powder coat it .

I dont like tape as one says all they do it keep the mositure in

 

 

 

I would run a L16 type exhaust manifold (CERAMIC COAT IT) if possible and make a Y pipe for 2 inch

mandrelbends.com

Wish somebody would make these these Y pipes like the stock ones for 2 inch and sell them for 510s and 521s(slightly different for the torsion bars in way)

Have a Jig for this

 

some people on here sell or made flanges to fit themanifold